Posted on 02/01/2006 5:23:40 AM PST by areafiftyone
Political pundits have long discounted former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's presidential prospects, claiming that his particular brand of tough-talking, socially moderate conservatism would never play south of the Mason-Dixon Line. But Rudy has never been one to listen to conventional wisdom, and lately at least, he has been turning up the heat in southern conservative political circles.
In just the last week, he endorsed Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry for re-election and met with Evangelicals in Florida. Most impressively, he actually outpaced U.S. Senator John McCain in a just-released Georgia poll, garnering the support of 28 percent of Georgia Republicans to McCain's 22 percent, echoing numbers in December's CNN/USA Today/Gallup nationwide poll. The conservative blog, RightWingNews reported last week that while Condoleezza Rice was the top choice of 230 conservative bloggers for the Republican nomination, Giuliani came in second, beating out U.S. Senator George Allen and Newt Gingrich. Nationwide, Rudy earned a 63 percent favorable rating in a Pew Research Center poll in October.
In addition to supporting Perry, Giuliani has planted a Texas-sized footstep in the Lone Star State—now with three more Electoral College votes than New York. Last spring, he became a name partner in a Houston law firm, Bracewell and Giuliani, noted for its Bush connections and roster of major energy clients.
The Catholic mayor is also busy burnishing his ties to Christian conservatives. Pat Robertson has said Rudy would make "a good president" and the mayor was a headliner for a fundraising committee supporting former Christian Coalition executive Ralph Reed in his bid to be Georgia's lieutenant governor. Last week, Giuliani dropped by an Orlando meeting of the Global Pastors Network and told the Evangelical leaders that "only God knows" if he will run for president. The group offered their prayers for him and he responded in kind, showing an openly devout side not many people had seen before: "I can't tell you from my heart how much I appreciate what you are doing—saving people, telling them about Jesus Christ and bringing them to God."
Still, Giuliani's southern strategy may be an uphill climb. "It's a real stretch for Giuliani to get out voters in southern Republican primaries," Richard Murray, head of the University of Houston's Center for Public Policy said. "He has too much baggage to get through the southern primaries." Murray said Giuliani's best shot may be as a "ticket balancer," a moderate vice president to a conservative ticket leader, especially if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee.If that were the case, and Rudy got to take on the senator from New York, he would feel right at home, no matter where he was stumping for votes.
I would cast my vote for Rudy in a heartbeat over anyone else I can see on the horizon, and especially over McVain.
I would like a Rudy/Allen ticket alot.
The best thing Rudy has going for him in the south is that he talks -- and acts -- tough. If he travels the south long enough, he'll come around to the 2nd amendment and other issues Southerners hold dear.
The War is the big issue, and Rudy has the people's trust on this issue. It will be a lot easier for him to get elected if Pres. Bush gets to nominate another judge or two to SCOTUS. Esp if Bush gets to replace Stephens or Ginsburg (or both).
"I would like a Rudy/Allen ticket alot."
Me too. That is my dream ticket against Clinton/Obama or Clinton/Clark. We would win in a landslide.
I like Allen/Giuliani or Allen/Rice better "at this juncture" but there is a lot of time left.
Well said. Rudy cleaned the porn shops out of Times Square, got the bums kicked off the streets, cracked down on crime and put a bunch of mobsters behind bars. During the Dinkins administration people were afraid to walk through the streets of Manhattan. He has never wavered in his staunch support of President Bush and the war on terror and in Iraq. He is no where near as wishy washy as McCain. As I said earlier, I am a big fan of Tommy Franks and would love to see the General throw his hat into the ring with Rudy running as VP.
Ugh. This rings about as true as Howard Dean telling us that Job is his favorite book of the New Testament.
A third-party run would only help Rudy, I suspect, by making moderates more comfortable with him.
Like Kerry? Come on. Despite the Billybob-bubba image the MSM gives NRA members, we have been paying attention. Think we'll believe he has had some sort of epiphany on that issue? NOT happening.
Never trust anyone in favor of disarming you. NEVER.
If I vote for a gun-grabbing baby killer, then the guilt of theft, oppression and murder is on MY hands. The little 'D' or 'R' next to the gun-grabbing baby killer's name does not change that.
[We would win in a landslide.]
And this is where half the people on the thread disagree with the other half.
Some here aren't dreaming of burying the Cindy Sheehans of the world in a crushing 50 state landslide. Instead, they are calculating that the Cindy Sheehans are weakening the left so much that America can push even further to the right and it will be optimal to squeak by with Ohio again.
When I took my MBA, economic theory covered this way of thinking: an idealogue can calculate that, if the Republicans win in 2008 by more than one state...this means that the candidate wasn't conservative *enough*...that they could have won with a tighter margin but a more conservative candidate would then become President.
And that would somehow be worth the handwringing and headaches of watching the neck on neck race with the Democrat candidate for an entire year.
This can be considered logical thinking. It is also the kind of thinking that a Las Vegas gambler has. This kind of person wants a fair fight, a battle of ideologies with pure ideologues up against each other.
A non-gambler (businessman) wants to lock in returns on his investment. He wants to make darned sure that he wins. And one thing he DOESN'T want is any kind of chance that the other side will win or that he or any member of his staff has to spend the summer and fall of 2008 chewing the ends of pencils as opposing candidates run neck on neck while the liberal candidate talks about betraying the country and losing wars.
One thing for sure...if Giuliani becomes the clear favorite among Republicans nationwide, and continues to shine vs Hillary Clinton in polls of the general public...Hillary Clinton and anyone else on the Dem side will have to come to the center in a desperate attempt to head the guy off. The DailyKOS crowd will have zero power. Cindy Sheehan will have had her 15 minutes of fame. The far left will be crushed.
That's your opinion and you are entitled to it. Let me tell you that what you don't know would be surprised about alot of people who call themselves conservative. If walls could talk. But I do respect your opinion.
Moderates would vote for Rudy in a heartbeat. From what I have read.
9/11 needs to be kept in the forefront of everyone's mind for the rest of the life of the Republic.
So go postal. Where do you live?
Democrats despise Rudy. They know he'd wipe Hillary off the presidential political landscape forever and deny her the chance of transforming this country into Vichy France.
And that's really the thing isn't it?
If Rudy promises to appoint constructionists to the federal courts and is the nominee, he's got my vote. I will not enable the Democrats, because
I have a feeling that is going to happen. More fun watching the Dems Cry!!!
You know I just said that to someone last week!
1. There is no way in hell Hillary would win, unless the GOP ran a child molester.
2. The Dems will likely nominate Evan Bayh or Mark Warner.
I think a lot of country folk have no clue what Giuliani did for New York City.
New York City was a mess in the late 80s and I actually moved away because of it. Black muggers were sticking guns in the face of white businessmen ALL THE TIME. The Port Authority Bus Terminal and Times Square was the major HANGOUT for black criminals while simultaneously being the second biggest intake point for white suburban businessmen and women.
White businesswomen were constantly being verbally accosted by the unemployed minority men on 42nd street which is a necessary street to walk on to get to the bus terminal to New Jersey. Black guys were openly peeing on the sidewalk in front of these women.
Robberies, homicides...way up under Mayor Dinkens, the Jimmy Carter of New York.
Giuliani came in and WHAM...you got harrassed for being anywhere near the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Times Square unless you really were a tourist or commuter.
The African American "community", meaning their leftist politicians like Al Sharpton started screaming discrimination. But there was nothing against blacks. Just against unemployed people hanging out where they were not wanted.
Then Giuliani got the police to shoot first and ask questions later. Robberies and homicides dropped. Muggings went way down.
If you peed on the sidewalk, you were going to jail bigtime.
I am from New York City, and so when I some here acting like Giuliani is some kind of liberal wimp...I just don't get it.
This is the kind of guy I might even prefer to have now facing Iran.
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