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.
Oh, yeah...it's the pro-abort, pro-same-sex-marriage gun grabbers who are clearly in the mainstream in the GOP.</sarcasm>
Once his stance on the issues is clarified, Rudy will get killed in the primaries. He is the Colin Powell of this election cycle, ie someone who is popular because the media kisses his a-s, but one who few know any specifics about.
If I here him milk 9/11 one more time, I am going postal.
HILLARY WILL NOT BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT! Even Democrats in NY won't vote for her for president in 2008. It will be a big fight between Rudy and McCain for president in 2008.
Please GOP, don't let this be what you offer up for the 2008 election! There HAS to be a real conservative candidate out there somewhere to put our support behind. The names being offered up so far as serious contenders are no better than a high school student council president election which is always a popularity contest between the football captain/quarterback and the head cheerleader or glee club captain.
Hillary will be the next president if Guiliani somehow got the nomination. It would drive social conservatives and gun owners away from the GOP in droves.
Senator Goldwater,
First, I would like to congratulate you for fighting so hard in 1964 without a blogosphere to watch your back. ;-)
About your IOU comment: this is a brilliant observation. If Rudi campaigns for southern GOP politicians in 2006...he gets to cash his chips in bigtime in 2007 and 2008.
Nominate Rudy and the party will split like it did when Perot ran. To me it does nto matter if the Yankee liberal is a respendican or a rat. Both are liberals and will NEVER have my support.
Well maybe there will be. I am hoping more will think of running in 2008.
The number one issue is continuity in the war on terror. Rudy will deliver on that. I'd personally like to see Tommy Franks run. A Franks/Giuliani ticket might work.
[FReepers are like DUers at least so far as they think their views represent the mainstream in their party.
Oh, yeah...it's the pro-abort, pro-same-sex-marriage gun grabbers who are clearly in the mainstream in the GOP.</sarcasm>]
I was referring to the anti-premarital sex, pro-smoking anti-seat-belt-law FReepers.
Competent? Guiliani is the guy who endorsed Cuomo for governor in 1994 and then whined incessantly when Pataki gave him (rightly so) the cold shoulder after the election. As for Rudy's leadership, I just don't see it. He does seem to be quite good at promoting the idea that he's a fantastic leader, though.
He needs to step away from Ralph Reed, or else he won't get the GA republicans in the long run.
I could not vote for Guiliani, or another similar northeast liberal, under any circumstances.
"It would drive social conservatives and gun owners away from the GOP in droves."
Have these people never heard the phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face?" They'll deserve what they get if they do that.
Well then thats a big shame if they let Hillary become president. Then they should be very ashamed of themselves for allowing another Clinton in the White House after bashing Bill Clinton and Hillary for the 8 years they ran the county and then allowing Hillary to get back in because of their stubborness and stupidity. And if Hillary gets back in all I can say for them is YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!
HE IS NOT WELCOME.
RUDI GO HOME.
Would probably be a stronger message if you spelled his name correctly.
I now have money riding on this, courtesy of a bet against another Freeper. Rudy Giuliani ain't even going to run in 2008, let alone win anything.
Then you better get to work to find someone you like.
AWESOME TICKET!
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