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 Statenow 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 doingsaving 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.
Allen, whoever he is and wherever he is from, had better make himself known if he is going to attract voters from other states. I haven't a clue who Allen is and if it wasn't for FR I doubt if I would have heard his name.
This is the most racist post I've seen you put up, and reminds me of why I hate the Euro-peon mentality.
In this country, we have the RIGHT not the priveledge of defending ourselves. Right to carry permits in most U.S. state are granted to ALL law abiding citizens.
If the white liberals who dominate the NY population were too "scared of guns" they don't deserve the freedoms that this country was founded with.
I've carried in Seattle, Miami, Philadelphia, Houston, and Dallas, all large cities that respect my 2nd amendment right, all of which had racially diverse populations. No problems in any of those cities.
BTW: The leftists of both parties who govern New York state have made it a felony to carry a firearm. You lose all gun owning priveledges if you are caught, your fantasy of white men being let off notwithstanding.
Again, your time among the Euro-peons has ruined your brain.
Conservative European = American Democrat.
Socialist European = Communist.
Sort of reminds me of New York state, which is dying as the red states are thriving BTW.
Let me guess, you are not a native Virginia, but a northeastern RINO white collar transplant.
She should go back to one of the blue states IMHO judging by her posts on this site.
That was 1996, though. I saw him interviewed the other day and he's very concerned about illegal immigration and our vulnerability.
Giuliani is an urban Noo Yawker who will never change his spots. Only a dumb suburban broad who watches too much TV would fall for his schtick. Not that I'm talking about you, just many of the Rudy supporters I see hear.
Two words: Executive Privilege! MSM screams about Bush, but it was Clinton -- a DEM -- who abused that beyond all reason.
BTW RUss Feingold just got himself placed on the Intelligence Committee... today was his first meeting and I'll tell you -- I don't like the man! He has too high of opinion of himself.
Do you ever watch Cable News? or CSpan? If you did you'd at least know who George Allen is and if you followed sports you'd know who his father was, but he was Governor of Virginia, congressman from Virginia and now Senator from Virginia -- in other words, he has a lot of experience. IMHO he needs to run on the ticket as VP and then move to President.
RUSS FEINGOLD is on the intel committee?
That tidbit will not help me sleep better...
You should try and catch the reruns on cSpan -- you will pray for another8 years of GOP majorities.
Same here. There a number of other Republicans I'd rather see in the White House, but if it comes down to Rudy or McCain/Kerry/Edwards/Clinton, I'll go with Rudy.
Agreed but we are still almost three years away from voting and the polls, I think, are reflecting who the MEDIA champions (mostly McCain) and not who Republicans actually want. The MSM is *dying* to prop up a RINO as the Republican nominee since they know the Democrats can't get their own act together and they also know a certain percentage of the electorate will stay home rather than vote for a RINO.
Personally, I'd accept Rudy before I'd accept McCain. He at least seems to be loyal to the party if not to all of their platform. He *might* have tried to make himself more liberal than he really is in order to be elected Mayor of NYC and could turn right out of a truer political calling. McCain, OTOH, is just a selfish glosshound who would speak while standing on his head if the NYT told him to.
Well, the Bananas/Foster ticket helped Bush win Florida in 2000. Always wondered if he was a plant.
I'd take McCain over Rudy. He's not my favorite guy in the world, but anyone would be better than a Noo Yawker who is beloved by liberal Yuppie voters and who has ZERO conservative credentials on any issue aside from "law and order."
Not sure, but I do know Pat is not a Bush fan, by any means.
At least Rudy picks one side of an issue and sticks with it. I might not agree with him on all things, but he is up front with his thoughts and beliefs.
McCain is my Senator. I do not want him for President; period.
Well, I don't hate anybody. But I do love babies and I love guns. Heck I even love Rudy, thank God he's on our side and all, but I could never ever vote for him. But you will probably vote for our "far right" candidate because you will probably agree with him on what matters most to you. Tchuss
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