GIULIANI '08: A REAL CHANCE

The New York Post ^ | 5/23/06 | John Podohertz

[Blackirish]

May 23, 2006 -- IN my new book ("Can She Be Stopped?"), I suggest that the Republican best suited to the challenge of preventing Hillary Clinton's ascension to the Oval Of fice in 2008 is Rudy Giuliani. A Fox News Opinion Dynamics poll released yesterday offers some strong ballast for the idea: In a head-to-head matchup, Rudy beats Hillary 49 percent to 40 percent, the best showing among all Republican contenders.

By contrast, John McCain has a 46-to-42 advantage over Hillary - besting her but not as decisively as Rudy does. Rudy is viewed favorably by 64 percent of those asked, McCain by 49 percent (Hillary: 50 percent).

And this is not a poll of Republicans alone: The respondents are 41 percent Democrat, 32 percent Republican and 21 percent independent.

It's probably not surprising that Rudy wins in a head-to-head contest for the presidency. After all, Hillary is a lightning rod - while he, once a hugely controversial figure, has become beloved.

But what about in a Republican primary? Can Rudy possibly win?

In surveys of Republican primary voters, two names top every list - Giuliani and McCain. Each gets support from around 30 percent, with every other possible contender hovering around 2 or 3 percent at most.

[Jameison]

"I think that it probably will be Allen or someone very much like him"

What have Allen's poll numbers been like?
And what is his name recognition even amongst Republicans, like alone the whole country?
But hey, feel free to dream on. No law against that. :)

[BCR #226]

"I still say he cannot win the support of social conservatives because of his positions on Abortion, same-sex marriange and gun control."

You're right... If he runs, I won't support him nor vote for him. If he runs against Mark Warner, he has a snowballs chance in winning.

Mike

[Jameison]

"If he runs against Mark Warner, he has a snowballs chance in winning. "


Is that why Guiliani's been consistentlt and solidly ahead of Mark Warner since polling for 2008 began..by up to over 20%?

/sarcasm on Yup. That darned Guiliani has no chance at all. Not a snowball in hell's chance./sarcasm off/

Hey, please feel free to live in fantasy land, will ya?

[linda_22003]

"To tell the truth, 9/11 just wasn't that big a deal for the rest of us."

Speak for yourself. Some of us thought it was pretty awful.

[linda_22003]

"Try Senator Allen or Tim Pence just no name a few."

Mike Pence would be the first to tell you that a politician needs name recognition to get anywhere.

[Jameison]

"To tell the truth, 9/11 just wasn't that big a deal for the rest of us. T"

Groan!
Dear God.
Did I just see an American, and a supposed conservative actually say that?

[Jameison]

"Every poll shows Rudy beating Hillary and taking NY State.
Politics is the art of the possible"

It is.
Wouldn't vote for Hitlery if I had a gun pointed at my head.
I'd take Rudy a billion times over Hitelry, anytime anywhere.

Rudy has every chance of taking this thing, if he runs.
And I think he will.

[George W. Bush]

Did I just see an American, and a supposed conservative actually say that?

You did. For the American public, life has moved on. Get used to it.

[linda_22003]

Perhaps a supposed conservative, but I would certainly argue whether the title "American" is deserved.

[linda_22003]

Life has moved on, of course, but you said it "WASN'T a big deal". It's nice that on 9/11 you were able to shrug and say, "Oh, well, no one WE know".

[Jameison]

"You did. For the American public, life has moved on. Get used to it."

What American public you talking about, dude?
More than that it's not so much that you said "life has moved on", its that you said and I quote "To tell the truth, 9/11 just wasn't that big a deal for the rest of us"
You are basically saying 9/11 wasn't a big big deal to you, to start off with.

I just find that beyond belief.
All that because you are determined to talk down Guiliani's achievements, for a 2008 Presidential elections?
That is simply beyond contempt.

[linda_22003]

I have read his posts. His remarks are, unfortunately, not beyond belief. They are very much in keeping with what he has shown us of himself.

[George W. Bush]

Some of us thought it was pretty awful.

Awful? Yes. Shocking? Absolutly. But it's almost five years past now.

The national political establishment hardly mentions Osama any more, the villain who planned and authorized the attack. Bush acts uninterested and Rumsfeld just tries to change the subject if some reporter remembers to ask about that Osama guy.

In this year's elections, Osama is a zero. Therefore, 9/11 cannot be that important.

[Jameison]

"It's nice that on 9/11 you were able to shrug and say, "Oh, well, no one WE know"."

Exactly my point.
Is this guy for real?

[Jameison]

"But it's almost five years past now"

Hey, according to you, it was no big deal to start off with, not just today.
Because no one you knew got killed, right?

[Jameison]

"I have read his posts. His remarks are, unfortunately, not beyond belief. They are very much in keeping with what he has shown us of himself"

Tell me about it.
I am finding that out for myself.

[sitetest]

Dear Cincinna,

"For every vote Rudy loses, he will gain 2 or 3."

That's a nice assertion, but it's doubtful. The polls we see now are little more than exercises in name recognition.

Elections aren't won by throwing away substantial parts of one's party's base.


sitetest

[Jameison]

"The polls we see now are little more than exercises in name recognition. "

# 1.If they are, maybe you'll explain why Hitelry is far and away ahead of Hanoi John, John Edwards, Algore, etc in the polls for the RATS nomination.
You are not going to say Hanoi John has no name recognition as well are you?

And # 2. If voters don't even know about some guy, how they are going to vote for that guy.
A large part of politics has to do with name recognition.
Don't knock it.

[George W. Bush]

Life has moved on, of course, but you said it "WASN'T a big deal". It's nice that on 9/11 you were able to shrug and say, "Oh, well, no one WE know".

No, I was as shocked as anyone. You just don't turn on your TV every day and see big planes hitting big buildings. Those of us born since the mid-Thirties had never seen such a large scale attack on American territory. But we have fought two wars and occupied two countries. There are no other 9/11 villains on our radar from what the pols are saying. Unless we decide to invade Iran because they were also behind 9/11, then 9/11 is fading into the past. Not forgotten but not a central event in people's daily lives.

I think in the elections this year, we'll see some of the usual talk about defense and terrorism but we'll see much more on illegals and other issues.

[linda_22003]

I think your last sentence is correct. The rest of your post shows your dexterity at backpedaling.