Giuliani's Convictions Could Win Over Republicans

DMN/ vis Real Clear Politics ^ | July 7, 2006 | Mark Davis

[chiller]

Twenty-eight months to go, and I can't wait.

( edit )

Since Condi insists she isn't interested - and for the moment I believe her - speculation ranges from base-pleasing Republicans like Sens. Bill Frist, Sam Brownback and my current favorite, George Allen, to the intriguing prospects of envelope-pushers like John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.

And these two intriguing figures constitute my point of the day. There are two things I have stopped saying: first, Mr. McCain can't win, and second, Rudy won't run.

I still don't believe Mr. McCain will be the '08 nominee, but his loyal support for the war has healed some distaste that the GOP base has had for him since he challenged Mr. Bush six years ago. His disconnect with many Republicans on overhauling campaign finance is still an anvil around his prospects, but I can no longer write him off.

As for Mr. Giuliani, I used to say that he won't run and couldn't win if he did. The gay-friendly, abortion-rights-supporting ex-New York mayor whose legacy includes an embrace of gun control? It would seem highly unlikely.

Unless you were in a room with me at the Hotel Crescent Court last month as the Dallas County Republican Party welcomed Mr. Giuliani to a fundraiser also heralding local congressional candidates.

I served as master of ceremonies, and there was a thoroughly polite welcome for the GOP primary survivors who will try to unseat Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson and Chet Edwards.

But it was Mr. Giuliani who put a room of Reagan-loving red-staters into a positive swoon.

He did it with steadfast support for the Bush war doctrine, coupled with a passion for tight borders that even the still-admired incumbent cannot muster. He did it with strong fiscal conservatism, another Bush weakness. And he did it with a passionate pitch for school choice, an issue Republicans have neglected - mysteriously, since scads of Republicans and Democrats want it.

His content was great. His style was even better. His sharp wit and off-the-cuff comfort are miles beyond the average glazed, scripted politician. He sports a good-natured partisan streak that puts him a head above Mr. McCain, who seems to gag on any sentence suggesting that a Democrat might be wrong.

This is not my prediction that Mr. Giuliani's hand will rest on a Bible at the swearing-in on Jan. 20, 2009. But the Bible-embracing core of the GOP shows a willingness to consider him as he includes evangelical groups in his curious tour of various Republican constituencies.

He will not launch a national gun grab, leaving gun statutes to the cities. He will not push for nationwide gay marriage, happy to leave those decisions to the states, where the Constitution says they belong. He will not pound the bully pulpit for affirmative action, leaving that to the courts.

And speaking of the courts, he speaks glowingly of Mr. Bush's Supreme Court selections, Samuel Alito and John Roberts, suggesting he does not necessarily dream of packing the court with sure-fire abortion-rights opponents.

Throw in the tasty imagery of the Mayor of America wiping the debate stage floor with Mrs. Clinton or virtually anyone else, and it's the kind of thing to make a Republican heart quicken.

I don't know yet whether I can be a Rudy voter, but I'd enjoy watching him try to make me one.

Mark Davis is a columnist for the Dallas Morning News. The Mark Davis Show is heard weekdays nationwide on the ABC Radio Network. His e-mail address is mdavis@wbap.com.

[truth_seeker]

"What I would have a problem with would be his judicial nominations."

Obviously George W. Bush's two confirmed nominations are the BEST of any Republican President since WWII. I won't count Harriet.

So Rudi could do no worse than the average Republican Presidents, who have given us Stevens, Souter, Kennedy, O'Conner.

[Jameison]

"I know enough about it to stay the hell away from New York City real estate. "

Which is not necessarily a bad thing..for New York real estate.

"Fine. Then let's go down the list of all those "capitalistic" features of New York City's economy. In NYC, you've got the following . . .

"1. Sales and Use Tax (8.375%)
2. Personal Income Tax (rate varies from 2.907% to 3.648%)...et al"

None of which equals Marxism.
You could try reading Karl Marx's "Das Kapital" for starters.

[Alberta's Child]

You never mentioned legal or illegal in your post that I was replying to.

Maybe I should have been more direct. Illegal is exactly what I meant in my reference to people who have "no business being here."

Bloomberg, who is one of the greatest capitalists of his generation (having spent most of his life making money on Wall Street, and founding Bloomberg Financial), will be pretty surprised to hear that he is Marxist.

I don't care what his background is. He's a freaking Marxist in his capacity as mayor of New York. You'll probably find the same emotional pathology at work inside the head of that other "great capitalist" right across the river -- Gov. Corzine of New Jersey.

One of the great ironies in this country is that Big Government is often only rivaled by Big Business when it comes to its anti-capitalist bent. It's no coincidence that this kind of crap has become increasingly common in New York City, where major corporations of all kinds (from Wall Street brokerage houses to the New York Times) negotiate steep tax abatements that no small business owner would ever be permitted to avail himself of. (FYI -- this is one reason why the commercial rent tax is still in place despite Rudy Giuliani's 1993 campaign promise to eliminate it.)

[Jameison]

"I don't care what his background is"

I do.
I don't much care about what names/labels someone is called online.
Its more about what that person has done with his life.
I know plenty of guys that were hard line left wing fanatics in college, then turned round and became top capitalists when they left college, and came into the real world.

"He's a freaking Marxist in his capacity as mayor of New York"

Now why don't you be a good boy and go take some Advil?

[Alberta's Child]

Which is not necessarily a bad thing..for New York real estate.

More important . . . It's a very GOOD thing. For ME.

None of which equals Marxism.You could try reading Karl Marx's "Das Kapital" for starters.

Do you think it's just a coincidence that New York City's employment situation has been lagging behind the nation for about the last 50 years? This place has one of the worst business climates in North America.

[Politicalmom]

You are arguing against someone without even knowing that he WAS governor?

[RinaseaofDs]

I think the MSM would love Guiliani. I also think articles like this are a way to try to influence the party to select the least conservative presidential alternative in 2008.

I think most D's know they don't have a ghost of a chance. Presidential elections only bring out the worst in the party for all to see, and look how bad it is in an off year?

They'd love for us to put up McCain - that's their dream date. If they can't have that, the pro-infanticide crowd will settle for Guiliani. Any RINO will do.

[Czar]

I have several problems with Mayor Rudy, who I respect and admire greatly. He will truly always be one of the heros of 9/11.

Making him president is an altogether different question. I do not like his liberal positions on guns (gun grabber), gays and illegal aliens, to name just three. There may be others. I will research further when and if it looks like he may be a serious candidate.

I came to this thread late and have not scrolled through it. It sounds as though you are in favor of Rudy becoming president. Am I correct about this?

[You Dirty Rats]

My main point about George Allen is that he has nowhere near the national profile of Rudi or McCain.

I was unaware or had forgotten that he was Governor of Virginia. I make no claim of infallibility. That does not change the fact that Allen is relatively unknown compared to the other two.

The other difficulty for Allen is that the Republican Party generally does not nominate newcomers to the Presidential race. Since Ike, the only candidates not tested at the national level before they won the nomination were Goldwater and GWB. The latter, of course, had his father's name.

The 2008 election will almost certainly be only the second since 1948 where there was no Nixon, Dole or Bush on the ticket. Coincidentally, the first election was the only one that the Republicans were crushed.

McCain ran in 2000 and Rudi has a national profile due to 9/11. George Allen is nowhere near as well-known as those two.

I have not come out and said who I would vote for; it is way too early. But I do think Rudi is well-placed at this time to win the nomination. Allen or any other Conservative (none of whom are that well-known compared to Rudi and McCain) have a lot of work to do to win.

[Politicalmom]

I will NEVER vote for McCain or Giuliani.

The first is insane, the second is a gun-grabbing, gay-supporting, illegal-loving, abortion-supporting liberal.

[Jameison]

"It sounds as though you are in favor of Rudy becoming president. Am I correct about this?"

Correct.
As at now, he is the best positioned to beat whatever candidate the RATS throw up, come 2008, having bested all RATS comers in practically every poll for the 2008 presidency, carried out this year.
The conservative candidates like Allen have done considerably worse.
Of course its very early days yet, and things could change by 2008. A week is a long time in politics as they say.

Bottom line, whoever the Repubican candidate is for 2008 is going to get my vote, even if it's the snake McCain. A RATS in the White House is going to be a disaster for this country. We are still paying the price for Klinton's failure to deal with the Al Quaeda, despite repeated Al Quaeda attacks against America and Americans all over the world.

[Jameison]

"I do not like his liberal positions on guns (gun grabber), gays and illegal aliens, to name just three. "

Rudy is going to be tough on securing our borders from the alien invaders, does not support gay marriage, and will leave gun laws to the states.
I happen to believe that gun laws in New York shouldn't necessarily be the same as those in Alabama.
Voters in the two states couldn't be more different when it comes to gun control.

[Czar]

"Bottom line, whoever the Repubican candidate is for 2008 is going to get my vote, even if it's the snake McCain."

I've got enough trouble just with Rudy, so now you throw Captain McQueeg in for good measure. That's inflicting an awful lot of pain, Jameison.

I appreciate your candid answer. Thanks.

[You Dirty Rats]

I don't think McCain has the temperment to be President and I don't trust Giuliani.

Unfortunately I DO trust Hillary or some other 'Rat to do the wrong thing time after time.

Most importantly, we don't need a Party of passivist surrender monkeys in charge of national security. You think that nut in North Korea would be worried about what a 'Rat President would do if he nuked Guam or one of our friends in Asia? Didn't think so.

Why anyone here would not vote for the Republican nominee and instead help a Party that thinks Joe Lieberman is too far Right is beyond me. We are no longer dealing with anything resembling a loyal opposition -- we're dealing with political lunatics.

And as far as third party candidates go -- voting that way is a waste of chad. When's the nominating convention of the Reform Party? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[You Dirty Rats]

Captain McQueeg -- that's pretty funny.

But I will pose the question: Who would YOU rather was your CO on a swift boat -- Queeg or John Fitzgerald Kerry?

Sometimes we have awful choices at the ballot box. I'll have to throw the switch for DeWine here in Ohio because his opponent is another Howard Metzenbaum. We can't have another Leftist 'Rat in the Senate to stifle SCOTUS nominees, so Mike DeWanker will have to get another six years in Washington.

I'll make sure to bring a barf bag to the polls in November in case I lose it.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"As far as abortion and gays, this is the area where a President has the most influence."

'Splain that to me, Lucy? I don't see it that way. While President Bush has pushed for an amendment to our constitution to ban gay marriage, I don't want our constitution amended for that; let the states handle it.

What has he done to stop abortion? I haven't seen anything concrete, and actually I don't see that as his job; again, it's a States Rights issue.

[Coldwater Creek]

No, because abortion is murder at any stage. Life begins at conception. a heart beat can be detected in just a few days. In fact God says in His Word that He knew us even before we were in our mother's womb. I wouldn't want to take a chance, would you?

[streetpreacher]

Excuse me sir, but we are at war.

Well heck; let's just suspend the Constitution then. If everytime we "go to war" we're going to lose more freedoms, I vote for no more wars. How's that for a platform?

[streetpreacher]

And as far as third party candidates go -- voting that way is a waste of chad. When's the nominating convention of the Reform Party? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

You admit that our choices suck but then laugh at the state of third parties. It should make you cry that we have no credible alternative between a prostitute and a whore; the Republicans want to get paid; the Democrats just give it away.

[jla]

which is worse being a drunk coke head before being president or walking in a gay pride parade?

The former repented and changed.

And it is not just about Giuliani being overly fond of gays. He is anathema to gun owners, pro-lifers and supply-siders. A great number of these people will not vote for him if he gets the G.O.P. nomination, handing the Oval Office to Hillary Clinton or the Dem nominee.

So, support Rudy Giuliani in good conscience if you like. Just remember, you and all the other Rudyophiles will reap what you sow.