Posted on 08/21/2006 6:16:02 AM PDT by areafiftyone
The S.C. Republican Party’s sponsorship of “An Evening Honoring Rudy Giuliani” last week spoke volumes.
It reflected what some said is a shift in attitude toward GOP candidates with more liberal views on social issues.
There’s a greater degree of tolerance and acceptance, party officials said.
Giuliani, who rose to national prominence for his take-charge performance after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, supports gay rights, gun control and legalized abortion, which puts him at odds with most Republicans.
Nevertheless, he has traveled the country extensively on behalf of GOP candidates this year while acknowledging his own interest in a possible 2008 presidential bid.
Although his liberal stance on social issues is likely to disqualify him with religious conservatives, the former New York City mayor remains in great demand as a speaker before Republican groups.
In this visit — his first major political trip to South Carolina — Giuliani attended a fundraiser for conservative GOP congressional candidate Ralph Norman, the one-term state representative who is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. John Spratt, a 24-year House veteran in a hotly contested race in the 5th District.
Giuliani ended the day in Charleston at a star-studded $2,500-a-couple fundraiser for the state Republican Party.
He packed the place.
“Rudy is a very popular figure,” GOP chairman Katon Dawson said. “We didn’t have any problem with him coming.”
Giuliani, affectionately known as “America’s mayor,” is seen as middle-of-the-road by most voters nationally, according to Rasmussen Reports, an electronic survey company.
It found 36 percent of Americans see him as a political moderate, 29 percent said conservative, and 15 percent said liberal. Twenty percent are not sure.
Former state GOP chairman Barry Wynn said the party needs to take a fresh look at the way it regards new voters, especially those new residents who’ve settled along the coast and are starting to have an impact on state party politics.
Those voters tend to be more progressive in outlook and are more inclined to support someone like Giuliani.
“I think Rudy could be more popular in South Carolina than most people would think,” Wynn said.
The debate in 2008 isn’t going to be about tax cuts, abortion or Social Security reform — Republican favorites.
“The overarching issues this time will be national security and leadership,” Wynn said. “Everything else will fit under that.”
Such a scenario favors Giuliani, Greenville consultant Chip Felkel said.
Francis Marion University political scientist Neal Thigpen, a GOP activist, said Giuliani is in a “special category.”
He’s a “glittering personality” with star quality who can get away with supporting legalized abortion and gay rights.
His position on those social issues “would not hurt him as bad over the long haul as one may think. If John McCain had the same position, it would hurt him a lot worse.”
Needless to say, the hard-core religious right won’t surrender territory on social issues. They’d rather go down in flames than win.
But unless terrorists no longer are a threat to the United States, national security and leadership will be at the top of the issues heap in 2008.
Voters won’t be concerned about gay rights or abortion. What matters most will be their own security in a volatile world.
And the candidate who stands to benefit is Giuliani.
“If your house is on fire,” Wynn said, “you want a guy with the hose.”
I would never vote for Rudy in a primary.
The Rudyphile think if they keep repeating something over and over, it becomes truth. Maybe they'll set it to music----put Rudy's Top Ten on the charts.
"There is no involvement by Guiliani in peace activist groups since his Mayorality."
"All of Rudy's pro abort, pro-gay support was back when he was Mayor."
"There is no involvement by Guiliani in liberal activities since he was Mayor."
"He only cheated on his wife when he was Mayor."
"He only put gays and liberals in his administration when he was Mayor."
"He only took campaign donations from criminals when he was Mayor."
"He only cross-dressed when he was Mayor."
"He only lived with two gay men when he was Mayor."
No it in no way shows you were or are right.
There was NO candidate more conservative than Bush with a prayer of getting the nomination.
And the two issues you mention are not significant enough to turn on the GOP or the President.
Dear Liz,
"...when he was Mayor."
In that the only elective office he has ever held was WHEN HE WAS MAYOR, what is the point of this trope, put forth by his supporters?
sitetest
You are dreaming and exaggerating the numbers by a factor of almost ten.
If Guliani is the Republican nominee, it will be because the majority of Republican primary voters want him to be.
You'd better get busy raising somebody else's profile. Guliani and McCain are way ahead of everybody else: Newt, Frist, Allen.
Who is attempting to "foist" Rudy on you? You will have your chance to vote against him in a primary. If he's the nominee, you can vote for the Constitution Party candidate.
The last one, Michael Peroutka, put his own son in foster care at the age of two. Real family guy there!
I'm pasting from the horse's mouth.
So stop being a horse's ass and accusing me of making it up. Check the site. The links are from it.
The core of those opposed vehemently to Guiliani are those who have never supported Bush or the GOP. They love the fringe candidates without a chance of winning anything. You know the names.
You are posting old news and distorting the meaning of that news.
No one who is an "officer" in an organization writes it letters. Why bother with that?
You are silly and getting sillier. Your desperation is showing.
Exactly. But that's okay because its not working on anyone. Most of the U.S. knows about Rudy. He was the most famous mayors of this country. Everything about Rudy has been in the papers years ago. Nothing new here. Whatever Rudy does or did do has been scrutinized by the media and Newspapers for years and still is. Nothing these Giuliani haters say is new. It's all old rehashed crap.
Can you copy and past where I've said he was an officer?
Go RUDY GO!!!
Yep
Wooo hooo! :-)
That claim was from one of your fellow Rudy-haters. But since you think alike I assumed you had the same idea.
I was, too, and I was right.
Abortion is not even close to the importance of protecting the nation from the Islamofascists. Islamaniacs are anti-abortion too. They will happily solve the problem for you.
Dead women get no abortions.
Just a reminder: Free Republic is a conservative site
Posted on 04/11/2006 by Jim Robinson
We fight for conservative principles, values and causes. We defend the Constitution. We defend our borders. We defend our God-given rights. We are opposed to the liberal/socialist/Marxist agenda for America. We do not willingly give up ground to the Marxists.
We fight on. We hold the majority. We continue working as hard as we possibly can to elect as many conservatives as we possibly can. We build a conservative majority that can overcome the Democrats and the RINOs.
We do not willingly give up any seats to Democrats. We add seats. Preferably, conservative seats. I would also like to remind everyone, that Free Republic does not condone racism and does not advocate violence. We exercise our first amendment rights to free speech and peaceable assembly.
We do not condemn people because of their race, religion, ethnicity, skin color, etc. We do not advocate civil war, anarchy, or an overthrow of the government.
And, yes, we are at war. And we do support our troops and their mission. We also respect our commander-in-chief and are mindful that when people disrespect him, it hurts troop morale.
We do not appreciate the mainstream media's attempts to destroy America's will to fight and we do not do anything to assist the Democrats and their accomplices in the media in their treasonous mission of undermining the war effort by providing aid and comfort to the enemy.
I'll list a few issues (by no means and exhaustive list) that will be adversely affected by Marxist/Democrats in power:
The Supreme Court
The federal judiciary
The legislative agenda
The right to life Marriage between one man, one woman
The family
Education
Health care
Private property
Taxation Oil/energy The right to keep and bear arms
The right to freedom of religion
The right to self-governance
All of our God-given rights
The Constitution
The Republic
Liberty itself
Do not get so discouraged that we give it all up. It could take generations to get it back. If ever.
"Securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity" is our duty.
You appear to be cornfused. It was better Dead than Red.
I like him too. He'd get my vote.
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