It's hard to keep up with all the Rudy / McNutt stories.
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.”
Hillary or Rudy? Now that's a no-brainer.
Thank you for your reasoned post.
It really bothers me how during this time of international
war we have so many people who can only focus of social issues.
I mean good lord - as if Rudy is going to take away their guns, or somehow the President is going to suddenly tell everyone to have abortions.
I saw Rudy in person last week in Greenville SC at a leadership forum - the man exudes leadership 100%.
HE HAS my VOTE and I will PUSH for HIM IN 08'.
GO RUDY
Well I'm more worried about my family, my friends, my neighbors and my co-workers and my Freeper friends dieing in a terrorist attack than I am about some woman deciding to get an abortion. She at least might be talked out of it - not a terrorist deciding on Jihad and his 72 virgins.
It's hard to keep up with all the Rudy / McNutt stories.
Oh you were so lucky to see him. Was he as good a speaker as they say he is?
But ya gotta admit its fun. I never take these things seriously. I am actually looking forward to 2008 and casting my vote for the Republican nominee. After the 2000 election I promised myself I wouldn't ever get worked up about a presidential election. That one made my blood pressure go up on a daily basis! I love presidential elections.
Whatever! It's getting worn out.
I wouldn't worry about it, as neither one will get the nod.
Guiliani could get the VP nod.
Well, there we have it. If advocating for partial birth abortion is moderate / conservative - 65% are stupid. Add the 20% ignorant, and it is a total non-story.
Rudy or McCain will not get my vote in any primary. But I can guarantee you if either of them is the Republican Party's nominee and Hillary is the Democrats, I will be casting a vote for either of them in the crucial state of Florida. I will not be the cause of a President Hillary.
And I hope that no one here is really thinking of sitting the 06 or 08 election out just to "show" the republican party. Because if that is the case, we will be turning our country over to the terrorists and their cohorts the Democratic Party.
Rudy was the last of 8 speakers.
ZIG Ziglar - 81 and still drivin
Steve Forbes - boring
Robert Schuller - nice man
Phil Town - wow - talk about captivating
Steve Spurrier - sorry I don't get him
Then came Rudy - and he buried them all.
INCREDIBLE speaker - very direct - very strong voice - full of self confidence - full of positive thoughts - (unlike Hagel).
Rudy is going to put the other candidates away in any debate - he is simply too powerful.
I would rather have half a loaf than no loaf at all! I am dead set against abortion on demand, gay marriage and all of the other hot button issues which unites us conservatives. However, if Rudy pledges to appoint only strict constructionists to the bench, I will support him willingly.
(((SIGH)))) Sadly it is true.
Thanks. I have to get to see him speak.
I don't know of any social conservatives who will vote for Mr. Giuliani. I certainly won't.
The majority of Republicans are socially conservative, however, not all of these folks should be mistaken for social conservatives. There are many Republicans who are pro-life, pro-family, pro-2nd Amendment, but for whom there are greater, more important issues. These folks are socially conservative, but not social conservatives.
For social conservatives, the issues where Mr. Giuliani is wrong are the most important issues. These folks don't comprise a majority of the Republican Party. However, they compromise a very large minority in the party, and a large minority in the overall electorate. Republican candidates can't be elected without these folks (and, in fact, it's nearly impossible to get nominated without them, as well). Republicans are elected in part because these folks vote so lopsidedly for Republcan candidates.
Mr. Giuliani is unable to win lopsided majorities of these folks. I'm not sure he can win even a simple majority of social conservatives.
Republicans won't win in 2008 if our candidate is little more than an echo of the Democrat candidate, except maybe a little more hawkish on the war.
"What I thought as Mayor of New York city was what was good for New York city, but now I need to think about what's good for the whole country, and it's clear that not all of the policies that work in highly crowded New York are the right thing for the rest of the country and this would be one of them."
Then he'll simply ignore any issue relating to gun rights or the second amendment.
I know about 5000 conservatives who were at his speech in Greeenville SC last week.
I would say 4800 came away ready to vote for him.
Maybe 4900.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.