Sheryl and I watched Rudy Giuliani tonight on Hannity & Colmes and were impressed. The two hosts, both of whom rate way up on the blowhard platitude scale, seemed to keep their mouths relatively shut for once, sensing they were in the presence of man with a certain amount of real, even good-humored, gravitas.
As of now, Giuliani appears to be leading in the polls for the Republican nomination and for the presidency. But every time I post about that, a number of people, usually more traditionally conservative types, jump on here to point out how Rudy will never win the nomination, that his views on abortion, gay rights, etc. are too liberal or that his private life (as opposed to JFK's, FDR's, Eisenhower's, etc. ad nauseum) is too louche for the Republican faithful.
Well, I have to say to those commenters, with all due respect, get over yourselves. If today's events have taught us anything - and I think most of us already knew it - we are, alas, only at the beginning of the Global War Against Islamofascism. More than ever we need a wartime leader capable of uniting as much of the country behind him as possible. For whatever his pluses and minuses, Bush has been weak in that regard. Giuliani seems to have more abilities in that direction, although that is not to say it will be remotely easy for him. But as of this moment, there is no one else but Rudy with the vitae and the charisma to do it.
And as we also all know, all those other issues that people clutch to their bosoms like so many sacred icons - from the economy to stem cell research - pale by comparison to the victorious resolution of this war. In fact, if we don't succeed, they are all completely and forever irrelevant.
www.rogerlsimon.com
i respect your views but i look at records and not what people say period.
I thoroughly enjoyed your post - and I am delighted to hear you and I agree - what a surprise that I am pleased by such a thing.
Last week in Greenville SC I attended a Leadership Seminar - Rudy Guillani was one of the speakers - others included::
Zig Ziglar
Steve Forbes
Peter Lower
Dr. Robert Schuller
Phil Town
Steve Spurrier
and the man who blew everyone away - Rudy Guilliani
It was the first time I have had seen him in person and it was the first time I saw him for longer than a TV segment.
Flat our impressed.
Very upbeat
Very positive on the future of the USA
Very realistic about the war on Islamo-Facists
Very pro business
Very very anti crime
The man has yet to even enter the race - but when he does - and when he has to begin to answer the questions, when he has to state his positions -
I think he will blow the competition off the floor.
GO RUDY
Correct. I am hoping against hope for a candidate who will actually carry on this fight, and in a very vigorous way. We can carry on the fight on the social issues, and I am sure we will. Look at the long, hard slog on abortion, but we are winning public opinion, I believe. In the White House, we need a warrior, and a very persuasive one.