The Conservative Case for Rudy Giuliani in 2008

Race 4 2008 ^ | August 31, 2006 | Dave G

[VictoryIsInevitable]

The Conservative Case for Rudy Giuliani in 2008

John Hawkins of Right Wing News makes the conservative case against Rudy Giuliani for 2008. Hawkins’ piece largely consists of the same old anti-Rudy arguments wrapped in slightly new packaging, focusing a lot on Rudy’s decade-old socially liberal positions on a few cultural issues, as well as his Manhattanite personal life and some nonsense about unelectability (more on that later). As such, I think this is a great opportunity for someone to lay out the conservative case for Rudy in ‘08. And that someone might as well be me.

Giuliani: Pro-growth tax-cutter

Rudy Giuliani has proven, both during his tenure as mayor of New York and through his subsequent rhetoric, that he is a pro-growth Republican in the mold of Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, and Newt Gingrich. As mayor, Giuliani cut city taxes by more than eight billion dollars, reducing the tax burden on New Yorkers by 22%. Giuliani’s low-tax views remain intact. As Race42008 correspondent Kavon noted yesterday, Rudy’s recent visit to Minnesota included an emphasis on achieving economic growth via low taxes and less regulation on the economy. Rockefeller he ain’t; Rudy’s a Reagan Republican.

Rudy: Gingrich-style government reformer

Conservatives who liked Newt’s welfare reform and GWB’s attempt at entitlement reform have an ally in Rudy. As mayor, Giuliani reformed welfare in New York with the same tenacity as the class of ‘94 in Congress. Once again, this ain’t Christie Whitman we’re dealing with; Rudy’s a Newt Republican who also made a serious attempt to take on the teachers’ unions in NYC and fund school choice via charter schools. A President Giuliani means a conservative reformer who will fight for market-based revisions to our age-old bureaucratic messes in Washington.

Rudy Giuliani: Fiscal conservative

As mayor, Rudy Giuliani cut...

[fieldmarshaldj]

I just tend to subscribe to the mindset of where there's smoke, there's fire. I'll never forget the Rudy Giuliani of 1994 who stood for the reelection of Mario Cuomo and whom, right after the election, came very close to switching back to the Democrat Party (he was one until the mid '70s... though, of course, I was one until 1986... but my excuse was that I was a kid ;-)).

Giuliani still remains a policy RINO and the only reason why he is doing so much aggressive campaigning for Republicans of all stripes is that he expects every last one of those folks to repay him in kind when he runs for President in '08. If he were finishing up his first term in the Senate today running for reelection, I have the sneaking suspicion many of his boosters on this website would not be too hot for him (I suspect his voting record would be nearly identical to the Maine twins).

Basically, what I'm saying is that he'd have to change his positions on virtually EVERY major issue (save national defense, BUT with his lackadaisacal stance on illegals, he's not solid on that issue, since it is under that same aegis) and have to explain away his own personal life stuff (3 marriages), infidelities, and, as I stated the first time around, a pro-abort Catholic just won't fly.

[sig226]

Giuliani is also a total anti gunner. He yanked more New York City carry permits than any other mayor in the history of the city. He created an ugly gun list, registered them, and then went down the list to threaten prosecution of gun owners when the city council passed an 'assault rifle' ban.

No thanks, I've seen Giuliani in action and I don't like what I see. I can't pull the lever for him.

[Reagan Man]

Frankly, it makes no difference to me where you live, work or play. Location has obviously not stopped your efforts to promote the liberal agenda.

After decades of big government liberalism, conservative America has compromised her traditional values and beliefs long enough. In the end, conservatism will prevail. Conservatism will triumph over liberalism

Your comments about the Taliban, nazism and skinhead extremism, are a liberal effort to change the subject matter of the debate. Actually, there is nothing more revealing then a NYCity liberal like yourself, preaching leftwing ideology on the webs premier conservative website, and taking yourself seriously. Carry on clown.

I look forward to the day when you liberals get the hell out of the party of Lincoln and Reagan, and return to your roots in the Democratic Party.

[Howlin]

Absolutely an oustanding post.

Deserves a standing ovation.

Well done.

And MOST people here agree with you, regardless of what others may say.

[George W. Bush]

No thanks, I've seen Giuliani in action and I don't like what I see. I can't pull the lever for him.

One of the things I find interesting when The Rudy is discussed is how many New York Republicans want nothing to do with him. That's pretty telling, no matter what the polls tell us. And, no doubt, The Rudy is exactly what the lib press would love to see as the GOP nominee and that explains a lot of these polls they issue about The Rudy. The lib media would love to help make him the GOP nominee. Even if he won the White House and beat Hillary, their liberal agenda would have moved forward far more than if Hillary had won it.

The real target of liberals is not to stop Republicans. That's only desirable to them. Their real cause is to stop any conservative from being elected.

[George W. Bush]

And MOST people here agree with you, regardless of what others may say.

Shades of the elusive Silent Majority?

[Wombat101]

Where exactly did I lose you? If I can be more precise, I will.

[DTogo]

Your post was quite, logical, Captain.

[PDR]

PING! - and keep your eyes out for the American Spectator pece by Deroy Murdoch --- i posted a bit about it last week.

[PDR]

PING! - and keep your eyes out for the American Spectator pece by Deroy Murdoch --- i posted a bit about it last week.

[Peisistratus]

"Rudy is a lib! "

Absolutely. That's why the libs in the party on on this website support him.

[PzLdr]

Rudy Giuliani is not "the best person for [the] job"...of 'protecting the US and fighting terror":

[1] Rudy does not play well with others . He's an anal compulsive control freak. Don't believe me, check how many subordinates with backbone he got rid of [Start with Bratton and Kelly]. And POTUS can't micromanage all the Federal Departments needed to fight the WOT. If he tries, it would be a disaster. But like the scorpion on the frog, it's Rudy's nature.

[2]Rudy shone so well after 9/11 because he'd already gotten rid of all the subordinates with brains, and replaced them with nonentities [Kerick, Van Essen], and because George Pataki was a bigger nonentity than those guys. 9/11 "made" Rudy.

[PzLdr]

He's a micromanager, not an administrator. He doesn't delegate, he took credit for subordinates' ideas, and forced them out when they started getting credit and attention for those ideas. He never took the blame if something went wrong. He seems to prefer 'yes' men to talented subordinates. I don't recall him as "an excellent administrator". I saw him as an egocentric twit who created turmoil and conflict that was unnecessary. Baseball Commissioner, sure. POTUS? No way in hell.

[Clintonfatigued]

You know what New York City was like before he became Mayor, and after he left office. Are you saying he deserves no credit for the the successful results?

[PzLdr]

Interesting argument. Remember back when fiscal conservatives used to get outflanked on tax and welfare cuts, because it would 'hurt the children'? I do. You can't really separate the one from the other.

Plus, as a conservative, the Second Amendment means something to me. I'd I prefer a society whose values don't include state sanctioned murder of the unborn, or those incapable of sustaining meaningful life [I believe you can find that phrase in the dicta of ROE.I am, of course, sorry you get 'sick and tired of listening...' to us, but then again, a Republican Party that is merely an impulse to power, and devoid of any coherent policy over and above taxation, is a party not worthy of support.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I have yet to meet anyone in those parts that holds such narrow world views as you two gentlemen (I wouldn't characterize what Francis holds as a view: he's merely a parrot), and if I did, I'm sure they wore "White Power" T-shirts and shaved their heads.

I actually wear a Stetson and pointy boots cowgirl... and I am not interested in some politically correct U.N. world view of a liberal in the big city...

[PzLdr]

"Speak no evil about a fellow Republican"? You do realize Rudy backed Mario Cuomo for Governor the year Mario lost to George Pataki. Evil enough?

[Peisistratus]

"I actually wear a Stetson and pointy boots cowgirl... and I am not interested in some politically correct U.N. world view of a liberal in the big city..."

The old "conservatives are Nazis" line is never far from their lips, is it?

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

You know what New York City was like before he became Mayor, and after he left office.

I do know there is a big hole in the middle of it and that could have been prevented if our immigration laws were enforced and we had the cooperation of some big city mayors like Mr. Giuliani... Of course, that wasn't the first attempt either, was it?

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

The old "conservatives are Nazis" line is never far from their lips, is it?

Liberals all think alike and they NEVER tell the truth...

The only way the Left can win is to undermine conservatives in the Republican primary.

Limbaugh said the other day that when the "good" compromises with the "evil," the "good" always loses...