Giuliani Leads By Principle

Hunter over Rudy any day of the week.

I agree 1,000%. If we lose to the Islamofascists, our days as a sovereign nation and the greatest constitutional republic in the history of the world are over. The WOT is the most important issue we face. Not just as a nation, but as a civilization. Europe as we knew it is gone. Mark Steyn tells us that "Mohammed" is now the most common baby boy's name in Malmo, Sweden. We cannot give in and follow the Europeans' example.

But, think about it this way -- if we ignore the WOT and the Islamists win, abortion will be illegal anyhow, and women won't be allowed in the clergy. I'm sure those developments will please some folks here.

He just needs to get his message out.

We can help. We MUST help.

Working on it.

The question isn't whether there are more conservative republican candidates out there, but who stands the best chance to win...The climate politically is such that unless we put out there the most electable candidate (ie: name recognition, money, leadership abilities, strong on fighting terrorism, etc).

"I do not think the government should cut off the right to bear arms".
Rudolph Giuliani

Wrong answer, the correct answer is that the government may not do so legally. The government may have the physical power, but not any constitutional permission to do so. Most of the citizens of NY may want all guns wiped from the planet, but the Constitution exists to define the rights of the minority choosing to own firearms. We have a surplus of ignorant politicians as it is, without electing another one.

How's the "real conservative" Duncan Hunter doing in that Iowa poll?

Cute graphic, but I still will never vote for a liberal rino like Rino Rudy. Oh by the way Ducan Hunter is formally annoucing tomorrow. How about supporting a conservative for a change?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1772911/posts

How about supporting a conservative for a change?

I'd be happy to. I'd vote for Hunter, Rudy, McCain, Romney or Tancredo with pleasure against any of the Democratic front runners.

Unfortunately, the "true believers" on the right would rather stay home and pout if their man doesn't win. That's why I say "true" conservatives are political idiots.

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?the New York City government payroll by 19%, eliminating unnecessary civil servants?from the public dole.? Can anyone remember the last time a Republican president was able to send lazy federal workers packing?? Inheriting a multi-billion dollar deficit, Rudy turned it into a surplus, delivering eight consecutive balanced budgets.? Folks, this ain’t Linc Chafee we’re talking about here.

Giuliani: Tough enough to take on the bad guys

Unlike the Democrats, who are too nuanced to acknowledge that the “bad guys” in life even exist, Rudy Giuliani knows how to identify a threat to safety and security and pound that threat into submission.? Giuliani’s record on crime in NYC is well-documented; if Rudy?is able to do to the terrorists what he did to the crime lords of the Big Apple, Americans will once again be able to feel secure in an uncertain world.? Sure, every Republican will talk tough on terror, but only Rudy’s proven he actually knows how to eliminate a threat terrorizing a population.

Rudy will secure our borders

An essential component of national security includes securing America’s borders.? Unfortunately, President Bush has been unwilling to take the necessary steps to accomplish that task.? While John McCain and Mitt Romney discuss “comprehensive” solutions, Rudy is ready to do what it takes to prevent individuals from illegally entering the United States.? During his recent visit to Minnesota, Rudy laid out?his immigration plan, which begins with sealing the borders and also involves ensuring that immigrants learn English so that they can be better assimilated into American culture.? As such, Rudy is to the right of President Bush on this issue.

Giuliani would appoint strict constructionists to the judiciary

Social conservatives who want to see Roe v. Wade overturned and who fear the imposition of same-sex marriage on unwilling populations by judicial fiat have a friend in Giuliani.? Rudy has now explicitly voiced support?for the appointment of strict constructionists to the federal bench.? His recent trip to Minnesota included an?admission that he would appoint judges like Roberts and Alito.? During this same trip, Rudy also confirmed that he believes legislatures, and not judges, should set policy.? A Giuliani presidency would now almost certainly fail to yield judicial rulings from the federal bench in favor of gay marriage, and would be at least as likely as any other Republican presidency to see abortion returned to the political process, where it belongs.

Rudy believes that marriage is between a man and a woman

Mayor Giuliani has made clear his belief in traditional marriage only; that marriage should be defined as being between a man and a woman, and in no other form.? Says Rudy:

“I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that it should remain that way, it should remain that way inviolate, and everything should be done to make sure that that’s the case,…”

Some social conservatives are uncomfortable that Rudy doesn’t support amending the Constitution to make sure this definition of marriage stands.? But Rudy has made clear that he’ll do whatever it takes to maintain the traditional definition of marriage; he just thinks the constitutional amendment is the wrong strategy right now.? I agree.? As long as judges like Roberts and Alito are on the bench — the type that Rudy would appoint as president — a constitutional amendment is unnecessary.

Giuliani understands the party he’s leading

Unlike McCain, who basically told southern, religious conservatives where they could go back in 2000, Rudy understands that he’s campaigning to lead the party of the sunbelt — a party that is more pro-life and pro-gun than his New York constituents.? As such, the mayor has given no indication that he will turn his presidency into some sort of pro-abortion, pro-gun control crusade, and every indication that he will defer to his base on those issues.? We’ve yet to get definitive statements from Rudy regarding abortion or the Second Amendment in the last few years.? While Rudy opponents trot out statements from the 1990s or even the 1980s on those issues, let’s wait and see where Rudy stands in 2006 before passing any judgment.? Mayor Giuliani might just surprise pro-life, pro-Second Amendment conservatives with his interpretation of how the president, and not the mayor of the most liberal city in the country, should handle these hot-button cultural issues.? At the very least, Giuliani appears prepared to do no harm to conservatives on these issues while promising to advance their causes via the appointment of conservative judges.?

Rudy Giuliani is absolutely electable

Despite what John Hawkins says, Rudy is probably the most electable Republican in the country right now.? In fact, it would be very, very difficult for me to imagine a scenario in which Rudy would lose to any Democrat, and the mayor would easily trounce the Gore/Kerry sort of Democrat that the Left insists on nominating time after time.? If Hillary or Gore is the nominee in 2008, Rudy would win the electoral college in a walk.? Here’s why.

First, the impact of an ethnic Catholic leading a presidential ticket must not be understated.? The entire industrial north is a region filled with Catholics of eastern and southern European descent.? This includes states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, which went for John Kerry by only two and three percentage points in 2004, respectively.? Identity politics alone would likely garner Giuliani a couple of extra percentage points across the Rust Belt, just as President Bush likely benefited from his southern evangelical status in states filled with southern evangelicals.

Secondly, Rudy’s fiscally-conservative profile is very similar to the Republican executives elected by the voters of states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.? By reminding upper-midwestern voters of their favorite governors, like Tommy Thompson, John Engler, and Tom Ridge, Rudy would likely garner another few points out of the Rust Belt.

So let’s say that Rudy’s ethnic Catholic, working class background, combined with his Rust Belt-style positions on the issues,?is able to increase the GOP presidential ticket’s vote share by five percent from 2004 across the Rust Belt, which includes the states bordered by Minnesota and Iowa in the west and New Jersey in the east.? The result of this sort of a swing would send the following states into the “red” column: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.? That’s another 58 electoral votes for the GOP ticket.

Now, John Hawkins will argue that’s all for naught, as Rudy, who is unable to pound the podium regarding life issues with the same tenacity as President Bush, will likely lose a few points across the South.? Okay, I’ll bite.? Let’s assume that Rudy’s?presidential ticket?loses five points from Bush’s 2004 totals in every single southern state simply because he’s a) not an evangelical, b) he can’t call himself pro-life, and c) he’s not for amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage.? I think assuming a five point loss in every southern state is more than generous to John’s argument in this case, and I suspect Hawkins would agree.? Now, let’s see how many southern states Rudy loses with that five point loss across the South…

Absolutely none.

In fact, the only state that would be teetering on the edge with a five point reduction in the South from Bush’s 2004 numbers would be Florida, a state filled with ex-New-Yorkers who would almost certainly make up for any sort of Bush-Giuliani gap in the region.? The fact of the matter is simply that the GOP has succeeded in Republicanizing the South to the extent that most southern states are simply no longer in danger of turning “blue” during a presidential election.? Mark Warner might be able to win a few of them against Arlen Specter, but as has been demonstrated above, Rudy’s no Arlen Specter.? And Hillary Clinton is no Mark Warner.

Further, Hawkins’ argument that Rudy couldn’t survive without the support of the GOP base is very true.? As such, it’s a good thing that Rudy has been able to attain the support of that very base.? Rudy generally garners between 85% and 90% of Republicans in a hypothetical matchup against a standard blue-state Democrat like Hillary Clinton.? These numbers are just ever-so-slightly shy of Bush’s 90-plus percent GOP support against Kerry in 2004.? And while it’s true that Rudy’s support among independents and Democrats will fluctuate, it’s probably also true that Rudy will at least win independents in the general election, which the president couldn’t do two years ago.? Given those considerations, it’s hard to see how Rudy can be viewed as anything other than supremely electable.

Conclusion

Of the current GOP 2008 field, Rudy Giuliani is the only candidate who brings to the table the charisma and leadership of a Reagan, the transformative conservative policies of a Gingrich, and the seriousness regarding the GWOT of a Bush.? Giuliani is perfectly suited to lead today’s sunbelt center-right GOP due to his belief in low taxes, fiscal responsibility, market-based government reform, traditional marriage, conservative judges, securing the borders, and, last but certainly not least, the destruction of the terrorist threat against America.? Only Rudy can package all of this conservatism in a manner that appeals to large numbers of swing voters while still maintaining solid levels of support among the Republican base.? Rudy Giuliani would almost certainly sweep the electoral college against any Democrat by holding all of the red states, most of which are now so heavily Republican that only a very conservative Democrat has a chance of winning them, while flipping the electoral-rich Rust Belt that has at least as much of a cultural connection with Giuliani as the South did with President Bush.? Tough, conservative, and electable, conservatives could do a lot worse than Rudy Giuliani.

Of all the one mentioned there are only three I can not vote for Rudy McRomney. If any of those three win the nomination I will be heading thrid party.

One thing you left out is that he is so socially liberal he will split the party and insure a rat win. If he wins the nomination many social conservatives and evangelicals will bolt to a third party or stay home.

Worried about Giuliani?

I am worried that this unelectable Rino will win the nomination therefore insuring a rat win.

"unelectable Rino"

Bush won...

I heard Rudy speak two years ago at a community forum in Sacramento. I was never much of a Giuliani fan before that, but I was after that day. He's about the only politician today who has a clear concept of what constitutes effective leadership.

How much did they pay the reporter for this absurd fluff piece?

The fact he is a "former" prosecutor is a deficit considering how much Nifong has exposed the ROUTINE prosecutorial behavior.

The article also glosses over how PRO-gun control and anti-second amendment Rudy is. It also makes ZERO mention that his staffers are leftists far more than conservative.

This also goes into the fact that his is pro-homosexual marriage. He may dance around the issue or play games by delaying until it is too late but the fact is the fact.

Rudy is a RINO.

The truth on Rino Rudy is coming out.

"He is conservative on fiscal, defense, security, and law & order issues."

His style of law and order is to take away my 2nd amendment rights. How can a Georgia man support someone who wants to take away your guns?

You openly admit you left the Republican Party in 2003 and yet continue to trash a Republican candidate with the same crap over and over again. That gives so little credibility it is laughable.

Your strawman is not working and in fact, you and your friends who rush to these threads to attack Rudy are proving that Rudy is picking up support or you wouldn't be here so quick. Maybe a few less temper tantrums by all of you who make up a very small portion of the electorate has made all of us who are the Republican base of broken glass Republicans that can be counted on to vote, take a look and say we want a leader who will stand up and be counted on the most important issue of the day -- the War on Terror. Your issues you attack Rudy on fall short of being the #1 issue to most people.

Going after him with the photos you are all posting is even funnier.

Just wanted to thank you and others for posting on thread after thread just like seminar posters against Rudy because you are giving us a chance to defend why Conservatives are backing Rudy and destroy your strawman comments day after day. We must be gaining support on FR the way you are all acting with your comments.

People who hear Rudy speak are impressed with his candor and lack of pandering. Maybe that is the problem -- he is not pandering for your votes!