James Lileks: Don't Underestimate Giuliani (And Newt still can't win!)

The Newhouse News Service ^ | February 6, 2007 | James Lileks

[quidnunc]

Rudy Giuliani is in. Suggested campaign slogan: "He dealt with Brooklyn. He can handle Baghdad.'' He's not a sure thing; he has enough baggage to fill the cargo hold of a cruise ship. His sundry personal-life issues bother social conservatives; the gun control stance dismays the Second Amendment wing of the party; the pro-choice opinions alarm the evangelicals. That leaves about 47 Republicans, right? After all, it's just a party of cousin-marrying yahoos who'd sooner shoot up Planned Parenthood than vote for one of those fish-on-Friday types. Right?

No. Voters are more flexible and forgiving than you might expect. And none of the objections obscure the central appeal of the Rudy candidacy: He'll nuke 'em if he has to. That won't be the central theme of his campaign, of course, but it's the unstated strength of his candidacy. He's not a wuss. Look at the rest of the field:

Mitt Romney. He's a heavy fave, but the M-word makes his support in the evangelical community unsure. Many will vote for him, since he's an all-around moral guy, and no one wants a public debate over doctrinal differences. Other evangelicals regard his faith as something between David Koresh and Scientology, and would rather vote for Joe Lieberman. (Him you could convert!) Romney has an abortion flip-flop to confront, which softens his support as well. He's a solid candidate thus far because he's, well, solid: He appears hewn from the Presidential Quarry.

On the other hand, he could be a genial cyborg from an invading race. Wouldn't exactly surprise anyone.

-snip-

[familyop]

Let's see. According to political comments here and there, Giuliani married his second cousin, divorced twice, and lived with a couple of homosexuals. Quite a few pictures of him in drag have been posted. It's no surprise at all that a handful of noisy subscribers are pushing him here.

[Victoria Delsoul]

This is great, LOL.

"Fred Thompson hasn't declared, but should. He has been waging a stealth campaign simply by appearing as a guest host for Paul Harvey. He sounds like a man with his boots on the desk and a star on his chest. As a veep, he would make John Edwards look like Peter Pan. For the debate, Edwards might as well show up in green tights."

[A Citizen Reporter]

"one of which is that the Clintons have given us a 24/7/365 campaign in place of governance."

Sigh, I think you are right.

I'm not nearly ready to end one campaign and immediately start another one.

Great article by Lileks, as always.

[Cobra64]

Ditto

[Txsleuth]

Great article....are you channeling Lileks in your tagline??

[A Citizen Reporter]

That was my favorite.

[donmeaker]

Newt came up with the Contract With America, and led the R-cans to Majority. He got the budget cuts and welfare reform through the house, which led to deficit reductions.

Alas, he is a serial adulterer. Rudy too, alas. I wonder, why cant I find a governor (or other experienced executive) who:

1. Is pro Liberty for honest citizens (pro-gun rights)
2. Intends to inflict a new "Operation Wetback" on illegal aliens, followed by increased efficiency in the process for legal immigrants
3. Will fight the War on Terror hard, taking the fight to our enemies in Syria and Iran, using some of the 72,000 soldiers now in Germany.
4. Will continue a strong economy by the only policy that works every time it is tried: careful tax cuts.

[Howlin]

No, jellybean started this "draft Thompson" weeks ago.

Freepers are, without fail, always ahead of the curve!

[A Citizen Reporter]

"The right will take Rudy down ASAP."

That reminds me, I had to LOL at MORT and MOIRA on Brit's panel tonight. They were offering up all of the "right's" objections to Rudy. I really like to hear what the right thinks from the likes of PBS's Moira Liasson.

It just tells me how many left winger's we have on FR, posing as Right wingers.

[Hambone02]

Newt could win. If conservatives vote conservative and not for the 'electable' candidate. This is only one of a long list of problems with conservatives, letting leftists tell us who can (Rudy) or can't (Newt) win. I personally don't see much difference between Bill Clinton and Rudy Giuliani.

[Hambone02]

Exept for the (R) or (D) next to their names...

[familyop]

"That leaves about 47 Republicans, right? After all, it's just a party of cousin-marrying yahoos who'd sooner shoot up Planned Parenthood than vote for one of those fish-on-Friday types. Right?"

That's a revealing slip of the tongue by the author, by the way. The USA is not the kind of country that will crown another Henrietta Maria or invite edicts of old Europe.

[DKNY]

This is hilarious, some great lines in there...LOL

[BunnySlippers]

But around here you get to meet people like me who voted for Reagan as governor and again twice for President.

Go Rudy Go!!!

[okie01]

Fred Thompson hasn't declared, but should. He has been waging a stealth campaign simply by appearing as a guest host for Paul Harvey. He sounds like a man with his boots on the desk and a star on his chest. As a veep, he would make John Edwards look like Peter Pan. For the debate, Edwards might as well show up in green tights.

A penetrating analogy. Lileks has nailed it.

I wish Thompson would declare, as well. But, though he's never said so, I get the impression Fred Thompson wants nothing more to do with Washington.

That counts in his favor, so far as I'm concerned. But it's an attitude that isn't going to foster a candidacy.

Thompson spent ten years in the Senate. And, for his troubles, he got to see Trent Lott and John Glenn at their slimy, cynical worst. Not to mention a front row seat in the "Bubba Does D.C." performance. I suspect, if I'd endured what he endured, I wouldn't have any interest in running for higher office either.

[Cobra64]

If Rudy were the GOP nominee, the MSM and the DNC will spend six months using Rudy's hedonistic social agenda to attack every GOP voter and every GOP officeholder. They will relentlessly drive GOP voters away from Rudy in the general election by putting pictures of him in drag, grand marshalling gay pride parades, holding press conferences with feminists and calling putting Pat Robertson, Dobson, Falwell and anybody else on TV to comment on how they approve of Rudy being married three times and cheating on his last wife.

Hey. We have that condition right here on FR.

[narses]

While he was the “Republican Mayor” of New York City he appointed more than 60 men and women to the Civil, Criminal, and Family Court benchs. In all of those judicial appointment not one of them was a Republican.

All of his judical appointments were either registered Liberals or registered Democrats. As the “Republican Mayor” he had appointment power over more than 70 full commissioners in more than 50 City agencies, yet at no time during his administration did REPUBLICANS account for more than 10% of those appointments.

He even appointed Chuck Schumers wife as the City’s Department of Transportation Commissioner.


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http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9054.html

“And even as we grieve for those who lost their lives, and our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones, we may be able to find some sort of meaning in this tragedy by using it as a catalyst to revive national gun control efforts.”
Rudolph Giuliani

[Afronaut]

They will relentlessly drive GOP voters away from Rudy in the general election

Rudy does this on his own, he need no assistance

[narses]

I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-gay rights, Giuliani said. He was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions. “No, I have not supported that, and I don’t see my position on that changing,” he responded. Source: CNN.com, “Inside Politics” Dec 2, 1999 http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Rudy_Giuliani_Abortion.htm

ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES (November 14, 2006)

RUDY GIULIANI (R), FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I'm pro- choice. I'm pro-gay rights.

KING: Giuliani supports a woman's right to an abortion, and back in 1999, he opposed a federal ban on late-term abortions.

GIULIANI: No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing.

KING: Immigration could be another presidential landmine. Back in 1996, Mayor Giuliani went to federal court to challenge new federal laws requiring the city to inform the federal government about illegal immigrants.

JEFFREY: He took the side of illegal immigrants in New York City against the Republican Congress.

KING: Giuliani opposes same-sex marriage but as mayor, he supported civil unions and extending health and other benefits to gay couples. He also supported the assault weapons ban and other gun control measures opposed by the National Rifle Association.

GIULIANI: I'm in favor of gun control. I'm pro-choice.

Republican Big-Wigs Support Pro-Abortion Event in NY

Pro-abortion Governor George Pataki and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also supports unrestricted abortion, are co-chairs of the 2000 Choice Award Presentation to be held on May 30 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. The event is sponsored by the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition, a group that is campaigning for the removal of the pro-life plank from the Republican National Platform.


http://www.nationalreview.com/murdock/murdock200503010743.asp

[Hambone02]

Newt could win. If conservatives vote conservative and not for the 'electable' candidate. This is only one of a long list of problems with conservatives, letting leftists tell us who can (Rudy) or can't (Newt) win. I personally don't see much difference between Bill Clinton and Rudy Giuliani.