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-

[Hambone02]

Really, you could replace 'GOP Platform' with 'Gingrich'

[Howlin]

Speedy for sure.

[arthurus]

Ditto that.

[Hambone02]

Maybe. But, Rudy is a RINO.

[familyop]

[deport]

It's tiresome scrolling past SPAM to read the comments from others.

---

It maybe but that's the way it is..... enjoy the view and the fact that the thread has been bumped back to the top for others to see.... You think you are tired of it...... Just think how the readers with limited time and that don't spend hours per day here feel. It probably impacts then more negatively than those that have seen it over and over and just scroll right on past it.

[onyx]

Judging by mail from posters I don't know, I'd say you're right.

[Hambone02]

If 9-11 had not happened, Giuliani would be only a former mayor. I do appreciate the leadership after the attacks, but the credit goes to the NYPD and FDNY. Not to mention all the other rescue workers. As mayor, you get a lot of face time. That worked out good for him, because now he is recognizable to most Americans. If you vote for faces and not conservative principles, he is perfect.

[PhiKapMom]

Love the way he writes. What gets me is Newt is shopping himself to both sides of the campaigns to further his own agenda:

Gingrich said he first hoped to influence the presidential race by providing candidates in both parties with his "solutions" to problems such as health care, energy, education, national security and immigration.

http://election2008warroom.blogspot.com/2007/01/gingrich-may-not-run-for-president.html

I don't want a policy wonk for President!

[nopardons]

If you recall, some of today's RudyHATERS were the same people who were not only calling the president a coke-fiend, a coke-head, a moron, an addict, and spreading the false tales about some pregnant girl friend he drunkenly drove to Mexico to have an abortion, on FR, in '99 and some of 2000. NONE of that was used against candidate W, by the Dems, in 2000.

The fact that Rudy appeared in national MSM as well as on both cable and regular, NATIONAL T.V. in a dress, mitigates the use of those pictures and that EVERYONE is shocked, if I am wrong and they are used.

[Old_Mil]

I don't want a policy wonk for President!

I don't want a crossdressing mayor for President.

[prov1813man]

I also would vote for him for the same reasons. Still, he has not chance whatsoever of winning the general, imho.

[PhiKapMom]

I like it when they do them in color because you can scroll past them faster.

[nopardons]

Just did and laughed my way through it! Very clever, very funny and very spot on article! Thanks for the ping. :-)

[nopardons]

Thanks for the ping; much appreciated. :-)

[Mo1]

You are your bleeping bleeping spam posts are annoying as hell

[Mo1]

grrr

You are = You and

[B Knotts]

Oddly enough, twice as many FReepers support Newt than Giuliani.

[nopardons]

No kidding, I nearly choked on my dinner, when Mort began repeating those "talking points", I was laughing so hard. I've now learned to NOT eat or drink, when watching THE PANEL.

[quidnunc]

B Knotts wrote: Oddly enough, twice as many FReepers support Newt than Giuliani.

That says more about Freepers than it does about Giuliani.