Posted on 02/12/2007 5:24:32 PM PST by NapkinUser
Nobody can discredit the talent, skill and sheer genius of Frank Sinatra. Emerging onto the music scene in 1935, the hoodlum from Hoboken went from the marketplace to the marquee. For six decades this musical rock of Gibraltar wooed audiences from Jersey to Japan, Connecticut to Cambodia. He was a living legend.
But like most legends, Sinatra had an Achilles heel. While drugs, alcohol and cigarettes may be addictive, the spotlight is down right infectious, and when one has occupied the spotlight for decades, it is pretty much impossible to vacate it. Sinatra, even though a maverick of music, fell victim to this siren song.
Here was a man who shared a microphone with Count Basie, was a star of stage and screen, recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, and played sold out venues for more than half a century. By the time the 1990s rolled around, it was clear this legend had nothing left to prove.
Yet, Sinatra, after a brief retirement in the '70s, pressed on. The slim, fit, and handsome Chairman of the Board became an ailing singer who relied on TelePrompTers for his lyrics. The man who had commanded the stage at Madison Square Garden in 1974 was soon falling from the stage while singing "My Way" 20 years later. Gone were the images of Vegas and here were the images of vulnerability.
What can Sinatra teach Rudy Giuliani? For starters, the moral of Sinatra's story, which is not exclusive to him, is a simple one - quit while you're ahead and be remembered for your greatness, not your frailty. In other words, resist the quest to satisfy your ego and recognize your limits.
In the past few weeks, the speculation surrounding a Giuliani for President Campaign has moved from rumors to reality. It is painstakingly clear that the former Mayor from New York will be joining the likes of John McCain, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter and other GOP hopefuls all waiting for the opportunity to change their mailing address to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The problem for Giuliani, though, is he has the most to lose if he chooses to travel this road to the White House.
Right now, Rudy is on cloud nine - a Jan. 12 Gallup poll has him ahead of any potential rivals and the media is swooning over America's mayor. Giuliani is living off his 9/11 inheritance and Americans are remembering him as the mayor who tended to America's wounds as she bled and wept. Rudy was there for America when she needed him most.
This is the image earned by Giuliani because of his heroic actions immediately proceeding 9/11 and this is the image most Americans hold. When Americans think of Giuliani today, they think of Time's Man of the Year, they don't think of the man with a mistress-and this is the realization that Rudy must come to grips with. Life was not always full of roses for Rudy. While he did crush crime in the Big Apple and evict the flesh peddlers from Times Square, Giuliani was a man whose public policies and private antics made enemies on both the right and left.
Moreover, his image prior to 9/11 is a far cry from the image held by the mayor today. Hence, the mayor should consider some things prior to throwing his hat into the ring and going "all in" on his living legend status. First, pushing aside Times Square and CompStat, this is a mayor who was not always a friend of social conservatives and his nomination, yet alone election, is far from guaranteed.
When Rudy officially enters this race, the liberty libations that have been pouring from mainstream media outlets will give way to a heartland hangover. Gone will be the images of Rudy standing on the rubble of the World Trade Center and here will be images of Rudy marching in the New York City Gay Pride parade. Furthermore, Rudy will have to explain to folks in New Hampshire and Iowa why they should nominate the first pro-choice candidate since Roe. To Rudy's credit, he has begun to address the abortion issue by telling social conservatives he will appoint justices in the mold of Samuel Alito. But this ship has long sailed. Since the rise and retreat of the Republican revolution 12 years ago, social conservatives have awoke from their slumber to realize they have been used and abused by a GOP establishment that takes their votes, but leaves their views at the door.
In the 12 years that the GOP-controlled Congress, six of which a Republican president was sitting in the Oval Office, many words have be spoken on the issue of life, but few actions have been taken. Even more important, when Dubya was championing the conservative cause in 2000, he, just like Giuliani, proclaimed that he was committed to nominating judges in the mold of Antonin Scalia and William Rehnquist.
Despite his spotty record on the cause of the unborn, conservatives took Bush at his word, held their nose, and pulled the lever. While Bush initially kept his promise with the nomination of John Roberts, the President then decided that one Scalia-like judge was enough and nominated unknown Harriet Meyers. Here was a president who promised "Grade A" judges and, in his second opportunity to reshape the jurisprudence of the High Court, he gave America a "Whopper." Who is to say that Rudy will not hold the same view of the president he makes look like Pat Robertson? Additionally, pro-lifers are beginning to see that the GOP has been dangling the judicial carrot before them for too long with too little results. If the rights of the unborn are to be protected, the pro-life movement needs a president who realizes that reshackling the Judiciary to the Constitution is his first step, not his last.
Finally, judicial nominations are not infallible. Remember, it was Eisenhower who gave the nation Earl Warren, Nixon who nominated Harry Blackmun and Reagan, the strongest pro-life president since Roe, who placed Sandra Day O'Connor on the bench. What are the odds that a moderate to left leaning judge will slip pass a publicly pro-choice President Giuliani? This writer thinks they are pretty high.
Translation - Rudy's pledge may have quelled fears a decade ago, but now Rudy needs more if he wants to win the White House.
The GOP's conservative base, however, is only the beginning of Rudy's nomination problems. The mayor's other rivals fighting for the conservative base will do there best to dredge up the mayor's less than lily white past.
And who will be the headline act? Donna Hanover. Hanover was Rudy's second wife and the mayor divorced her after an affair with Judith Nathan, now his third wife, was unearthed. Rudy's response to the breaking news was to call a press conference and announce his divorce to the media. This was done prior to informing Hanover of the mayor's decision. He then left Gracie Mansion and bunked with two gay friends, a residence he kept while responding to the 9-11 attacks.
Politics is an ugly game and very few men are able to escape it smelling like roses. Giuliani was one of those rarities and he has been able to live off of his political capital for six years.
If, however, Rudy decides to let his political capital ride on this presidential horse race, he better make sure he is riding Seattle Slew, for he could fall from the grace of being America's mayor to the man who, in the words of family values campaigner Maggie Gallagher, "made Bill Clinton look like a good husband and father."
The question is - will Giuliani go out on top or falling from the stage?
Well, we have a very different view of these threads. IF I was going to say that anyone was trying to stifle debate I would say it was the Rudy supporters, but I don't think anyone is consciously attempting to do that.
We aren't stifling debate just because we don't come into Rudy threads shaking our pom-poms and rah-rah-Rudying. We are debating his stance on the issues or giving our opinions. You might disagree with the opinions, but that in no way stifles the debate on the threads.
As Jim Robinson has said, we are ALL conservatives here on this forum, but it would be a freaking miracle if we all agreed on everything. I wouldn't insult my fellow Freepers by even suggesting there is any lock-stepping going on around here.
I think that Rudy supporters are totally writing all opposition off as being 'the fringe element'. There is always a 'fringe element' ready to go off on any topic. Those people are loud and sometimes obnoxious, but there are very many reasonable Freepers who have objections to Rudy being our President. Take a look at the Freeper polls. We aren't fear-mongerers and we don't want a candidate that is so divisive that he does split the party. 'The Party' has not picked our nominee yet. This is the time to discuss our choices for nominee and to discuss their views on the issues that are important to each of us.
> Guiliani simply can't win. He should save himself and his party the hassle and end this now.
The more I think about it, the more I believe both Giuliani and McCain are actually the stalkinghorses for the *real* Republican candidate, who has yet to reveal him/herself.
They are there to draw fire from Billary and Obama, and cause either/both to peak too early...
Brilliant strategy, worthy of the GOP.
Somehow I doubt that. The unofficial moniker of the GOP is "The Stupid Party".
There's a reason for that, my friend.
L
McCain fits that, then...
P.S. I know a bit about national security. Rudy is not even close to John McCain.
Van
Van
http://www.jenerette.com
This is Rudy.
This is George.
Yea you're likely right. LOL :>}
Why are you not supporting Duncan Hunter? He is the real conservative in this race.
If you took Duncan Hunter's views and we changed him from a congressman to a Governor, people would be doing cartwheels over him. I don't understand it. Don't we pick our candidates on their platform? I cannot understand discounting him as a viable candidate because he's a congressman. I believe he has great leadership qualities.
Pretty good, there.
Yes...Alhough I found the "we're gonna get you if you run, Rudy" tone taken by this columnist somewhat amusing.
I'm not a Rudy supporter...I don't like any of the current candidates (Run Newt, Run) but the degree of hostility shown by so many conservatives on this board is interesting. Admdst all the blather about finding the new Reagan, they're overlooking some of the basic tenets of Reaganism. Speak no ill of a fellow Republican and let the market sort things out.
If Rudy wins...he wins.
A while back I kept trying to think of who he reminded me of. I knew it was a face I'd seen many years before :>} Rudy would do to our nation what Taxquist did to our state. Not on my vote he won't.
You would think that some people around here didn't learn ANYTHING from the last election.
When Pubbies behave like Dims, the voters choose the Real Thing rather than the pretender.
Let's examine the record for the last 30 years, shall we?
1976 - Moderate Pubbie vs. Democrat. Pubbie loses.
1980 - Conservative Pubbie vs. Democrat. Pubbie wins.
1984 - Ditto
1988 - Moderate Pubbie ( hand-picked replacement for previous conservative Pubbie) vs. Democrat. Pubbie wins.
1992 - Moderate Pubbie vs. Democrat. Pubbie loses.
1996 - Moderate Pubbie vs. Democrat. Pubbie loses.
2000 - Conservative Pubbie vs. Democrat. Pubbie wins.
2004 - Conservative Pubbie vs. Democrat. Pubbie wins.
Run Lefty Rudy against Hillary and Hillary will walk away with the election.
Why not run a real conservative? Reagan showed how it's done.
He didn't mean lay down and let the party run all over you. BTW those who use that quote forget it was one GHW Bush who flamed Reagan up one side and down the other. Then after replacing Reagan tore down all he did. I think that quote is being used for a purpose it was never intended for. Reagan would have likely been talking pretty ill against the GOP of the past 11 years had he been dealing with them. He sure would not have wasted a majority in both houses.
I would have loved to have seen Reagan handling ones like Specter. LOL Speak no ill? Yea sure. The party needs some hostility. IT IS DEAD! Maybe some hostile voters who are real sick and tired of things can wake it up again to something besides the Democratic Party's doormat it has become.
The older I get the more I love his music. Thats life comes to mind, It was a very good year as well.
*********
Amen. Giuliani should drop out of the race.
"It was a very good year" and "One more for the road" are probably my top picks. He played the latter in this movie where he's a down and out bar pianoman, and it was really cool. I'm not sure what the movie was called.
You don't get it...debate the ideas, not the individuals. Too many seem to say "Rudy isn't 100% conservative, so I'm going to dreg up whatever chunk of garbage, rumor or innuendo I can about his personal life to smear him"
THAT'S the kind of crap the democrats pull.
But, maybe that's the way politics works. If your candidate isn't popular enough to out poll the front runner, attack the front runner to bring him back to you. Of course that tactic does nothing to improve the process and does much to harm it, but that's ok....a real conservative can win then!
Are you saying that a candidates personal beliefs and behavior does not matter, and should not be brought out?
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