There is one or two HUGE and I mean HUGE Bombs that Rudy will have to survive. There is stuff about this guy that is off the charts.
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?
Same here!
My Dad used to say if you don't vote, then you had not right to comment!
You people have no idea the vitriolic press this guy has already endured in New York.
"You people have no idea the vitriolic press this guy has already endured in New York."
Amen.
And in the end all the vitriol didn't amount to a hill of beans because Rudy was man enough to handle the press, the racists and the left wingers and not give an inch.
Double amen.
??? Was that today? I don't remember what we talked about. I've been on so many different topics today, I'm totally overwhelmed. May I have another clue, please? ;-)
I was driving to Portland OR the other day and happened to hear a very over the top diatribe against Rudy, sounded almost like a Paul Shanklin piece, I found myself agreeing with it, I don't remember the details, but then who should come on but Randi Rhoads(sp?) turns out I was listening to Air America. Anyhow Randi went off bigtime on Rudy. I thought yeah he's a jerk but I couldn't stand to listen to her for any length of time. Anyhow the Dems have lots of ammo to use against him and they will play the family values/hypocrisy angle to the hilt.
Well, as they so often post that photo of him, you know the one I mean ...one can only conclude they are jealous of his great legs!!!
Van, your thoughts parallel my thoughts exactly......
And so many of those claiming to be conservative do say just that... it mystifies me. If by some remote chance McCain gets the nomination I will be holding my nose, no matter what I don't want another Clinton in the White House.
I share your thoughts on McCain and will be doing the exact same thing -- holding my nose and voting for McCain.
I have stated that a Giuliani run will result in a loss of McGovernesque proportions.
You just proved that most states are against gay marriage -- even liberal states -- but that did not stop the Republican losses in 2006 and it has not brought Republicans to power in those liberal seats. Thanks for playing. If gay marriage was so important than 2004 wouldn't have been so close and we'd have 65 Senators.
Blacks are socially conservative when it comes to these issues. Think they vote conservative? They didn't even vote for Ken Blackwell in Ohio, who is a social conservative black! They voted for a 'rat white dude from the sticks.
There is one or two HUGE and I mean HUGE Bombs that Rudy will have to survive. There is stuff about this guy that is off the charts.
The real reason for the "enthusiasm" of the Rudy-bots is the RNC agenda of preventing a conservative from becoming the candidate.
Quit it!
:^)
Conservative is now known as "far right" by the cognoscenti.
That was actually pretty good, even though I don't agree with you.
So, how's about the Rudy supporters dropping the taunts that FReepers who don't support him are thereby supporting a Hitlery presidency...?
Hmmm...?
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