Posted on 02/20/2007 6:57:46 AM PST by meg88
ONLY a few months ago, conventional wisdom throughout much of the political world was that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani might make a competitive Republican candidate for president in a general election, but he could never win his party's nomination because conservative primary voters would reject him.
Now, suddenly, that wisdom seems to have shifted, and as Giuliani trouped through California last week, he was wowing conservatives with his charisma, his gift for sounding spontaneous on the stump and his call for bold national leadership.
"Rudy" - as he is known everywhere - has already been accepted as one of three top-tier Republican candidates, along with Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. With California and several other large industrial states set to move their primaries up to early February, Giuliani might be more formidable than ever.
"All three candidates have challenges when it comes to proving themselves to conservatives," said Jon Fleischman, a party activist whose Flashreport.org Web site is considered by insiders to be the voice of conservative Republicans in the state. "Giuliani has just as good a shot as the other two of trying to articulate to conservatives why, as they compromise to pick a candidate, it should be him."
Romney, though seemingly a favorite of social conservatives, has a shifting record on some hot-button issues, including abortion. McCain frustrated grass-roots types with his sponsorship of a federal campaign finance measure that has meant restrictions on campaign activity - and free speech - that hardly qualify as limited government. Giuliani, meanwhile, has his familiar record in favor of abortion rights, gay rights and some restrictions on gun ownership, not to mention an interesting personal past that includes a very public divorce.
Dan Schnur, a Republican communications expert who worked for McCain in 2000, says the field so far reminds him of the old joke about two guys who are out camping in the woods and see a bear approaching. As one of them puts on his shoes, the other one says, "You're crazy, you can't outrun a bear." To which the first one replies: "I know, but I can outrun you."
"These three candidates don't have to convince conservatives to trust them completely," Schnur said. "One of them just has to convince conservatives to trust him more than the other guys."
On that score, Giuliani has had a mixed performance in California. At the state Republican convention in Sacramento, he failed to show for a scheduled visit with the California Republican Assembly, a conservative grass-roots group, ticking off some activists who probably would not have supported him anyway, at least in the primary. But convention delegates responded warmly to his speech, which included a strong defense of President Bush's conduct of the war on Islamic terrorism. And his presence created a buzz in the hall that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has something of a love-hate relationship with party regulars, could not match.
Bill Simon, the Los Angeles financier who was the Republican candidate for governor in 2002 and is a former colleague of Giuliani in the U.S. attorney's office in New York, is supporting him. So are Curt Pringle, the mayor of Anaheim, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich. The not-so-conservative former mayor of Los Angeles, Richard Riordan, is also on board.
Giuliani clearly benefits from the aura surrounding his performance in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, when he was seen as a strong leader in a crisis.
"I think he has broad appeal in California," said Kevin Spillane, a Republican political consultant who has been talking to the campaign about joining the effort. "Even people who disagree with him on social issues respect him and see him as a strong leader and believe he is an effective and competent and very substantive political figure. I think that's what people are looking for."
It still seems difficult to believe that Republicans, even in California, will nominate a candidate for president who supports abortion rights and is comfortable around homosexuals. But these are strange political times. Maybe, like the gallows, the fear of another President Clinton will concentrate the collective Republican mind.
Daniel Weintraub is a columnist with The Sacramento Bee.
I wouldn't say I'm "on board" yet, but I am glad he's running. He's a worthy candidate, and I think we could do a lot worse. These comparisons to hillary are out of line.
Now you are concerned about spam? LOL!!
Do you know how many times something has been posted on a thread that the person has been asked to start a new thread -- tons. I have had it happen myself.
What's the matter, you prefer to have these articles all hidden on one thread?
You want to talk about spam -- look at any Rudy thread and you will see tons of spam but since it is from your side it is OK. We get the picture!
Still looking for the candidate that favors individual liberty and smaller and less intrusive government. Remember the days when Republicans supported those values?
Ya think. He can't win. No way, no how. Not in a million years. The electoral map from the last election is the only way. If the pubs put up Guliani it's be a landslide lose. Doh.
Hillary Clinton would pull out of Iraq. Giulianni will not. Also, Giulianni actually accomplished quite a bit when he held political office. Clinton did not. I am not a fan of Giulianni's, but equating him with Clinton is asinine.
Even the "Real housewives of Orange, County, Calif," claim to be Republicans.
Clinton has never had to debate a legitimate challenger. In addition to being mayor Giulianni was a federal prosecutor. He is an excellent public speaker, who would wide the floor with Clinton. One debate between these two, and Clinton has no chance on election day.
Looks like our true blue conservative did pretty well in our prior poll. Let's now see what happens if we nominate a social liberal who's okay with abortion, gay unions and gay rights is a gun grabber and is weak on illegal immigration. Who do you vote for in the general?
The social liberal with the big "R" 32.7%
Third party 28.6%
Undecided/praying 26.6%
Stay home 9.6%
Hillary, et al 2.5%
Looks like more than 60% are stay home, undecided or third party. I guess all the Liberaltarian bullying isn't working.
Probably best for some to jump off the Rudy train and get behind a real Conservative.
I agree with you! I am glad he is running as well. Some of the comments on here I cannot believe Republicans are making them. They have done one thing -- made me research more and decide I am firmly on Rudy's Team. :)
It pains me to say that although I have come out in support of Rudy because of issues of national security, the WOT and Israel--where he would be much better than even G.W. Bush--and even excusing his positions on abortion and homsexuals, I cannot now in good conscience support him because of his recent statements regarding the 2nd Amendement. It is not for "hunting" that we were given the right to bear arms. It is to make sure we never become "the hunted" by a corrupt government of the future. Rudy clearly doesn't get it and never will.
I've seen a lot of Giuliani over the years. The words "excellent public speaker" have never come to mind.
We all see what we want to see, I guess.
You've sure got that right. But since people pay millions of dollars to hear him speak, you're in the minority. You don't have to agree with someone politically to undestand that he's got solid public speaking skills. Bill Clinton is also an excellent public speaker. I don't agree with what he has to say, but he generally captivates my attention.
I am pro-life but willing to hear Rudy out on the issue.
Agreed. The idea that the conservative "base" would represent an impassable barrier preventing him from gaining the nomination was an attempt at self-fulfilling prophecy (and inflated self-importance) from people who (1) don't like Giuliani and (2) consider themselves part of said "base".
He may not gain the nomination, of course, but it is far from the impossibility that some paint/wish it to be.
I agree/ I find it very disturbing we cannot have a serious discussion about any of the candidates running in the GOP without name-calling.
If you want to divide and SPLIT the Republican Party WIDE OPEN,,,
RUDY IS JUST THE MAN FOR THE JOB!!
I can see it now,,,,Rudy getting "FREEPED" at campaign stops...lol
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