The way to electoral suicide -- vote Giuliani

Agape Press via OneNewsNow.com ^ | 20 February 2007 | Matt Friedeman

[Spiff]

The way to electoral suicide -- vote Giuliani

February 20, 2007

The Republicans, and even some socially conservative and evangelical leaders, are beginning to adjust to the possibility of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as the GOP nominee for president. But not all.

The Southern Baptist's Richard Land, for instance, predicts massive defections from Rudy in the event of a Rudy Giuliani vs. Hillary Clinton race. Hugh Hewitt, evangelical talk-meister in the syndicated stream of radio shows doubts this; "... If Rudy is persuasive on the judges he will nominate, he wouldn't have a problem with the social conservatives in the general election." So tell us you'll nominate the likes of Scalia, Roberts, and Alito to the Supreme Court, and we will line up behind you no matter your substantial views that run counter to the Judeo-Christian ethic, he and his handlers are undoubtedly thinking.

Well, I won't.

And I bet I speak for hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions when I say that I cannot in good conscience vote for a man with significant moral problems in his personal life, a radically wrong view of abortion (against it personally, but for women making their own pro-abortion choice), and oh-so-very Times Square and Hollywood on the issues of homosexual rights and guns (for and against, respectively).

Can't vote for him, even if his opponent is Hillary Rodham Clinton? No, I cannot.

Aw, c'mon, Team Republican says, nobody who purports to be socially conservative, evangelical, or who voted twice for Ronald Reagan will be able to muster a vote for Hillary over Rudy.

Probably right. But voting for her isn't the only option. When the electorate isn't excited about the candidates, they are capable of staying home -- particularly those who don't much care to think political thoughts 24/7 and are not enthused about the choices. There are others of us who will either leave the presidential portion of the ballot unmarked or decide for the first time in our lives to vote, say, the Constitution Party.

Next argument -- Then you'll just be putting Hillary into office. Next rebuttal -- No, rather, my precious vote won't be responsible for putting into office a man who thinks we will vote for him because he is best suited and capably prepared to keep America safe but can't guard his own soul from moral perdition.

But, in all of this, there is something else to think about. The President of the United States guides his own political party and its platform. And the party of President Rudy Giuliani will soon become the party of the same kind of governing mushiness that has absorbed the Democrats. Give the party to Rudy and the moral code and political sensibilities of Reagan are lost, perhaps for good.

Better to lose an election and reload ideologically than try to cheer on and take cues from a man with a worldview radically divergent from your own.

May the primaries be kind to the GOP; and kindness means Giuliani loses.

Matt Friedeman (mfriedeman@wbs.edu) is a professor at Wesley Biblical Seminary. Respond to this column at his blog: evangelismtoday.blogspot.com. Opinions expressed in 'Perspectives' columns published by OneNewsNow.com are the sole responsibility of the article's author(s), or of the person(s) or organization(s) quoted therein, and do not necessarily represent those of the staff or management of, or advertisers who support the American Family News Network, OneNewsNow.com, our parent organization or its other affiliates.

[Spiff]

Rudy Giuliani Supports Partial Birth Abortion...Do You?

[GEORGE] WILL: Is your support of partial birth abortion firm?
Mayor GIULIANI: All of my positions are firm. I have strong viewpoints. I express them. And I--I do not think that it makes sense to be changing your position....
ABC News February 6, 2000

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TUCHMAN: Giuliani was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions, something Bush strongly supports.
GIULIANI: No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing.
- CNN December 2, 1999

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BLITZER: If you were in the Senate and [President Clinton] vetoed, once again, the [ban on the] so-called partial-birth abortion procedure, you would vote against sustaining that against the -- in favor of the veto in other words, you would support the president on that.
GIULIANI: Yes. I said then that I support him, so I have no reason to change my mind about it.
BLITZER: All right. So the bottom line is that on a lot of these very sensitive issues whether on guns, abortion, patients' bill of rights, taxes, you are more in line with the president and by association, with Mrs. Clinton, than you are against them.
- CNN February 6, 2000

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MR. RUSSERT: A banning of late-term abortions, so-called partial-birth abortions--you're against that?

MAYOR GIULIANI: I'm against it in New York, because in New York...

MR. RUSSERT: Well, if you were a senator, would you vote with the president or against the president? [Note: President Clinton was in office in 2000]

MAYOR GIULIANI: I would vote to preserve the option for women. I think that choice is a very difficult one. It's a very, very--it's one in which people of conscious have very, very different opinions. I think the better thing for America to do is to leave that choice to the woman, because it affects her probably more than anyone else....

MR. RUSSERT: So you won't change your view on late-term abortion in order to get the Conservative Party endorsement?

MAYOR GIULIANI: It isn't just that. We shouldn't limit this to one issue. I'm generally not going to change my views
- NBC Meet the Press, February 6, 2000

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***Note: the version of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban that Giuliani opposed in 2000, that he said he supported Bill Clinton in vetoing the Republican-controlled Congress's legislation, contained the exception for the life of the mother that Rudy is now trying to pretend is a prerequisite for his support of it.

[Spiff]

((((STOP RUDY PING))))

[MACVSOG68]

Well if Agape and World Nut Daily are against Rudy, he just might be worth considering.

[taxcontrol]

third option on election day ... write in a different candidate (like Duncan Hunter). This protest vote will ring loud and clear to the GOP and will hopefully serve as a wake up call.

[sine_nomine]

I already committed electoral suicide, voting for both Bushes. How much worse can it get?

[staytrue]

The way to insanity-listening to Spiff.

[Antoninus]

I won't vote for Rudy. Period.

I could be convinced to hold my nose for any of the rest (ok, perhaps not Romney--the GOP's version of John Kerry), so can we please ditch this Rudy cr@p? He's a non-starter for the base, a partysplitter, and an electoral bloodbath for the GOP.

My preference, of course, is for Duncan Hunter...

[Antoninus]

Well if Agape and World Nut Daily are against Rudy, he just might be worth considering.

Wait, you're a RudyBot? Well, color me surprised. /sarc

[stm]

Try going here, you'll be right at home.

[stockpirate]

My tagline is a quote from the man himself!

[GoforBroke]

Sorry, I would vote for him over any Democrat... We need leaders not one issue platform candidates.

Yes! abortion is wrong and we need to have R vs. W revisited.

But it would be catastrophic to let the pandering left wing run the country into the toilet.

[RockinRight]

Yes...and as they wake up, President Hillary will be imposing Marxism on us and it may be too late. She will do IRREPARABLE damage to America.

[Antoninus]

I already committed electoral suicide, voting for both Bushes. How much worse can it get?

Much. This is where we have to draw the line or else conservatives will be effectively shown the door by our "big tent" friends in the elite GOP.

[EternalVigilance]

Personally, my conscience will not allow me to vote for Giuliani, Romney or McCain. Giuliani because he is a complete leftist, Romney because he is a complete leftist and a fraudulent "conservative," and McCain because he gutted the First Amendment.

[Dog Gone]

The way to stop Rudy is to support your candidate in the primary battle.

However, you refuse to even tell us who that might be, preferring instead to be the King of Rudyspam.

[Babsig]

So, you prefer an godless, anti-life, Marxist President Hillary and Senator Bill Clinton who will destroy our economy, private health care, and judicial branch?
I am not pleased with Giuliani's pro-choice and social issues, but I'd rather have him who will go after the Muslim terrorists and appoint consitutionalist judges. A president cannot alone change Roe v Wade. Voting against Rudy for that alone is insane - Can you say, Hello President Hillary? I can't and hopefully won't have to.

[CharlesWayneCT]

No, rather, my precious vote won't be responsible for putting into office a man who thinks we will vote for him because he is best suited and capably prepared to keep America safe but can't guard his own soul from moral perdition.

The author apparently won't vote for anybody who doesn't believe in his own brand of whatever religion he believes will guard your soul from moral perdition.

That is certainly his perogative, but if I only voted for people I thought had the right religion, I would have a lot of free time on my hands.

I don't think I'd vote for Gulliani, but I'm not making my decision based on profession of faith. If I did, I would have to withhold my vote from Ronald Reagan himself.

[Calpernia]

I think McSongbird is the only candidate with a one issue platform.

[sofaman]

"third option on election day ... write in a different candidate (like Duncan Hunter). This protest vote will ring loud and clear to the GOP and will hopefully serve as a wake up call."...This protest vote will also ensure a Democrat in the WH, but no matter! We're principled! Ideologues! Write in Duncan Hunter...yeah, that's the ticket."

There I fixed it for you...hope you don't mind.

[Antoninus]

We need leaders not one issue platform candidates.

Right. Trouble is, I only agree with Rudy on one issue. As I don't want to be a single issue voter, I can't vote for him. Sorry.