Posted on 02/23/2007 1:43:05 AM PST by MadIvan
Surrounded by firemen, medics and police officers in a small fire station in the Deep South, Rudy Giuliani was introduced by local dignitaries as "the face of the 9/11 response" and the man who "was there when the twin towers were hit".
He is running for the White House in 2008 but it was that fateful day in 2001 that will define his candidacy. "On September 11, 2001, the terrorists who attacked us wanted to achieve two things," he said as the South Carolina audience hushed. "They wanted to kill a lot of Americans and they wanted to break our spirit."
More than five years after the al-Qa'eda attacks, amid gloom and division over the Iraq war, there is a nostalgia for the heroism and solidarity that they sparked.
As New York's take-charge mayor, Mr Giuliani is seen as the epitome of a spirit that was not broken.
That memory of him, etched in the US psyche, has propelled Mr Giuliani, 62, into his surprise position as early front-runner in the Republican field for 2008 as he presents himself as a leader who can be trusted "when they attack us again".
His advisers calculate that his 9/11 image, combined with his success in cutting crime and taxes in New York, will trump concerns about his views on abortion, gay rights and gun control, which conventional wisdom dictates should sink him in the Republican primaries.
Whereas his rivals John McCain and Mitt Romney are engaged in attempts to disavow previous statements and recast themselves as social conservatives, Mr Giuliani's pitch is that "for most it's never about one issue" and consistency is preferable to pandering.
"I believe you've got to run based on what you are, who you really are," he told The Daily Telegraph. "I find if you do it that way even people who disagree with you sometimes respect you."
Mr Giuliani noted that his pro-choice abortion position had not changed in nearly two decades. The former mayor declined to draw the contrast himself, but Mr McCain supported the Roe versus Wade abortion ruling as late as 1999 and Mr Romney was pro-choice in 2004 but now declares himself pro-life.
"I'm just telling you the most honest answer to the question, which is the same answer I gave in 1989," Mr Giuliani told The Daily Telegraph. "I would advise my daughter or anyone else not to have an abortion. I'd do anything I could to help and assist with an adoption. I would like to see it ended but ultimately I believe a woman has a right to choose."
Whereas the Democratic contest has already descended into angry exchanges between advisers to the three front-runners, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, the Republican contest has remained gentlemanly thus far.
"No comment on anybody else's candidacy," Mr Giuliani said firmly when he was invited to criticise his opponents. "We've got some terrific people that are running."
Paradoxically, Mr Giuliani is able to appear as the candidate of optimism by repeatedly referring to America's darkest day. He even injected notes of humour into his 9/11 stories as he spoke against the backdrop of a massive US flag that had been flown in an A-10 Thunderbolt over Afghanistan. He told how a fire crew drove 700 miles to New York from Indianapolis to help, and he saw a Chicago policeman directing traffic in Manhattan. "Probably he was sending people up to the Bronx that are still driving around trying to figure out where they are," he said.
Mr Giuliani suggested there had been divine intervention in the way the hijacked United Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania just a mile from a school. "Just a hand of God had that plane come down in the field rather than on top of a school and our tragedy would have been even worse."
He also cited his record of running a city with a population of 8.1 million and getting things done. "I hate to toot my own horn but that's what I'm good at. I'm good at taking problems that have hung around for a long time with nobody doing anything about it.
"That's what I did about the problem of crime in New York, the problem of welfare, the problem of cleaning up the streets."
After being made an honorary fire chief of South Carolina, a traditionally conservative state where a crucial early primary will be held, he mingled among the crowd, signing so many photographs and copies of his book Leadership that his hand began to tire.
When told that the Queen has a machine to sign official documents for her, he laughed and responded: "Is that true? That's not fair."
Several Republicans said they differed from him on key issues but would vote for him nevertheless. "I don't like his position on gun control," said Ken Crenshaw, 63, a retired soldier. "I've belonged to the National Rifle Association for 35 years so I'm pro-gun. But he's a proven leader so he's the right man at the right moment."
A "seasoned" mayor of a municipal will be highly likely to concentrate on fixing social "problems," as he would see them, by way of more social programs, a bigger, stronger judicial with fewer constitutional restrictions, and fancier video productions (to cram the programs into policy/law). Do you remember Clinton's "100,000 new police on the street" program? Municipal experience provides a background that would work very much against military defense, IMO. I've worked and taken oaths for both before.
Looking at the "keywords", I'd say that the spammers have already hit this thread. Rudy has his faults, and don't we all? I'd have to say, when it comes to asskicking and name taking, Rudy is up to the task.
Uh, yeah, sure.
Question is, who's ass is he going to kick?
You're very welcome for the info. The question made me curious. All-in-all, it looks like a campaign for lawyers, municipal administrators and bureaucrats. ...more power for the fed and cities. There are various leagues/organizations for municipal government interests. I wouldn't be surprised, if those turn out to be one of the sources of support.
The voice of a man with no convictions worth fighting for.
Jeez, don't you read the content of this site? Islamic extremists! You know he will, too. How about a Guliani/Hunter ticket?
Rudy will be strongly challenged by a conservative. Of that there is no doubt. And this notion that only he can beat Hillary is preposterous.
We're about to find out. I'm less concerned if there is a challenge in the primaries - that's what they're there for - what I am worried about is the following scenario: if Rudy wins the nomination, that people get their priorities correct, namely, keeping out the Democrats.
Regards, Ivan
There are a variety of methods by which one can fight for convictions. Some of us regard sinking them into a hopeless third party candidacy as being a particularly ineffective way.
Ivan
Why don't we ask him? President Bush didn't have a whole lot to say about this debacle, because it was up to the Supremes. You think Rudy, or anyone else can usurp the Courts decisions?
I read a piece today where he says he likes McCain-Feingold... only it has some loopholes that need fixin, ie, he wants to curtail our free speech rights even more. Now, that's kicking some butt!
LOL! They're everywhere ;)
I think they a president can fight the supremes when they err, you betcha.
Have you got any evidence of that?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.