NARAL Republicans posting Rudy spam ping
Posted on 02/27/2007 6:06:05 AM PST by Uncledave
February 27, 2007 -- IT is nearly impossible for the chattering classes - on all sides of the political divide - to comprehend the heat being generated by Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid.
The fallback explanation is just to say "9/11" and be done with it. After all, how else can you explain a man with Giuliani's supposedly liberal social views possibly rise as high as he has - besting John McCain among Republicans by as many as 22 points in one poll?
Many on the right profess amazement at the lead he's opened up among Republican primary voters, considering his pro-choice views and sloppy personal life.
Meanwhile, writers on the left express disbelief at the notion that a pro-choice Republican candidate might be able to win the GOP nomination. According to the best Leftist analyst of American politics, Michael Tomasky, abortion is simply "too fundamental an issue for most Republican caucus goers and primary voters (even in California, with its likely Feb. 5 primary) to work around."
There's a perfectly simple answer to the Rudy paradox. When Republican voters look at Rudy Giuliani, they know one key fact about him: They know he's no liberal.
They may not exactly know why yet, but they know it.
And they're right.
{snip}
But more than any other candidate in the race, Rudy Giuliani is a liberal-slayer. When he rejects liberal orthodoxy, which he does often, he doesn't just oppose it. He goes to war with it - total, unconditional war.
{snip}
He spent his political career chewing up liberal orthodoxy and spitting it out - and I think that somehow, in some way, voters in Oklahoma and Kansas get that about him even without knowing the specifics.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Ping
In case after case, he refused to accept the veto of liberal public opinion. He drove porn shops out of residential neighborhoods, even though his administration had to fight more than 30 lawsuits on the matter. He crusaded against bilingual education, a disastrous policy that had gone unquestioned in this city for decades.
And most important, he stood up for the police department against any and all attacks - which were incessant and incredibly unjust. The race baiters and their shills at the Not-So-Great Grey Lady talked as though the NYPD was engaging in genocide when the opposite was the case - many thousand of people are alive today who would have died if the NYPD hadn't taken on its newly aggressive posture under Giuliani.
When he rejects liberal orthodoxy, which he does often, he doesn't just oppose it. He goes to war with it - total, unconditional war. "
Well undeniably that is a good quality....
Unfortunately, I think Rudy would fall victim in part or in whole to Potomac Fever. He's made his bones as mayor and 9/11 heroic figure and I wonder if he'd be willing to put all that on the line rather than go along to get along (see also: Bush, George Walker).
Because he's not McCain!
Buck up -- he didn't fall victim to this in NY, where the media and liberal influences are extremely powerful. I think we have less to fear of Potomac Fever taking hold on Rudy than any other candidate, most especially Newt (who I greatly respect, btw).
No question he is great on WOT, crime, and taxes.
It's everything else that is as left as Pelosi.
Will I fight for him in primary? No. Will I vote for him if he is nominated? Sigh. Yes. Holding my nose.
I'm having a hard time jumping on the Rudy bandwagon. Some here will accuse me of being a single issue voter, but so be it. Rudy's stand on gun control and abortion are making it real hard to support him as a viable candidate.
On the other hand I do believe he will be stronger than Pres. Bush when it comes to Iraq and the wider war on the jihadists. It will take me some time to figure this one out.
But if Rudy does win the nomination I will have to vote for him, the alternative is too gruesome to contemplate.
Well said. I suspect I'm a little less hesitant in voting for Rudy than you, but I would definitely not have a problem voting for him vs. any democrat.
This is why we have primaries and I'm glad you'll support Rudy if he's chosen as the Republican candidate.
"There's a perfectly simple answer to the Rudy paradox. When Republican voters look at Rudy Giuliani, they know one key fact about him: They know he's no liberal. "
What a load of crap!!!!!!!
It would be refreshing to have a President who would stand up for what he believes. President Bush believes in most of what I consider important, but he has been unable to make it appear that he is forcefully standing up for himself. I don't think that being Mr Nice Guy to the extreme would happen with Rudy. GWB IS Mr. Nice Guy, but it has hurt him in the ruthless politics in Washington.
I think that Rudy would be terrific on national security, which is job number 1 for a president.
It disappoints me to see a generally reliable conservative like Podhoretz jump on the bandwagon so early. Giuliani is a Libertarian, not a Republican. A lot of us here would vote for a slug over Hillary Clinton, but that's not saying a whole heck of a lot.
And when he rejects conservative values, he does the same - to the point of taking guns away from thousands of long-term NYC permit holders. And defying court orders to end NYC's sanctuary city policy. And defying NY sunshine laws to prevent releasing official documents from his administration.
That's the problem with Rudy - his bullheadedness is not constrained by the law or the Constitution. Which is why he should NOT be the GOP nominee, let alone president.
I respect your opinion and totally understand why you'd prefer to see Hunter nominated (per your tag line).
If Hunter wins the GOP nomination I'd would absolutely vote for him over any democrat.
Will you likewise vote for Rudy in the general election?
And that's just one thing we love about him. Thanks for the ping.
Rudy Giuliani and FRee Republic. Perfect Together!
/s/
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