Posted on 03/02/2007 11:57:07 AM PST by meg88
Rudy Giuliani is going before a big meeting of conservatives this weekend with a remarkable lead in the GOP race; according to a Washington Post poll, he's ahead of Sen. John McCain 44-21.
That raises a question: How could a pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-gun control ex-mayor from New York be doing so well with Republicans?
The short answer is "September 11," but for reasons that go beyond the obvious, which is the sense that Giuliani rallied a stricken city, spoke in bold language about defeating the new enemy and actually was at risk in those moments.
But 9/11 did something else -- it elevated Giuliani far above the level of big-city mayor.
He was the official who "stood up to al Qaeda" and became a major American figure in the global battle against the enemy who'd so savagely attacked the United States. That made him much more than a big city mayor.
Moreover, the attacks radically changed the picture of New York -- the biggest Democratic city in the nation, and one not usually admired by core Republicans.
Two things have changed about New York. First, 9/11 made New York much more "American."
That's where the enemy attacked; that's where the president and the mayor stood with firefighters and American flag to promise payback.
The second factor -- and this is an argument Giuliani hasn't made much, but I'm guessing he will -- is that New York was where a Republican mayor, using conservative ideas on crime, taxes and welfare, turned around the city that was ground zero of modern liberalism.
For whatever reason, New York is much safer, cleaner, healthier city than it was a decade and a half ago, and Giuliani is likely to say, "I don't just talk about ideas like senators. I made them work."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
and if we don't support rudy, we want the terrorists to win and kill everybody.
Try to remember how Rudy won elections in heavily Democratic NYC, even without the boost that 9/11 gave him.
I'll see your Grant and Klinton and raise a Karter. It took your guys two terms to do the damage (maybe less) that he did in one!
Truth hurts.
The presidency is more than just crisis management, its as or more importantly about policy making. Does anyone know if Rudy ever supported raising taxes on anything ?
That's a documented fact, Registered - that Rudy tried to steer that money to one of his own companies.
You sure have developed an allergic reaction to facts lately. You ought to see a doctor.
Documented facts but no links at all. Kinda makes you think doesn't it?
Our little jimmah gave him a good run for his money. I think history will shrink the little peanut farmer further into historical oblivion.
The liberals idiotic infatuation with pop culture icons A.Schwarzy and RudyG marches forward. LOL
Given your comments, your tagline is pretty absurd.
"...He was the official who "stood up to al Qaeda" and became a major American figure in the global battle against the enemy who'd so savagely attacked the United States..."
I'm having a major disconnect with the writer's logic.
If America wants a leader who "stood up to al queda" and is a "major American figure in the global war against the enemy"...that description would fit the president, would it not?
So why aren't the president's approval numbers above 50%? Why isn't he wildly popular with Americans?
You asked for supporting links and information from me the other day. Provide yours on this subject. Thanks.
I don't care who you support,answer my question.
I think we don't really know how politically conservative Rudy is. He isn't a "social conservative" (read: advocate of using government to coerce people into living according to tenets of religions they don't believe in), which is a big plus in my book. Certainly his positions as NYC mayor on socialist redistribution schemes and guns are way to the left of what I find acceptable. But I also recognize that he couldn't have gone any further right on those issues and still gotten elected in NYC. Overall, he succeeded in pushing NYC significantly to the right. It's no accident that the city was prepared to vote in a billionaire businessman Republican to succeed him -- Bloomie wouldn't have stood a chance pre-Rudy. So he may well move further to the right when he's in an arena that can withstand that. I got the feeling he was uncomfortably squashed up against NYC's right-most wall throughout his entire tenure as mayor. It is urgently important to educate him on the 2A, though. I don't think he gets it, but more because he's never before had any reason to seriously examine the assumptions about guns that he grew up with, than because he's intrinsically in favor of a disarmed citizenry controlled by armed government agents.
Sorry, I meant to say, "That ain't how it works, Dirtboy, and you know better. Those who make the assertion have the responsibility to back it up"
It seems it's the only one he has.
a. He was never hugely popular (post-9/11 excluded) because of his identification by the MSM with the 'eeeeevviiil religious Right' (which my lib cousin-in-law STILL complains about)
b. He screwed up in Iraq.
Any other questions?
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