Giuliani starts strong in test of Republican voter allegiances

Washington Post ^ | march 4, 2007 | DAN BALZ

[FairOpinion]

The man who was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for his response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is now leading in a slew of national polls and testing whether cultural and religious conservatives in the GOP will support a candidate who offers strong leadership on security and terrorism rather than ideological purity on social issues.

Whit Ayres, a Georgia-based Republican pollster, said he has been struck by the number of conservatives he encountered who disagree with Giuliani on abortion or gay rights but are still attracted to him as a possible Republican nominee. The issue is whether that appeal can survive through a long campaign in which Giuliani's New York record, his position on issues, his three marriages and his complex business dealings will be subjected to withering scrutiny.

The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll showed Giuliani leading McCain by 44 percent to 21 percent, with former House speaker Newt Gingrich at 15 percent and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney at 4 percent.

Many GOP strategists still question whether Giuliani can survive the scrutiny and develop a message that appeals to voters across the spectrum of Republican conservatism. In his speech Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, Giuliani highlighted his record as a tax cutter, crime fighter and welfare reformer. But he offered little resembling a traditional conservative agenda for the future, other than saying the United States must remain on offense against terrorism. The speech won a polite but hardly enthusiastic response from the audience of activists.

[nopardons]

Reagan, as president, RAISED TAXES, after he lowered the higest rates, did away with a lot of the loopholes, which made it even more costly to be in the top 15% percent. He gave BLANKET AMNESTY to all illegals, and as governor of California, PRIOR to Roe V Wade, made abortion LEGAL in California.

Reagan praised FDR a lot and never recanted any praise that he had given him.

You have no idea what you're talking about! Giuliani is no more a Dem, than Reagan was, when he was president.

[airborne]

Thank you. It makes me crazy sometimes that people can't, or won't, see what they're throwing away just so they can gloat over a victory.

Even if it means selling their souls.

[mylife]

Its win and lose, pitch and toss, but its nothing if you have nothing to believe in

[Kevmo]

Thanks for the ping. I've been on a couple of other threads and I'll need to bump for later reading.

And BTW, thanks for posting the transcript of the Rudy video below, I've found it quite useful.




Rudy Giuliani On Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVBtPIrEleM

Transcript:

Will the real Rudy show up at CPAC?

Culture of life:

ABC clip:

George Will: "Do you think Roe v Wade was good constitutional law?"

Rudy Giuliani: "Yes I believe, I believe it is."

Cnn Clip:

Announcer: "Giuliani was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial birth abortions, something Bush strongly supports."

Rudy Giuliani : "No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing."

Immigration

CNN clip:

Announcer: "Back in 1996, mayor Giuliani went to federal court to challenge new federal laws requiring the city to inform the federal government about illegal immigrants."

Rudy Giuliani: "There isn't a mayor or a public official in this country that's more strongly pro immigrant than I am. Including disagreeing with President Clinton when he signed an anti-immigration legislation about two or three years ago."

Gun control:

CNN clip

Rudy Giuliani: "I'm in favor of gun control"

Meet The Press:

Tim Russert: "How about registration of all handguns?"

Rudy Giuliani: "You know I'm in favor of that. I've been on your show many times."

Gay Rights:

CNN Clip:

Announcer: "As mayor he supported civil unions, and extending health and other benefits to gay couples."

ABC Clip: "I supported domestic partnership legislation and signed it"

Meet The Press:

Tim Russert: "So should gay people be openly allowed to serve?"

"I think people should be judged on the merits. And there should not be a specific focus on someone's sexual orientation."

First Amendment:

ABC Clip

Cokie Roberts: "Would you vote in the senate in favor of Mccain / Feingold?"

Rudy Giuliani: "Yes, I'm a big supporter of Mccain / Feingold. I have been for a long time."

Party Loyalty:

ABC Clip:

Rudy Giuliani: "Frankly George, I'd like to run on all the lines. I'd like to run on the liberal line, the conservative line, I'd like to run on the democratic line if I could figure out how to do it."

Conservative Values:

Meet The Press:

Tim Russert: "Whether it's gays in the military, gun control, campaign finance, late term abortion - you and Hillary Clinton are in sync on those issues."

Rudy Giuliani: "Well then maybe the other side should stop the 'He's part of the vast right wing conspiracy'."

Welcome To CPAC, Rudy!

End clip.

[airborne]

What do you think is virtuous about handing the presidency and power over the US over to the Democrats?

Why do you keep saying that?

Why do you act like if I don't submit to lowering my standards,there's no hope?

What is your hurry?

What if you supported Hunter for the next year?

Do all of Rudy's positions represent you more than Duncan's?

[mylife]

He can kiss ny arse

[dmw]

"Why in the hell are we so asfraid of being what we are?"

Great post airborne. Your question is a good one and the same question that I wonder about too. I think part of it is the constant drumbeat of negativism that comes out of the MSM, and the liberal institutions that brainwash out kids. Seems everyone wants to "fit in" and not be looked at as some right wing nut that the media and tv programs make us out to be. If the media constantly tells us that we're bad, at some point we begin to believe it. That's just a small part of what I believe is contributing to why we are so afraid of being who we are.

[mylife]

He can kiss my arse

[FairOpinion]

"What if you supported Hunter for the next year?"



I am not a masochist.

[FairOpinion]

Look I understand your support for Hunter.

He has teh right positions on the issues. But I think it is a mistake for him to even try running for president, when he has no chance.

[dmw]

No it was not over the top. It was right on!

[airborne]

Seems like a good time to change my tagline.

[airborne]

See my new tagline.

[nopardons]

Rudy is a tax cutter and FOR President Bush's tax cuts.

Rudy is FOR smaller government and actually cut the size of N.Y.C. government.

Rudy is FOR vouchers and charter schools and made them available, when he was mayor.

Rudy is AGAINST Affirmative Action give aways and stopped the set asides for minority and women owned business, open admission to city colleges, and refused to meet with and kow tow to the likes of Al Sharpton and that bunch.

There's a whole lot more, but frankly, is you don't know this stuff, it's because you don't want to!

[dmw]

It's a good one, I like it! :)

[nopardons]

Anyone who writes that muck, knows NO recent history, nor knows anything at all about Rudy or Bill Clinton.

[mylife]

Rudy has a long haul.
He has 2 years to defend the sniping, and it will only escalate with time.

I think he is a bad candidate and foolish to launch so early

[mylife]

okey dokey

[nopardons]

Yes, it is; though you'll never really admit to it.

[narses]

I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-gay rights, Giuliani said. He was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions. “No, I have not supported that, and I don’t see my position on that changing,” he responded. Source: CNN.com, “Inside Politics” Dec 2, 1999 http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Rudy_Giuliani_Abortion.htm

ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES (November 14, 2006)

RUDY GIULIANI (R), FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I'm pro- choice. I'm pro-gay rights.

KING: Giuliani supports a woman's right to an abortion, and back in 1999, he opposed a federal ban on late-term abortions.

GIULIANI: No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing.

KING: Immigration could be another presidential landmine. Back in 1996, Mayor Giuliani went to federal court to challenge new federal laws requiring the city to inform the federal government about illegal immigrants.

JEFFREY: He took the side of illegal immigrants in New York City against the Republican Congress.

KING: Giuliani opposes same-sex marriage but as mayor, he supported civil unions and extending health and other benefits to gay couples. He also supported the assault weapons ban and other gun control measures opposed by the National Rifle Association.

GIULIANI: I'm in favor of gun control. I'm pro-choice.

Republican Big-Wigs Support Pro-Abortion Event in NY

Pro-abortion Governor George Pataki and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also supports unrestricted abortion, are co-chairs of the 2000 Choice Award Presentation to be held on May 30 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. The event is sponsored by the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition, a group that is campaigning for the removal of the pro-life plank from the Republican National Platform.


http://www.nationalreview.com/murdock/murdock200503010743.asp