Posted on 03/03/2007 10:04:21 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at unionleader.com ...
["...it was the DEAN SCREAM t at did Dean in."]
No, the DEAN SCREAM came after he'd already lost the Iowa caucus.
Invent some more Rudy "facts" out of thin air.
I wouldn't vote for Giuliani if he were running against the Devil himself.
That's Rudy.
I would be most appreciative if you would provide evidence other than polls to back up that assertation.
They showed Kerry in the lead, one year before Iowa? I don't remember that, but I don't remember WHO was or wasn't in the lead so early on, so I can't really dispute it. Still, it's surprisingly prescient of those polls in Kerry's case, if not in Lieberman's.
"The anti-Rooties here do us evangelical Christians a disservice in thinking that we're too stupid not to know about Giuliani's personal past."
You must not have seen the stats in comment #7. In any event, ignorance does not mean stupidity.
"Anybody but Hillary" isn't a strategy.
It's a recipe for disaster!
What percentage of the base do you figure knows anything about any of this?
Man... the gay agenda stuff wasn't even high on my list of complaints with Rudy until I started reading this stuff. This is hideous.
It's obvious from teh way the MSM is all of a sudden so concerned to make sure that Republicans elect a "real conservative" not someone like Giuliani.
also look at the poll numbers, Rudy is beating Hillary just about every time.
If I wanted to, I could make all kinds of arguments against all of those FFs, as well as all of the rest of the FFs.
And if anyone wants to know just HOW dirty, all of them played politics, Jefferson being THE worst of the lot, there are a few books about just that, which I will happily recommend.
"The two Republican frontrunners have not yet signed a no-new-taxes pledge, despite the adoption of the pledge by rivals in the campaign. John McCain and Rudy Giuliani so far have not answered the query sent by the Americans for Tax Reform, usually an automatic for GOP nominees..."
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/009237.php
Respectfully, as another conservative Christian, my experience is that a lot of Christians in my area of California are not familiar with Rudy's social positions. Once they hear them they are surprised. Many are taken back by his stands on gun control and immigration as well.
Catholic Californian
But keep on spamming that all over FR; you only send more people over to the Rudy camp, because they are fed up with your lot.
Oh, was it? Okay.......my mistake.
And who are you supporting?
I think the thing that bothers me most is how Republicans who espouse the principles of Reagan and of conservatism are so eager to surrender so soon to a candidate with the established positions of Rudy Giuliani.
Can you explain to me why you compromised so soon?
I really do not get it!
And for goodness sake, don't tell me he's the only one who can beat Hillary.
Well, I'll tell you what I knew about Rudy, before he announced for president: he did a great job leading NYC during the 911 attacks; he was a former prosecutor; NYC's crime stats were greatly reduced under his leadership.
That's it. I had no idea where he stood on taxes, gay unions, abortion, the 2nd Amendment or judicial appointments.
I have learned much, but only recently. It was enough to make me decide that I would ONLY vote, if he were the R nominee, as a vote AGAINST the D nominee.
And that I'd dam sure vote against Rudy in our primary.
He's a RINO of the first order, and God help us if he's our only choice.
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