Posted on 03/06/2007 11:05:27 AM PST by areafiftyone
Rudy Giuliani might have been an inspiration in the days after 9/11, but what relevance does that have now? He might have cleaned up New York City, but why should most Americans care whether, say, Bryant Park is a drug-dealer-infested nightmare or a pleasant place for office workers on a lunch break? The power of Giuliani’s presidential candidacy is in neither of these things per se, but in the allure of executive prowess. A leaked strategy memo from the campaign of Mitt Romney said that the former Massachusetts governor could contrast himself with President Bush with one word, “intelligence.” That is unfair to Bush, who is not an unintelligent man. But the memo was correct in noting how Republican candidates for president will have to contrast their styles and skills with those of Bush. Republicans don’t need more sheer IQ in their next nominee, but more EI — not emotional intelligence, as the popular book had it, but executive intelligence. But troubled organizations often look to hire an executive who has succeeded elsewhere. Hence the allure of Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani demonstrated it in New York. He ran the fourth-largest government in the country, from an office that had awesome powers (unlike the governorship of Texas), at a time when the city was in crisis, without a strong party to back him and in the teeth of a hostile press. And he succeeded. That, in a few phrases, is the appeal of Rudy Giuliani.
Fred Siegel describes him in his book Prince of the City as having “a mathematical and military cast of mind,” and quotes a former aide who explains that Giuliani is such a baseball fan because the game brings “together three things that he loves: statistics, teamwork and individual effort.” Siegel compares Rudy’s fascination with the intricacies of government to that of Bill Clinton, who had the same interest in details although without the decisiveness, and the late Sen. Daniel Pat Moynihan, who grasped how government worked but never was an executive.
Giuliani needed little sleep, which made extra hours available to him that he could pour into work. He had talented people around him whom he forged into an instrument of his executive will. Giuliani had daily 8 A.M. meetings to ensure that his deputies and commissioners were on the same page. As a former aide told Siegel, “You could draw a clear line on an organization chart for almost everything the Rudy administration did.”
Giuliani’s axioms of governance, described in his book “Leadership,” now read as a kind of rebuttal to Bush’s hands-off management style. One of his rules is “Always Sweat the Small Stuff.” Another is “Prepare Relentlessly.” He delivered annual 90-minute State of the City addresses without a prepared text: “I presented it from my own head and heart, not from a page.” And “Everyone’s Accountable, All of the Time.” Giuliani kept a two-word sign on his desk: “I’M RESPONSIBLE.”
Famously the first CEO president, Bush has had his reputation as an executive trashed by Katrina and Iraq. Bush had seen his role primarily as setting goals, then remaining resolute and confident about them. But the resolution and confidence are self-defeating if the goals aren’t matched with the appropriate means. Bush has been ill-served by his willingness to stand by failed subordinates (thereby eroding any sense of accountability), by his relative lack of interest in details and by his inability to establish coherence within his own government.
This makes the Competence Primary very important in the Republican nomination contest, and Giuliani is the front-runner in it, although he has competition from Romney, a successful businessman with strong management skills. This doesn’t mean that Giuliani will excel in the Temperament Primary. Some of the qualities that made him a successful mayor — the hunger for power, the jealousy of other centers of authority, the egocentric drive — don’t make him the most pleasant person. And the Ideological Primary will be a major challenge.
And that's the picture of America which will be emblazoned in the minds of our muslim enemies everywhere. Imagine how the MSM pundits who hate all Republicans will feast on pointing out how Rudy in a dress is America's image on "the Arab street". A Guiliani presidency would be a disaster for many reasons in my opinion, but these pictures will say it all for our enemies both here and abroad.
TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO STAY UP THERE!
Thanks for posting!!
Good article. Great points. Thanks.
As I said, I like Rudy. I think he's a decent guy with many strengths as a candidate. I would just rather have a more conservative president. That said, if he does get the 'pubbie nod, I'll almost certainly hold my nose and vote for him in the general.
95% of the Freepers on the Rudy ping list ARE NOT from New York City or New York State. So I don't know what you are rambling about.
You got it. It's like pouring gasoline on the Islamist fire.
....LOL...honestly, the Arab street is gonna hate us for any number of reasons....maybe it will make them complacent and they will start sending suicide bombers into the Women's Dept......
He's been painted as not firmly pro-life. That has been said to be a problem with some voters. He didn't convert TO pro-life, but FROM it to pro-choice and back again.
How can anyone know for sure where he really stands on it?
You are both quite welcome!
"America seems to want Rudy but you guys have blinders on."
America doesn't know the real rudy yet. They know the PR / spin machine "america's mayor" BS that's been spouted for years.
The internal questions of several polls reveal that. His positions are unknown to most GOP primary voters - and they have a problem with someone who holds his liberal positions.
If you think those poll numbers are bogus - well, they're run by the same type of groups that show the rudy leading in (name recognition) polls that your side likes to tout as meaningful.
As far as the people who are paying attention at this point in time - like the ones here - rudy has a whopping 14.1% support here. Of course, the liberal republicans want to spin that as "evil uber conservatives who are out of touch with reality" - but the truth is it's the NY liberal republicans like you who are out of touch with the GOP base that is required to win both the primaries and the general election - because the GOP power base is in the pro gun conservative south, not with the northeast liberals.
If you think the GOP base won't mind rudy's liberal positions - why do his handlers try to spin them away? And why do the rudy supporters squeal so loudly when his own quotes and record are used against him? You know, the things that always get labeled as "old" or "out of context" or "vicious attacks" in order to downplay the truth.
lol. that picture cracks me up every time.
I'd be happy to stand in for Swamps if he can't/won't make it!
;o)
And then host you in San Antonio for Fiesta!
Hell, if that picture pisses off the Islamics, lets throw in a drawing of Moohamet humping a pig.
The Real Rudy has been in the papers for all to see for quite a few months now. Are they all living under a rock? Jeeze his marriage and his son has been in the papers This whole week, The MSM has been saying that Rudy is to the left on social issues yada yada yada since he decided to run and regardless of all that Rasmussen just had a poll and Rudy is winning as of today.
LOL!
OK, Froufrou...it's a date!
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.