Depends on how big a picture you are looking at. If Mayor Giuliani becomes president as the Republican nominee, the party bigwigs will translate that as tolerance of his liberal positions. The next candidate put forth will push the party further to the left, and so on.
Supporters of the 2nd Amendment, Pro-lifers, and opponents of McCain-Feingold will be marginalized and told "we don't need you" (as some have already stated). The Republican party will survive, but it will look an awful lot like the Democrat party of the 1990s.
Hillary as president is truly undesirable, but I have been reading a lot of posts in recent days and have to question: what damage could she do? I think she would do such an awful job that the Republicans would pick up seats in both Houses, regaining control of Congress and setting up a possible 2012 defeat reminiscent of Reagan/Carter.
Before any overzealous supporter of Mayor Giuliani takes it out of context: I DO NOT WANT THE DEMOCRAT TO WIN IN '08. However, in my opinion, a Giuliani win would be worse for the conservative movement and the country as a whole, than would a Hillary presidency. We are a nation of values, of beliefs, and of pride. We should not set those aside, just so we can "win" with a false candidate.
And like you, I believe the primaries need to be the place. Because if Mayor Giuliani wins the nomination - every argument against him and every quote dug up that you are seeing on Free Republic will be blasted across the MSM 24/7. You thought the incessant stories on Bush's National Guard service or the "16 words" or Valerie Plame stories were overexposed? Wait until we're locked in.
a Giuliani win would be worse for the conservative movement and the country as a whole, than would a Hillary presidency
The premise that "Presidents generally appoint people on the Supreme Court that they believe agree with them" or Julie-Annie (throwing a bone to conservatives) saying he will appoint "strict constructionists" is only part of the story.
We know from our own experience that a president's judicial nominees are subject to intense scrutiny by outside forces----the president's political supporters.
The presidential nominee may or may not survive the scrutiny-----I give you Harriet Meirs.
Irregardless of the crumbs he's throwing to conservatives about potential nominees, Rudy is joined at the hip to NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and the most radical pro-abortion elements.
You can bet your bottom dollar judicial picks will be scrutinized, decided upon, and seated, by the NARAL crowd. NO WAY would NARAL permit their boy Rudy to install conservative-leaning judges.
Anybody who believes Rudy would seat conservative judges is smoking something illegal.
The pro-abortion savages have commenced the killing of the innocents. Who knows where it will stop with Rudy controlling the levers of government, and NARAL whispering in his ear?
One car dawdles along, you admire the scenery, and all of a sudden, before you realize it, it's rolling over the edge. (Rudy)
I'd almost rather go over the edge faster so that I still have weapons to fight with, unlike the UK.