Giuliani leads GOP pack, doing it his way

Los Angeles Times ^ | March 9, 2007 | Janet Hook

[FairOpinion]

He's pulled far ahead of the man long presumed to be the party's front-runner for the 2008 presidential nomination — Sen. John McCain of Arizona — and undercut other hopefuls, most prominently Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts.

In survey after survey of Republicans, Giuliani is leaving his rivals in the dust with double-digit leads. And in key swing states, pollsters have found he would beat the Democratic front-runner, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. Even some leading social conservatives are putting aside their differences over abortion and gay rights to join Team Giuliani.

The Giuliani surge may be a sign that social issues will not be the litmus tests they long have been for GOP presidential candidates.

Still, some social conservatives are making peace with him. After his speech to the Hoover Institution, a questioner noted that conservative columnist Maggie Gallagher, who had voted against him as mayor because of his abortion stance, recently wrote that she would support him for president because of concern about national security.

[auto power]

open your eyes and ears....Rudy is for building a fence along the border if that is what it takes.....have heard him say this many, many times.

[Element187]

"Imagine, if you will, that the three front-runners for the Democratic nomination were: 1) Joe Lieberman; 2) a fundamentalist Christian governor of Utah, and; 3) an anti-choice former mayor of Colorado Springs who isn't just against gay marriage, but who actively and publicly dislikes gay people."

then the religious right wing would elect 2 and 3 and ignore number 1.

[Element187]

as well says he's not against guns... people are just charactarizing because he outlawed them from inner city neighborhoods... but he has already stated, someone living in rural texas should have the right to own a gun... its the gang bangers he was going after in NYC.

[mysterio]

He supports amnesty and gun control. That's not national security.

[auto power]

Precisely! Rudy haters are taking his words out of context.

[auto power]

Not true! Rudy has stated (and I've heard him say this) that he believes that individuals have the right to protect themselves and own weapons to do so. You really need to come up to speed on Rudy's political positions throughout the south and midwest where he is gaining popularity and money.

[mysterio]

"My position for many years has been that just as a motorist must have a license, a gun owner should be required to have one as well. Anyone wanting to own a gun should have to pass a written exam that shows that they know how to use a gun, that they’re intelligent enough and responsible enough to handle a gun. Should both handgun and rifle owners be licensed...we’re talking about all dangerous weapons."

"One of the most aggressive gun control advocates today is Republican mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York City, whose administration sued 26 gun manufacturers in June 2000, and whose police commissioner, Howard Safir, proposed a nationwide plan for gun licensing, complete with yearly "safety" inspections."

" We need a federal law that bans all assault weapons, and if in fact you do need a handgun you should be subjected to at least the same restrictions -- and really stronger ones -- that exist for driving an automobile.

The United States Congress needs to pass uniform licensing for everyone carrying a gun."







You gotta be kidding me. This guy makes Bill Clinton look like Ted Nugent.

[WOSG]

"Rudy CAN'T WIN.

Then enjoy at least 4 years with another Clinton in the white house... no other GOP candidate has the visibility and the ability to bring in the independents/liberatarian vote."

NONSENSE.

Romney can. Even McCain could, but the base hates him and he's getting old. Romney is the better bet.

Even Duncan Hunter could beat Hillary. She has negatives as high as Newt Gingrich.

[WOSG]

"Rudy will look like the fool when he actually takes part in a debate. What's Rudy so afraid of as he passes on the NH debate next month? He will have to come out from hiding at some point!"

It a very bad thing to have candidates who cant or wont debate. These are vital to making informed choices.

[WOSG]

"the social conservatives would rather have a big spending liberal socialist with an R next to his name"

This is simply untrue .. the big spenders are the MODERATE RINOs who are wobbly on social issues ... social conservatives like Tom Coburn and others are the fiscal conservatives as well.

Dont divide the conservative movement with untrue generalizations like that, please.

Also, I have my issues with Ron Paul (wrt Iraq) but saying he is for gay marriage must be off base.

[WOSG]

Ahem, the 'big picture' is to keep all the top issues - national security, small-govt & freedom, values/family/social issues - in mind.

To exclude *any* of them as a factor is small-minded and non-big-picture.

See:
http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2007/02/who-should-be-our-next-president.html

[AuntB]

Then enjoy at least 4 years with another Clinton in the white house This threat is losing credibility. What makes you think Giuliani is the only who can win?

They don't think that, they just want to convince someone of it. It's the only plus they can find to talk about for Giuliani.

[jwparkerjr]

I am convinced Rudy's popularity in the GOP is simply our way of showing just how sick and tired we are of the 'new tone' and being kicked around by the MSM/Lefties. Sure, things like immigration and abortion are important to us, but we have enough of those to last us for while. What we need now is someone who will take the fight to the liberals, not roll over and play dead.

I, for one, would not dream of voting for Rudy if it weren't for the fact I have had it up to here (indicating the area over my head) with the pussycat the GOP has become in the face of the blistering, never-ending, nothing-is-beyond-the-pale attacks from the MSM/Lefties.

[Kevmo]

VZ:

Do you have a link to that blog? It strikes me as kinda funny.

[DKNY]

I tend to agree with you, however there are people who only focus on social issues, and refuse to see we are at war too.

[voltaires_zit]

It was on dailykos.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/12/8/204147/318

It's good to keep tabs on how the moonbats think, and occasionally they're entertaining, even if it is usually unintentionally.

[WOSG]

"I tend to agree with you, however there are people who only focus on social issues, and refuse to see we are at war too."

Ah, but it cuts both ways.

We are at war... at war over the culture, at war over property rights, at war over the future of our freedom vs oversized overbearing Govt., at war with globalists and eco-fascists. If people think the only war that matters is this skirmish against Islamic extremist terrorists, they are sadly mistaken.

[WOSG]

"I am convinced Rudy's popularity in the GOP is simply our way of showing just how sick and tired we are of the 'new tone' and being kicked around by the MSM/Lefties. Sure, things like immigration and abortion are important to us, but we have enough of those to last us for while. What we need now is someone who will take the fight to the liberals, not roll over and play dead."

Great in theory, but unproven in practice.
And how will Rudy take the fight to the liberals when it comes to life issues when he's not even on the same side?!?

If we want a real fighter, go with Vietnam vet Duncan Hunter.
If we want someone who can outsmart the liberals, go with Mitt Romney.

[jwparkerjr]

re: Great in theory, but unproven in practice

I couldn't agree more! I think I was more speaking to the impression a lot of conservatives have of Rudy, based on things like returning the millions of dollars and kicking Arafat out of the Lincoln Center, than what he would likely be in office.

Speaking for only myself, I am really sick and tired of seeing the MSM/Lefties run roughshod over us and not one of our elected representatives having the cojones to fight back. And the outcome of the Scooter Libby trial has done nothing to encourage me. Fitzgerald was allowed to continue an investigation after he had already made the discovery he was commissioned to investigate.

I would welcome a few years of someone like Rudy standing up to the MSM/Lefties. Then we can get back to the job of getting the conservative train back on the tracks. Even with it off the tracks I would like to hear its whistle drowning out the other side!

I am convinced that our country is at a crossroads. We are going to have to wrestle the direction we're going back from the liberals or we won't be leaving our children and grandchildren a country that doesn't even remotely resemble the country I grew up in.

It would not surprise me to see Rudy's star dim pretty quickly as the campaign goes along. I don't think he is the best we have to offer, but I think right now he makes us feel like we at least have a voice after several years of silence.

[Kevmo]

It was quite insightful. Sometimes you can get an accurate picture of your own position when you read an enemy's appreciation of the situation. I actually tried to post the article here on FR but it was blocked -- "DailyKos articles not welcome here on Free Republic" or something like that. Oh well, thanks for giving us the link.