Posted on 03/25/2007 6:11:52 AM PDT by SJackson
The same Beltway experts who declared Sen. John McCain of Arizona the GOP front-runner, even as he under-polled fellow presidential contender Rudolph Giuliani, now parrot equally dodgy concepts. When Republicans meet "the real Rudy," they will abandon New York's former mayor like cattle fleeing a burning barn. Then, the wobbly Washington wisdom continues, Giuliani's three marriages, and his less-than-solidly-right-wing views on gays, guns and gametes will torpedo his buoyant presidential hopes.
These seers now detect unhappiness with the GOP aspirants. They cite a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in which 26 percent of Republican primary voters were dissatisfied with Giuliani, McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, among others. However, 56 percent called these choices satisfactory. This mirrors the 57 percent of conservative Republicans who preferred Giuliani, versus 31 percent for McCain. More broadly, Republicans backed Giuliani by 38 percent to McCain's 24, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's 10, Romney's 8, and 2 percent each for Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
But what if voters like Giuliani better upon understanding his pre-9/11 performance? Educating Republicans on his complete mayoral record - and soon - may be Giuliani's best bet for extinguishing the lingering grumbling about his candidacy.
Americans vividly remember Giuliani emerging from the ashes of Sept. 11 like a latter-day Churchill rising from the rubble of the London Blitz. However, these involved and informed citizens knew startlingly little about Giuliani's other mayoral achievements:
Through robust policing, Giuliani drove overall crime down 56.1 percent, while chopping homicides 66.6 percent, from 1,946 in 1993 to 649 in 2001.
Following national trends, abortions on Giuliani's watch dropped 16.9 percent, while taxpayer-funded Medicaid abortions plunged 23 percent.
Gotham's foster-care population fell 38 percent as Giuliani helped loving families adopt 17,804 boys and girls.
By fighting fraud and finding work for legitimate beneficiaries, Giuliani cut welfare rolls 58 percent, starting two years before federal welfare reform. Giuliani renamed welfare offices "Job Centers."
Giuliani privatized 23,625 previously confiscated, city-owned dwellings, 78 percent of supply, benefiting family and individual homeowners and tenants.
Giuliani dumped Gotham's 20 percent set-aside and 10 percent overbid bonus for minority and female contractors. "The whole idea of quotas to me perpetuates discrimination," he explained. He initiated this on his 24th day in office, far exceeding any colorblindness legislation Congress even debated during the 12-year "Republican Revolution."
Giuliani's $10 million Charter School Improvement Fund helped 3,286 pupils in 17 new charter schools, up from $0 and zero campuses in 1997. He ended tenure for school principals, so slackers could be sacked. He also stopped social promotion; students needed to complete grade-level work to matriculate.
Ex-pornography mecca Times Square now welcomes families, tourists and locals for fully clothed musicals like "The Lion King" and "Mary Poppins."
Beyond these socially conservative victories, Giuliani governed as a Reaganesque supply-sider:
Giuliani scrapped three taxes and slashed 20 others, lowering Gotham's tax burden by 17 percent and saving individual and business taxpayers $9.8 billion.
While inflation averaged 3.9 percent, Giuliani's average spending grew 2.9 percent annually. If the departed GOP Congress were that fiscally disciplined, the next federal budget would be $2.275 trillion - $625 billion cheaper than proposed.
While hiring 12 percent more cops and 12.8 percent more teachers, Giuliani sliced other positions 17.2 percent. Overall, the municipal headcount fell 3.1 percent.
Rudy got this done thanks largely to a management style that he described recently at a $2 million Manhattan fund-raiser: "I'm impatient and single-minded about my goals."
Before Giuliani's enemies caricature him as a divorce-driven, abortion-peddling, gun-grabbing transvestite, he should familiarize Republicans with his mayoral accomplishments. From Westwood to Washington's echo chamber, Rudy Giuliani and his supporters should specify how he rescued America's largest left-wing city through Reaganite social and economic reforms.
I ask again "What the hell is a "pragmatic conservative"?
Your silence will be my answer.
Needless to say a great many of the moral arbiters of FR disagree with you. And I've read the posts on the thread. I was hoping to gain some insight into the financial state of NYC during the Rudy years, it's an issue as you must appreciate, but like most Rudy threads most of what I've gotten is the standard "true conservative" sexual obsession.
Your comment too is entirely off topic, but you're RIGHT, parents and grandparents can parent their children and grandchildren.
With or without what appears to be a conservative version of "It Takes a Village".
..it will be interesting to hear his explanation about this letter in an upcoming debate...
Here come the RudyBotFRChicks!
Another voice from RudyBotFRChicks.
What are RudyBotFRChicks?
"No, I'm stating, not insinuating, that because Rudy, along with NYC's Mayor and NY's Governor, is an honorary Stonewall board member, he not defacto a supporter of ANSWER"
You HAVE to be joking! Best laugh I've had all day!
Pinged calpernia only because he/she brought the topic up.
No, I'm not joking, at all
Laugh your *ss off all you want.
When you're done, suck it up, come back to the computor and provide credible evidence that Rudy is a supporter of or part of ANSWER.
Not the BS that passes for commentary here.
FACTS.
It will be covered, it won't be the first time FR has made news, and toddlintown will get the credit.
Right. I always welcome honorary board membership for organizations I don't support.
You RudyBots are beyond reason.
Can't do that wander to another thread.
I say that because I'm neither a supporter of Rudy, unless he wins the nomination, nor beyound reason, as many of his detractors are. Which makes it impossible to focus on what might be seen as deficiencies by rational voters leaning to Rudy.
The STONEWALL Veterans' Association ("S.V.A") is the standing original Gay organization that started giving in exactly mid-1969 and still keeps on "giving, giving, giving" to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender ("GLBT") communities and way beyond -- now via the worldwide internet thoughout the entire World!
Editiorially speaking, you'd think with the billions the Bloombergs and Kennedys have, they'd have a less cheesy web site.
"Can't do that wander to another thread"
Don't like the facts? You move on, pal. You don't this forum.
To paraphrase: "Just becauce Rudy's an honorary member of ANSWER doesn't make him a supporter."
How pathetic. How hilarious!
That's interesting, can you provide me with anything that would make me believe you?
I don't know you from Adam pal, but I'm familiar with ANSWER. If posted dozens and dozens of articles on ANSWER, and likely made hundreds of posts about the group. As I have about numerous terrorist and terrorist supporting organizations. I admit I don't ever remember you entering any of the conversations, but lots of post, so it's normal I wouldn't.
If you have information regarding a connection between Rudy and ANSWER, real world, not GWB took down the Trade Tower stuff, this would be a good place to make it public.
If you're ranting about an honorary membership in Stonewall with Elliot Spitzer and Michael Bloomberg among others, no, that's not a connection to radicals to any rational reader.
Pathetic, in your eyes, so be it.
Meant Stonewall.
On Sunday, June 24, 2001, Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- and his new and unusual political buddy, Michael R. Bloomberg, successor candidate for N.Y.C. Mayor -- joined the STONEWALL Veterans' Association and the 1969 Cadillac "Stonewall Car" in leading the annual New York City Gay Pride Parade down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Of course, Rudy's office called to get the green light that the S.V.A. would have this highly successful media magnate, who we didn't know but only knew of, also as our guest. His communications director made it clear that the Mayor was asking this favor and that he hoped that the S.V.A. -- of which he was and is an Honorary Member -- trusted his judgment in this as we have in other matters. Guess what? In fact, Mayor Rudy personally introduced mayoral candidate Michael to the S.V.A. President Williamson. They hit it off immediately regarding "Stonewall" right in the middle of the Fifth Avenue! Right was Rudy!!
I sourced my information with links. You are welcome to read them. I'm not reading them for you.
He is a member of Stonewall. He is a Log Cabin Republican. The Log Cabin Republicans are part of the Human Rights Campaign and are also members of Stonewall.
As Mayor and as a member of Stonewall, he had voting and approval input on NAMBLA marching in the parades under their own banner.
That is more than enough to demand answers of someone running for dog catcher, let along President.
Post 50 alone is a disgrace.
I just checked their site. Looks like they have been updating since I started making links.
"We got a Giuliani thread in progress."
I know of the real Rudy and he will not get my vote! Thanks to Calpernia,flashbunny,narses and the others who keep the rudybots from overrunning FR!
"Rudy Don't Wear That Dress to Town"
You put on your pumps and rouge,
Then your store bought hair,
Hey maybe there's another gay,
parade out there somewhere.
It won't be long before your numbers,
will start coming down.
Oh Ruuu-dy,
don't go in drag to town.
They say that you can lead us,
in this crazy war we're in.
That you can beat Hillary,
and they just want to win
I know that constitution,
it won't ever slow you down
Oh Ruuu-dy,
don't go in drag to town.
It's hard to vote, for a man,
Who wants to take my guns.
Who has less in common,
with Reagan than Clin-ton
and I know that constitution,
it won't ever slow you down
Oh Ruuu-dy
don't go in drag to town.
He's leading now, cause I've heard,
the latest greatest polls.
Forget about his Kerek-ture,
just vote and hold your nose
Well I can't vote for Marylin,
I have to stand my ground.
Oh Ruuu-dy,
don't go in drag to town.
Oh Ruuu-dy,
Don't wear that dress to town.
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