Posted on 03/25/2007 2:34:29 PM PDT by Eric Blair 2084
Yes, the political rule book says a pro-choice former New York City mayor married to wife No. 3 cannot possibly win the Republican presidential nomination — not as long as the G.O.P. remains the preferred party of small towns and social conservatives.
However, the political rule book has been stuffed into a shredder this year. Come summer of 2008, one or both parties will likely fire it from a confetti gun. A million fluttery pieces of conventional wisdom will swirl around a nominee or nominees once thought to be impossible: a woman, a black man, a guy in his 70s, a Mormon, a Hispanic, a Baptist preacher who used to be 100 lbs. overweight. Who knows? This is the year to bet on something unusual happening, and few things in politics are more unusual than Rudolph Giuliani — "America's mayor," the rock of 9/11, crime fighter and tax cutter.
But what makes his bid for the White House so tricky is the rest of the package, the blue-state mores in the red-state party, along with an operatic personality and a tragicomic domestic life worthy of Boston Legal's Denny Crane. The first marriage, to a second cousin. Extramarital affairs. The messy divorce from his second wife, who learned he was leaving her when he mentioned it at a press conference. Rudy Giuliani is the candidate most likely to field the question, Are you now or have you ever been a prickly, backstabbing tyrant?
He laughs at the suggestion that his stratospheric early poll numbers and laundry list of liabilities leave him nowhere to go but down.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
Oh, Rudy, you might be peaking WAY too soon. Now people will be shopping around to find "something" that could be used as a "fatal flaw" against you.
And it would not have a blessed thing to do with your abilities to fulfill the demands of the position.
Not if Rudy wins. If Rudy wins only criminals will have "confetti guns" ;0)
Because the RudyBotFRChicks give him a thrill?
I will never vote for Rudy.
I also admire his accomplishments in turning around NYC (well almost).
I haven't been able to convince myself that I can trust his politics. It's like "tune in next week to find out about his new stands on abortion, gun control and same-sex marriage".
Us Republicans have been burned before (maybe even charred) by candidates we though we could trust, that had no trail of inconsistencies behind them like Rudy does, and they disappointed.
If it's down to Rudy and [any Democrat] he has my vote even if I have to walk over hot coals to do it, but he shouldn't take it for granted.
That's why Fred Thompson interests me. Highly electable, commanding presence on TV and other media and a lot of experience in dealing with liberals under his belt....all the way back to Watergate.
I'm hoping he runs, because my vote would then be a decision and not a compromise.
I thought for a minute that the author of this piece was named DAVID VON DRIBBLE.
Let's just keep in mind that we don't take political advice from the MSM. They really aren't out to help us.
Rudy is NOT your ordinary RINO. The liberal establishment, the academics, and the newspapers in New York HATED him.
But he does certainly have a problem with some issues, such as the right to life. The important thing is to decide for ourselves, and not to let the MSM set the agenda.
Same here....unless it got down to between him and Hillary...but he doesn't need to know that now.
This is a fun season where we can all promote or trash various candidates going into the primaries. It's our best chance to see that we put the right person forward for the general election.
Once we get our candidate, I will accept and support the results even if I have to vote with a *clothespin on my nose.
*I have what W.C. Fields would call a "prominent proboscis" so I could probably get three...maybe four clothespins on there if necessary).
I'm with you. I am still undecided. How about Ron Paul? Although he has about as much chance of winning as you or I.
I know, he got a new 18 hour bra.
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"Introducing first, to my right, fighting out of the red corner, wearing their Sunday best with a gold crucifix...weighing in at 810 and 1/4 pounds...the social conservatives, the religious right, the champions of family values...from the Southern States...The Evangelicals!" (wild applause)
"And in the blue corner, wearing an off the rack suit, Goldwater ’64 lapel pin and a belt 2 sizes too small...weighing in at 141 pounds soaking wet...the fiscal conservatives, the last champions of limited government...from the Western States...The Libertarians!" (wild applause)
I don’t know how Rudy always manages to be in the wrong (right) place at the right (wrong) time. First in the middle of 9/11 and then this battle between the social and fiscal conservatives.
well then, how about just voting republican. You're not going to get * anyone* that is a conservative, and Rudy can't close down guns etc. by himself. Vote republican, fill up the house and senate, shut down the dems and lets see if Rudy can win us a war. If we lose the war, the rest of our liberties just won't matter anyway.
So what do you think they'll try to ruin his reputation with? Three marriages, gay inclusion, not being a conservative?
I am a little bit concerned that the liberal Time magazine gives him this relatively white glove treatment.
I've met Rudy (fascinating 45 second conversation about Andy Pettitte's pitching performance at the 1999 ALCS, no talk of embryonic stem cell research), I like him.
It just seems that the liberal media is giddy over the idea of him winning. Almost as if it proves the liberal mores right and the choice will come down to him or a 100% liberal.
I cannot hear (or read) the name Ron Paul without thinking of that guy(?) Rue Paul a few years ago.
... cause his nylon stockings feel sooooooo good!
Rudy worries me by just looking at the CA governor and his track record. But, I would vote for him if it comes down to it.
But right now we have to "run them through the wringer", and that's not our hobby, or job.....it's our duty.
That line was originated by the U.S. Department of Redundancy Department.
I was at NYU for a number of years. After a series of disastrous mayors, beginning with the worst of them all, John V. Lindsay (Dinkins was dreadful, but Lindsay did a lot more damage), the city went down the tubes, tourists ceased to visit, and students were very hard to find. At one point, the university came within one month of going bankrupt and going out of business.
After Rudy finished cleaning up the city, NYU turned completely around, gained about 250 points on the SAT scores of incoming freshmen, and a few years ago was the number one choice in the country, mainly because students wanted to be in New York.
Yet the faculty of NYU absolutely loathed Giuliani, because they considered him to be a ruthless conservative.
I agree with you that his pro-abortion reputation undoubtedly thrills the press, but they still hate and mistrust him. I hope he will come around on that, because it is certainly a problem if he doesn't, in one way or another. And of course he may never be nominated; the election is still a long way off.
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