Posted on 04/07/2007 2:30:04 PM PDT by meg88
Rudy Giuliani is the best presidential candidate.
On Thursday, April 5, there were two articles in the opinion section that led me to this conclusion. One was "Rudy would kill pro-life movement" written by Doug Patton and the other, "A New Yorker Remembers Rudy" written by Ted Rall.
Patton represents the religious right movement that has taken over the Republican Party. Within his article, he even commends Rudy Giuliani as a candidate. However he is ready to jettison a candidate on one issue only. Patton equates conservatism to pro-life. I would say that anyone who wants to have government tell others how to live by their religious standards is not conservative at all.
From Rudy's website: "Rudy Giuliani supports reasonable restrictions on abortion such as parental notification with a judicial bypass and a ban on partial birth abortion -- except when the life of the mother is at stake. He's proud that adoptions increased 66 percent while abortions decreased over 16 percent in New York City when he was mayor. But Rudy understands that this is a deeply personal moral dilemma, and people of good conscience can disagree respectfully. Ultimately he believes that it is a decision between a woman, her doctor, her family and her God.
Ted Rall is as far left as you can get. His article is spent on Rudy Giuliani's performance during and after 9/11 and his personality. He also chastises him for running off panhandlers. It is his opinion. He never mentions performance in other areas such as when Rudy restored fiscal discipline by controlling spending and cutting wasteful programs. He cut the size of city-funded government bureaucracy by nearly 20 percent -- excluding the number of cops on the street and teachers in the classroom.
He cut taxes 23 times in New York and turned a $2.3 billion budget deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus, while balancing the city's budget. He put more cops on the street and more criminals in jail. He cut crime in half and reduced murders by two-thirds during his time as mayor. He accomplished this as a Republican mayor with a Democratic city council. Could a "self sabotaging, thin skinned bully" deliver these results?
The extreme right and left in politics dislike him as a candidate. To me, this is the best reason to vote for him.
Agreed, except I think it is evil. I notice that the Rudy fans have a new (maybe old, I don't know) talking point. On abortion, they all say that under pro-life Presidents abortion has remained legal, therefore Rudy can't possibly do any harm to the cause.
What, do they think that the pro-life agenda will be forwarded under a President that thinks partial-birth abortion is okay, and as a matter of fact, government should pay for it when needed?
I only ask you because I have never been able to glean this information from someone who supports Rudy.
Not really. It's just that, like all liberals, they have no compunction about lying.
Actually, I encourage my students to think rationally and think for themselves.
You think my being a professor explains why kids think the way they do? I guess that explains why so many voted for Bush and why so many support the war in Iraq. [Sarcasm off.]
Well, I’m sure a good percentage of them are pretty smart...intelligent enough not to let your leftwing views infect them.
“2. Rudy aint a lib. Thats more extremist hyperbole.”
We 10 %-ers on FR sure get a lot of attention. There’s no limit to the preaching and pontificating that these anti-Rudy, anti-Republicans will do to try to impose their will on free thinkers.
“2. Rudy aint a lib.”
Yeah, he is. That you have trouble understanding that shows that you are a lib too.
I know about that. That’s one of many things that will sink Rudy’s campaign.
The only people who think I hold any left wing views are banjo-pickin’ snake handlers. Surely there are none of these on FR!
If the party is collectively stupid enough to nominate a radical extremist Leftist like Giuliani, that phrase will prove true.
It's a shame, though. Because the people you're calling names have been the shock troops of the GOP for the last couple of decades.
Rudy is a moderate on some issues, but very conservative on others. Your inability to comprehend that makes you...oh, I don’t know...I’ll think on it.
Finally! Some reinforcements! Thanks!
Hmmm...that's funny.
I guess that frees me up to say what I think of Giuliani supporters. But maybe I shouldn't. I don't want to have to go to rehab.
Nope. He is an extremist LIBERAL. On abortion, on guns, on gays, on illegal immigrants.
Your rhetoric is way over the top. On defense, Giuliani has the most outspoken pro-American views, and he has a solid economic record.
I agree Giuliani’s social views are left-fringe, but please, keep things in perspective. What’s *your* alternative? Duncan Hunter, a Herbert Hoover-style protectionist? Or Fred Thompson, who looks like 2008’s unserious unenthusiatic Wes Clark candidate? I’d like to know.
If a diplo-pacifist Democrat wins this election, America loses. The next president will be facing an suicidal Iranian government on the verge of nukes that will use the weapons for their apocalypse. In this context, I’d even put McCain in power if Hillary was the alternative.
Sure. So, don't be stupid enough to nominate a candidate who represents the other party's platform instead of ours.
Its official: According to Mayor Giulianis latest fiscal plan, the next mayor will face a budget gap of $2.7 billion which, if it actually materializes, will be $400 million more than the one Giuliani inherited from David Dinkins.
So much for the long term. Unfortunately, the short term doesnt look so hot, either.
New Yorks budget is still balanced, technically. But subtract last years leftover surplus, and the city would be running an operating deficit of $400 million, growing to $2.4 billion in the fiscal year that begins July 1. By the time Giulianis successor puts together his first fiscal plan, there wont be much surplus left to work with.
The main culprit: city operations spending, which is up roughly 25 percent over the last four years and would grow another 4 percent next year under Giulianis plan .
At an absolute minimum, New York will still be locked into a trend of spending a half-billion or so more dollars than it collects in revenue every year despite imposing the heaviest tax burden of any major city in the country.
E.J. McMahon, Manhattan Institute New York Post, May 1, 2001
America is more important to me than party.
Maybe it isn’t for you.
Anyway, I’m not so certain Giuliani’s the man, but given people like you can’t provide viable alternatives, perhaps we’ll have to settle for him.
Sometimes harsh rhetoric is needed. When we have Giuliani supporters here calling him a "saviour," on Easter weekend even, I would call that a time to meet fire with fire.
Your post #118, and its inference, has nothing to do with anything I’ve ever posted.
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.