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.
It’s not political rhetoric—it is based on Giuliani’s beliefs. They are very similar to Clinton’s. Giuliani was the first one Clinton called to have him advise the new administration on implementing uniform licensing and national gun regulation.
Furthermore, Rudy has no foreign policy experience that make him a better CIC than half the other candidates. A year ago, the only challenge he saw was the effort to rebuild Iraq—nothing else. And then he couldn’t even get Iraq and Iran straight. The guy is a liberal and a flaming idiot who is in way over his head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9tphAF-ksA
Exactly what I would like to know.
Again, since you don’t have an alternative candidate, even though there are about 12 running, I will tentatively give Giuliani my support for the reasons stated above.
I'll take a swing at that. Broadly speaking, for me, it's three issues:
The government should:
1. Provide a strong national defense.
2. Keep taxes and spending low.
3. Stay out of people's lives.
That's why I registered Republican, when I turned 18, back in 1984. I knew then that there was a certain tension between government staying out of people's private lives and government enforcing morals by law. Perhaps it was just in the wake of the disaster that was Jimmy Carter, but President Reagan managed that tension very well.
What we're primarily seeing in the dissension and RINO-talk on FReeRepublic and elsewhere is that the the two branches of conservatism -- libertarian conservatism and moral conservatism -- are having a harder time finding common cause. Per my FReepname, you know which side of that fault line I'm on.
I have some problems with Giuliani, but he is probably the closest to my views and he is my first choice. I will also note that Fred Thompson is a very close second choice. I think he is the most likely of the GOP candidates and potential candidates to be able to bridge the widening fault line.
On the other hand, this fault line may be a good thing.
My biggest problem with the Democratic Party is that they have a core who dislike America so much that they're willing to put the nation at risk. Many Democratic politicians who find themselves torn between conscience and re-election kowtow towards America-haters. There are very few Joe Liebermans. But I do believe that there are still a number of rank-and-file, voting Democrats who, in the Scoop Jackson/Pat Moynihan/Sam Nunn mode, love America, but are too uncomfortable with the moral conservatives to cross over.
Additionally, there are a number of mainly minority Democrats who are quite morally conservative, but because of politics are scared of the Republican brand-name (and maybe the term conservatives as well).
I think it is quite possible that a split of the GOP could destroy the Democratic Party. Morally conservative minorities could join the morally conservative Republicans. Democrats who love America, but are over-wary of moral conservatives could join the libertarian wing. Those who hate America -- well, they'll remain their own party and at 10-15% of the voters, they'll probably have a few seats in Congress. But they'll be loud, not powerful.
I think it was EternalVigilance to whom I once commented that it will be a great day for America when he and I are in different political parties. Not because we'll be rid of each other, but because there would be two political parties comprised of people who loved America and merely differed on the vision they have for it.
“I repeat. I’m a conservative and I’ll vote for Rudy in a red hot NY minute.”
So, you aren’t a conservative then... Not in the American definition of the term.
Your first issue is all well and good, but there’s no evidence that Guiliani will be at all competent or willing to fight and win a war on Islam (this “war on terror” nonsense is a smokescreen).
“Number two is to make damned sure no Democrat gets in the White House in 08.”
Your second issue is incorrect. The goal is to keep *liberals* out of the White House. Guiliani is a liberal.
“I just want to let you and everyone know that y’all don’t own the market on conservatism.”
It may make you able to sleep better to consider yourself a “conservative”, but you clearly aren’t one.
“I’ll vote for whoever has that R next to his name. And if that’s Rudy, so much the better.”
You may be a Republican, but you are no conservative.
Rudy Guiliani is to the left of Howard Dean.
” Your inability to comprehend that makes you...oh, I don’t know...I’ll think on it.”
Your inability to understand that any man so against the 2nd Amendment CAN’T be a conservative says quite a bit about you and how you define “conservative”.
Based on what? His urge to completely disarm us at home?
Rudy’s position on the 2nd Amendment is anathema to Conservatism, the US Constitution, and individual liberty.
That rational enough for you or are you just going to dismiss the Constitution as a “social issue”?
The point of voting is to express your rational self-interest. Sharing your feelings and expressing yourself is not why we have a Republic.
If I had to vote for a quasi-socialist like Truman to keep an American-hating McGovern out of office, I would do it. At this point in history, failing to uphold our duties and responsibilities could very well mean nuclear bombs going off in our cities and the end of America as we know it.
Now, if Thompson is more serious than his wife about pursuing the Presidency, and if he can demonstrate he can appeal to independents, then sign me up. Otherwise, we will have to support someone like McCain or Giuliani, and take a shower afterwards.
My rational self-interest is not advanced voting for Guiliani. Sorry. I’m not the one deciding my vote out of fear.
” At this point in history, failing to uphold our duties and responsibilities could very well mean nuclear bombs going off in our cities and the end of America as we know it.”
There is NO evidence by his past actions that Guiliani would be any better than anyone else running in ‘08 at national defense.
“Otherwise, we will have to support someone like McCain or Giuliani, and take a shower afterwards.”
No, we will not have to support either of those two. If that’s the choice, the Republican Party is no longer a home to Conservatives. If you wish to bring this country down, you will do so without my approval.
Guiliani is an enemy of the Constitution just as Hillary is. We lose if either wins. That may sound like they hyperbole of an extremist to you, but his position on the 2nd Amendment - the bulwark of our liberty - is clear.
Hope That Thompson will run? What if he doesn't’t?
Even if he does would an electorate tired of 16 years of good ol boy Southerners like Thompson take Gore on?
We'll see. One thing at a time.
I’ve been posting pro Rudy posts for a few months and haven’t been zotted, but I don’t know what happens to new members who are pro Rudy.
That said, I believe Rudy’s reading of the 2nd amendment indicates an unhealthy statist impulse in him. I wonder what other parts of the constitution he wrongly interprets. Conservatism should instill a sense of history, if not morality, into one who adheres to its principals. I just don't see that in Rudy so much as I see a power hungry hedonist...one worse then Big Brother...more like Big Daddy.
And the issue of morality aside, even with an implicit right to privacy written into the constitution, how does a privacy right allow for a women to commit abortion on a fetus. Ron Paul is right...almost all societies throughout time have celebrated life from it’s conception. Splitting the definition of life into trimesters is foolish and indefensive...and RoevWade was a embarrassingly poorly decided case at the USSC level.
And the idea of taxpayer funding for abortion? We have enough unconstitutional taxpayer funded programs already.
I can't vote for him. His ideas and opposition to citizens owning necessary implements for self protection and his propensity to be a authoritative controlling government figure make him dangerous in any position of power. Social issues aside, the classical liberal will not support him. A Rudy win in the GOP primaries will put a democrat in the White House. I don't understand your rationale for voting for him.
Is it because Chris Miles is pro-abortion and anti-gun?
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!
LOL
Sorry to hear that you have disillusioned yourself into thinking that you are a conservative. Good luck and have fun in "Pretend Land".
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