Posted on 04/14/2007 10:14:39 AM PDT by Spiff
Giuliani's cross-dressing antics back in spotlight
NEW YORK -- It is difficult to shock New Yorkers, yet Rudy Giuliani teetered close to the line when he sauntered onto a stage wearing a platinum-blond wig, a face full of makeup, dainty white gloves and a frilly pink gown filled out in all the right places.
His appearance at an annual political roast was exactly 10 years ago, and at the time, the idea of the tough-talking mayor in a busty ball gown raised eyebrows but was mostly accepted as a good joke -- adhering to an unwritten rule for the shenanigans that take place at the roast, known as the Inner Circle dinner.
Shortly after winning re-election that year, Giuliani took his feminine side to a national audience. While hosting "Saturday Night Live," he appeared in one skit as a bosomy, gray-haired Italian grandmother in lipstick and a flowered housedress, with stockings pulled halfway up his calves.
Now that Giuliani is running for the Republican presidential nomination, experts and political observers are wondering whether those well-photographed and widely documented performances -- and others -- could damage his campaign. Some say conservatives won't get the joke and will be turned off by what they see as yet another peek at Giuliani's exotic, big-city liberal side.
Political observers say many voters associate a macho demeanor with Giuliani's post-Sept. 11 image as a strong national leader in a time of crisis -- an image that could lose its power if dressed in stockings and dancing the cancan.
Yes, there was another year when he wore fishnets and did high kicks with the Rockettes.
"People think of him as a leader and a tough guy, and he has this image as somebody who tamed the city of New York and made the trains run on time, and seeing him dressed up like a girl would run contrary to all of those things," said political science professor Neal Thigpen of Francis Marion University in South Carolina.
South Carolina has one of the nation's earliest presidential primaries next year, and as the first Southern contest, it could set the stage for the region.
With conservative voters largely dominating presidential primaries, some experts say the footage of Giuliani cavorting about in women's wear could significantly damage his chances there and throughout the South. The images are already showing up on the Internet, including a mock campaign commercial on the popular video-trading site YouTube.
"You get out in more sophisticated places of the country, where they know Giuliani and they like him and they know about some of his antics, it's not going to be any surprise, but down here where they've never seen that kind of thing, it could do him some damage," Thigpen said.
But others say the gender-bending gags won't matter.
In Nevada, another state with an early caucus, Republicans would be unfazed by the image of Giuliani in women's clothing, said Heidi Smith, chairwoman of the Republican Party in Washoe County.
Giuliani impressed Reno citizens in a campaign appearance there last month that included a trip to Costco during which he mingled with shoppers, posing for photographs and signing autographs.
"That meant more than seeing him in drag," Smith said. "If he wants to wear a dress, who cares?"
Giuliani's first drag appearance, in 1997, featured a breathy Marilyn Monroe impression that was followed by various other female alter-egos over the years, including one that shared a scene with Donald Trump, who groped Giuliani and buried his head between the mayoral breasts.
His other Inner Circle characters included a 1950s greaser on a motorcycle, the Lion King and the Beauty's beast.
His most famous appearance from 10 years ago is likely to be remembered this weekend when Mayor Michael Bloomberg gets into costume to dance and sing for the same charity event, as New York mayors have done for decades. David Dinkins once donned full cowboy regalia and entered the ballroom on a horse; Ed Koch wore a suit of glittering gold; and Bloomberg has ridden a mule and pretended to smoke pot.
In 1997, the New York media had fun for a few days with Giuliani's first cross-dressing experiment -- the Village Voice printed a favorable review by real drag queens -- but it didn't appear to hurt him politically.
A poll shortly afterward found his approval rating at an all-time high of 67 percent, and a majority of city voters said they enjoyed the gag. He won re-election later that year.
Perhaps New Yorkers, who are overwhelmingly Democrats by a margin of five to one, appreciated one particular line during the 1997 show, which was a spoof of the musical comedy "Victor/Victoria," in which a woman pretends to be a man pretending to be a woman.
"I already play a Republican playing a Democrat playing a Republican," Giuliani quipped.
For conservatives who already are leery of backing Giuliani because of his support for abortion rights and other positions on social issues, the feminine clothing may also remind them of his support of gays while mayor -- despite the fact that the majority of cross-dressers are not gay.
Still, a poison-pen mailer or e-mail could easily imply a connection, observers say.
"I'm imagining the negative ads -- they could use this as sort of an oblique reference to all of those positions," said Clemson University political scientist Dave Woodard.
Southern Baptist Convention official Richard Land said gay issues represent just one area of the problems religious conservatives have with Giuliani.
"There are so many dealbreakers for Giuliani, it's difficult to know where to start," he said.
Throughout his eight years in City Hall, Giuliani supported laws that protected gays against harassment, marched in gay pride parades, welcomed the Olympic-style Gay Games to New York City and, after his second marriage broke up, lived with two friends who happened to be a gay couple.
He does not support gay marriage, but he does not see the need to ban it with a constitutional amendment. And in a 1994 cover story with The Advocate, a national gay magazine, he condemned Pat Buchanan's speech at the Republican National Convention two years earlier during which the failed presidential candidate declared a "cultural war" against homosexuality, radical feminists, abortion rights supporters and other "liberals."
The speech, Giuliani said, "tried to narrow rather than to broaden the Republican Party. There is no reason why the party shouldn't appeal to gays and lesbians in the same way it does to all Americans."
Over the years, Giuliani's relationship with gays has not been exactly cozy -- he was often heckled while marching in the city's annual gay pride parade.
Asked this month about his theatrical past, Giuliani told Fox News that it shows voters another side of him.
"I think what they'll find out about me is I enjoy having fun. I mean, I really enjoy those Inner Circles. I made them fun, and I enjoyed them," he said. "And so you're going to get a couple of things people can interpret different ways, I guess."
In God I trust, but you are right that I'm putting my hopes in Rudy.
My FRiend, with all kind respect, nothing is as troubling as seeing someone I consider a conscientious person (you) maintain support for someone whose moral fiber on Biblical issues is so Romans Chapter One.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, and you are right, even though I have made my share of mistakes, I have never had an abortion nor would I ever have an abortion. Nor have I ever participated in any kind of debauchery or pornographic enterprise of any kind as some mental case implied last night in lieu of a coherent argument. As soon as I told him to prove it, he ran away and hid like the coward and liar that he is. So someone like me, who is pro-life, against same-sex marriage, pro second amendment and a social and fiscal conservative supports Rudy?
Quite simply, I don't want Hillary or Obama to win because if you think Rudy would be bad, Hillary or Obama would be horrible. If you think the pro life movement will lose ground with Rudy, think about what Hillary would do. If you think Rudy is for federal funding for some abortions, think about how much Hillary will expand federal funding beyond the existing laws. She will probably be more ambitious in this area than her husband was.
And if you think our military is suffering now from lack of a concise plan for victory and lack of funding, imagine what Hillary or Obama would do. We already know how Hillary despises the military.
I know full well that having a Democrat president and having Congress and the Senate in the hands of the Democrats will spell disaster for our military, the war on terror (since the Democrats don't even think we are in danger of another terrorist attack and the terrorists are just guys who feel threaten by our evil imperialist ways, and they are just defending themselves), for the pro-life movement (yes they'll be worse than Rudy), and for holding back same-sex marriage (which Rudy isn't in favor of despite the lies of his enemies).
Willfully allowing Hillary or Obama to rise to power (some of the Rudy opponents have already stated that they'll be voting for her if Rudy wins the nomination) to me represents turning my back on the troops, my country, and my fellow citizens - and I won't do it. Not me.
Why Rudy and not someone else? Because no one in the list of GOP candidates will be able to beat Hillary or Obama or even Edwards. Why? Because no one in the list has the name recognition, fame, respect and status as Rudy. You don't beat a somebody with a nobody, and the GOP field is filled with nobodies. That's why.
FR is a poor measure of the general electorate - it's much bigger than that, and most Americans aren't as nearly as socially conservative as we are here. However, Americans in general tend to be fiscal conservatives and social moderates, and that's why Rudy has a great chance of winning and beating the Democrats.
Rudy won't change my way of life and I won't be having an abortion. I'll be the same person whose values are unmoved by his presidency. I won't become an abortionist as some ignoramuses howl from the safety of their keyboards. Rudy won't change anyone into a monster unless that individual is a monster already. So my conscience is clear, and God knows that, and I love and trust God more than anything in the world.
LOL!! ;-)
I’m glad I made you laugh. LOL.
Since you respect the Amish so much (I do as well), can you imagine them voting for a pro-abortion guy like Rudy? Not a snowball chance in you know where.
I'm also laughing because I had to stop for a second and think about what I would post about him if I did hate him. LOL.
LOL, I don’t even want to imagine that!
Excellent.
AC
Thanks! :-)
All of these skits ( excluding the SNL appearance ) were done for charity.
THANK YOU, Spiff! Blackbird.
Obviously not. They also do not attempt to take over politics and instill their values on the greater society. To me they are true Christians because they distinguish what is in the domain of Caesar and what is in the domain of God.
They wish for religious freedom, nothing more. They do not put their hands out for government subsidies, nor do they try to use government as an instrument to close businesses they find repulsive, or attempt to steer government revenues in any particular direction as far as abortion and stem cells. They simply shun the things they oppose and try to lead by example, and pretty much stay out of politics, as Christ did. The religious right, on the other hand, has overreached, and now there is a tremendous backlash, to the extent that they are as much a hindrance to the party as a benefit.
I love the Amish because they are a living example that, if given freedom, people will thrive. It is only when government starts ripping people off and redistributing the wealth according to the whims of the majority that we get into trouble. In my experience, the religious right is not very interested in freedom. They were when they were struggling for influence. But between 2000-2006 they were intoxicated with power and overreached on a number of issues, especially intelligent design, which was one of the most embarrassing ideas the Republican Party has ever been associated with.
Bottom line: we need to get back to the idea of smaller, limited government. Not religious nanny government, and certainly not socialist nanny government. Constitutionally limited government. Obviously, Giuliani is a flawed vessel for such reform, but he is basically fiscally responsible, experienced at managing a complex governmental system, and a tough-as-nails leader. Given that socialism is permanently entrenched, and conservatism is on the ropes with the electorate, we really could not hope for more, regardless of the few issues upon we disagree.
No, mark me down as someone who thinks it is inappropriate to appear on gay porn shows, rather than the lie you just posted.
The Rudroids use the exact same words about toning it down, civility and decorum.
The have adopted the word rabid zealot, because Mrs. John Edwards used that term to describe the old man that was a rabid Republican living near her house.
Funny thing though, the man was a Rudy supporter. You just can't quit laughing at this. It has to be tough trying to defend a big liberal to conservatives.
To me that really doesn't matter. It is bizarre regardless of circumstances. I assume that NYers thought it hilarious, but I really don't care. I think it is at best undignified behavior for a chief executive.
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