Posted on 05/12/2007 10:57:57 AM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum
Those familiar with this blog know that I usually post one essay per week. There are several reasons for this: I like my essays to be of quality rather than necessarily quantity and a week gives me time to think of a topic, an approach, and write and refine the product; having done all that, I don’t want to dilute my own effort by having more than one active essay going for people to read and comment upon; lastly it leaves me time to actually have a life outside the blogosphere.
However, an event that I consider of huge significance has just taken place, one that not only bears directly on an issue of intense debate here on the Townhall site, but that has potential ramifications for the very future of the GOP and consequently our country as a whole. With that in mind, I’m breaking my own rule, though I’ll take this opportunity to urge you to also read my immediately previous essay on the MPAA if you haven’t already done so.
On Friday 11 May 2007, at a speech at the Houston Baptist College, Rudolph Giuliani flatly stated his support for abortion rights, gun control, and gay rights, asserting this should not bar him from being selected as the GOP candidate for President. You can read the full LA Daily News/New York Times article here.
The debate between Republicans and conservatives over Giuliani’s candidacy has been over the issue of his liberalism, with Republicans taking the position that it was merely expedient for his tenure as mayor of NYC, that he wasn’t really as liberal as conservatives were warning, that he was better than anyone the Democrats were offering; and conservatives saying he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, that he was philosophically and ideologically identical to the Democrats, and a threat to GOP values.
On Friday, Giuliani himself removed all doubt. In doing so, he has thrown down the gauntlet to the Republican Party: what value do you place on your principles?
This will shift the thrust of the debate away from a question of Giuliani’s position on core GOP values and toward the more important discussion that will determine the entire future of the GOP, which is: will the GOP completely abandon its principles and party planks to accommodate the candidacy of a self-professed liberal, and what will that mean for the tenability of the party as a viable political entity going into the future.
On this blog, since last year I have been warning of the dangers inherent in a Giuliani candidacy, as have some (but not very many) others in columns and comments. It will be interesting to see if this story even gets much traction and notice. If it doesn’t, that will be a clear signal that party regulars are simply hoping it will go away unnoticed so the boat doesn’t start rocking.
Further, after this bombshell pronouncement, what can we expect from a Giuliani presidency? Obviously, no support for Second Amendment rights to private gun ownership. Giuliani will act on his already acknowledged support for taxpayer funding of abortions. But most important, in the past he’s stated he would appoint constructionist judges. Even putting aside his own record of appointing very liberal municipal judges as mayor of NYC, how can anyone, in light of his stated position on these issues, believe for one New York Minute (how fitting!) that he’ll do anything of the kind? To do so would be to work against the very issues for which he just expressed his support.
Let’s also contemplate the effect on the GOP. To nominate Giuliani would be to disavow the traditional Republican positions and planks on the very issues that define the GOP, and especially conservatism. These are key issues distinguishing the GOP from Democrats. That distinction would be completely erased with a Giuliani nomination.
Finally, as a practical matter of winning elections, Giuliani and the GOP will be able to expect absolutely no support from conservatives. The party will have consigned itself to minority status, as it can’t win without the conservatives. It will also have sacrificed its soul on the altar of expediency.
I would urge all conservatives to make sure the word of this speech spreads as far and wide as possible. I would also urge all Republicans to rethink any support for Giuliani they’ve been contemplating. Finally, I would urge the GOP to throw this poseur out on his ear.
Giuliani has committed political suicide.
He is now only nominally in the race.
His supporters, even right here on this forum, are disappearing and contributions to his campaign are drying up.
Romney is next.
Giuliani and his backers are not shocked at the response of Conservatives, like myself, to his candidacy. Their emphasis has been on determining the depth, width, and length of support available to Rudy from within the GOP’s ranks. If his GOP nomination should result, and I doubt that, they will of course be delighted. However, I sense that Rudy is angling toward another goal; and that would be putting his stamp onto the middle. The ambivalence that characterizes his campaign, IMHO, is more than mere miscalculation on Rudy’s part. He has no doubt been impressed with Lieberman’s approach. And I am watching for what could be the most fractured presidential campaign since 1860.
And we know what followed that election...
I'm not trying to be snippy, but please, just what has RG 'worked for'?
"Core Values"? It seems he is more flexable than a Gumby figure.
Rudy Guiliani was a great mayor of NYC because NYC is so liberal that it would not elect a conservative and Guiliani was the only liberal who would do the things essential to the livability of the city.It's pretty hard to be upbeat about an election where we are offered unknowns like Duncan Hunter and knowns like Guiliani and McCain when what we know about the "knowns" is that they care about their own power and position more than they care about the Constitution. Romney, like Guiliani, has the sort of track record which is what you expect from someone who got elected in a very liberal constituency. And even Fred Thompson is IMHO far too cozy with the perspective of John McCain.
We are brought to this pass, I'm afraid, by George Bush. Mr. Bush is a good man, as men go, but like his father not a good future builder for the Republican Party. He needed Guiliani to campaign for him, and as a result the party heirarchy owes Guiliani. And nothing this article says against a Guiliani nomination overstates the case. To it you must add the flamboyantly messy personal life.
True Dat...
I will not support Giuliani in the primaries and will actively work for others to be the GOP nominee instead of him.
If, for some reason, he is the nominee I will not only vote for him over any imaginable Democrat nominee but will actively work for him over the single issue of the fight against islamofascism.
And I will loudly condemn any conservative, under those circumstances, who fails to turn out to vote for him on November 4, 2008. We see what that approach got us last November.
The fact Giuliani even thought it possible - and some folks agreed with him - scares the hell out of me!
Fawn Hannity, has been blowing Giuliani's trumpet from day one....when he doesn't have Al Sharpton or some sleaze bag racist ignoramus from the Black Muslims, Black Panthers, or Nation of Islam on camera....
It scares the hell out of me, too. But, let's not assume Giuliani's blue state strategy couldn't work and do everything in our power to assure he is defeated.
Hannity has been a disgrace in his pandering to this RINO. I'm disgusted that Rush only discusses RINO Rudy in a favorable way as well. Maybe our conservative talk show hosts are as out -of-touch as leaders of the GOP.
“It scares the hell out of me, too. But, let’s not assume Giuliani’s blue state strategy couldn’t work and do everything in our power to assure he is defeated.”
True wisdom that is!
“The stakes involve the future of the party, the conservative movement, and the country.”
Interesting and revealing that you list the country last.
Pro-life, pro-2nd amendment, pro-liberty vs. nanny state...Social conservatives as a group are not one issue voters...We tend to be pro-Constitution...
Look what he’s stood for: abortion rights, intrusive government, gun control. Ferret control, too, for that matter...
And let’s not even begin to forget how he fought for benefits for illegal aliens...
Thanks for the ping. This essay sounds like any of hundreds of posts we’ve been seeing on Free Republic in the last few months regarding Giuliani. I find it refreshing that I can say that rudy splits the GOP and not have some rudybot tell me that it isn’t true. We all know that it’s true, we’re witnessing it in process.
“We all know that it’s true, we’re witnessing it in process.”
Yep. It’s sad when an enemy wants to see us be divided and conquered, but some just don’t want to see that as possible or will become a willing participant knowingly or otherwise. Your quote above again rings true. No question.
I have been a Rudy supporter, here.
My ditch to die in is the Constitution.
No one who believes that the 1788 Constitution, as amended, bars the People from restricting or ending abortion by statute is qualified to serve as President.
Even Rudy.
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