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Posted on 10/20/2007 10:21:39 AM PDT by Ol' Sparky
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, walking into a political lion’s den, told the year’s largest gathering of social conservatives that he is “not always the best example of faith” but that their similarities are much greater than their differences.
“Isn’t it better that I tell you what I really believe instead of changing all my positions?” Giuliani told an audience of 2,000 at the Family Research Council's Values Voters Summit at a Washington hotel. “I believe trust is more important than 100 percent agreement.”
The audience, generally hostile to Giuliani, recognized the shot at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and laughter and a few cheers spread across the room.
The former mayor, who left the stage grinning amid applause after his 40-minute speech, went for an authenticity contrast with Romney, substituting his law and order credentials for the family values emphasis of Romney, a long-married father of five.
Giuliani paid obeisance to the group’s concerns by speaking at length about his support for school choice, home schooling, conservative judges and Israel.
All drew earnest – even enthusiastic – applause. He also gave a detailed plan for reducing abortions and increasing adoptions, the meatiest policy element of his speech.
It was the “everything but” approach – he could agree with the audience on almost everything except whether a woman should be able to choose an abortion, which he supports.
"You and I know I’m not a perfect person,” he said. “I pray for forgiveness, I pray for strength.... I feel my faith deeply, although perhaps more privately than others, because of the way I was brought up.” He said he had prayed to God at the toughest parts of his life.
“During our lives, at some time, all of us need forgiveness,” he added. “If we expect perfection from our political leaders, we’re just asking for disappointment .... We lose trust when they’re not honest with us.... I don’t always agree with myself. [Laughter] … You’ll always know where I stand.... I will continue to extend my hand to you. I hope you’ll take it.”
Giuliani showed humor, noting that he almost entered seminary: “I know that’s hard to believe.” Noting that he attended Catholic school, he said the first school he attended where a prayer wasn’t said at the beginning of the day was the New York University School of Law.
He said that on the first day, out of confusion, he made the sign of the cross. “I looked around and realized people were staring at me,” he joked.
Giuliani pointed out that as New York mayor, he reduced murder, drugs, prostitution and other vices. "I don't believe in inevitable decline," he said, adding he shares President Ronald Reagan's belief in optimism.
"You put Republican ideas into action.... We got results. Humbly, I would say, the best results anyone in that time got in government."
"We drove pornography out of Times Square and other public spaces," he said, drawing hearty applause. "The pornographers lost and they were driven out of Times Square."
Instead of pandering to the group, Giuliani held his ground.
“We’ve got to find a way to be more inclusive,” Giuliani said. “Christianity is all about inclusiveness. It’s built around the most profound act of love in human history, isn’t it? … I’m running for president of the United States because I believe I can bring us together. Strong leadership can help us find common solutions to our problems.”
Giuliani drew laughter by saying he spends as little time in Washington as possible: “I’m afraid there’s something in the air here.”
“I’m not going to pretend that I can be all things to all people,” he declared. “I’m just not like that.”
But he added, in another dig at Romney, “I’ll always be honest with you.... You will always know where I stand.”
“You have absolutely nothing to fear from me,” Giuliani went on, adding that he was puzzled by those who make him out to be some kind of liberal activist: “Just read any New York Times editorial when I was mayor of New York City.” That got a big laugh.
Giuliani was speaking to one of the most conservative audiences in American politics. During a Christian worship service from the podium an hour before Giuliani spoke, leader Ron Freeman interspersed the praise hymn “Blessed be the Name” with the hopeful wish:
“We’ve got the right Senate and the Congress!” The prayer included: “We’ve tried hard to make your agenda, our agenda.”
Politico’s Jonathan Martin contributed to this report.
“Which is intimidation, that if we don’t join with you and others against Rudy that we’ll be isolated away from some FR clique. I’m not buying it.”
I am not concerned with what you buy. I do not care who or what you join with. I believe that Trudy will be the death knell of the Republican Party.
If the conservatives in this party back Trudy, what reason does the party then have to EVER run another conservative for POTUS? We will have just PROVEN to them that they only have be slightly less disgustingly socialist than the Dhims in order to get our support.
I guess that I am just not enough of a whore to go along with that.
How do you know you're not reading from a Hillary supporter on this thread attempting to sow discontent in the conservative camp?
[Rudy] will not be getting any support from me.
And Hillary will thank you for that if Rudy is the nominee.
Hey! Maybe you are the Hillary supporter!
There you are, a nice screen name like "MamaB". How can anyone be but sympathetic toward you. You might stick around here and quietly talk about how you just can't bring yourself to support Rudy till next November.
Now I'll bet you'll be all offended. Which is exactly what a real Hillary supporter would feign.
It's also called cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Name one of those reasons. Other than the war on terror (which ALL Republican candidates except Ron Paul would effectively fight), the man is liberal on virtually every other issue. He completely lacks any character and can't be trusted.
And, any split in the party is a result of those not voting for a nominee acceptable to all factions of the party. But, I really don't care whose fault you think that would be. You and other liberal Republican types are going to learn the lesson that party must stand for conservatism across the board or it has no chance of winning Presidential elections or being a majority party again.
You have already made up your mind but you think others do not have the same right.
Christianity is NOT about inclusiveness. To paraphrase:
“Many are called, but few are chosen.”
“Narrow is the way to life,but broad is the way to destruction.”
“No man comes to the Father, but by Me.”
While Jesus,as God in the flesh, died one time as a sacrifice for all men to atone for sin, each man must choose to repent and to follow Him.
Many will call Him “Lord, Lord”, but He will say” Depart from Me,I never knew you.”
So while the offer for forgiveness is open to all, many will refuse to take it,content to remain the master of their own life and to remain unmoved by the sacrifice made on their behalf.
Each man has a free will—to accept or reject.
It isn’t kumbaya or there are not many ways to God.
There is one way—through Jesus Christ.
He said so Himself.
He also said to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing—which is what Rudy is.
If you're sincere, what it is going to take is a nominee that can unify and rally the base. Giuliani can't do that. So, I would expect you to be working hard to assure someone than Giuliani is the nominee.
I never said I agreed with Rudy. Only that I know that he's far better than Hillary on every count.
And besides that, no doubt on any quote from him on an issue he was talking to the NY press and had to sound as leftist as he could. He's a politician, and no one in the running for President is immune from playing politics.
So, have you read my accusation that you might be the closet Hillary supporter? I'm sure you'll deny it, but I'm curious about how you will word it.
The bottom line is there's almost no way anyone here could know for sure, one way or another.
All I know is that Hillary will no doubt have people on FR quietly talking down Rudy. I just wonder who it is.
If you take out the equation of supporting evil to supposeable fight evil, you can frame the question like that. Most reasonable people see right through that unfortunately for Rudy.
Right now Rudy Giuliani is the new Bob Dole.
The GOP will stop a third party but they will not stop the effect.
You have the post of the thread, exit.. thank you..
We know. That's why we'd rather have Hillary in the White House than Giuliani. The former is one step back but allows the realistic possibility of a conservative revolution. The latter turns both parties into left-of-center parties and offers only steps backward and advancement of liberalism.
Because the Media will deliver the centrists, while Rudy loses a significant chunk of the base - either from not voting, or not 'campaigning' to get more votes when talking to their friends.
Arnold has taught some of us a hard lesson (although I didn't vote for him, glad to say). If Rudy is the nominee, there will be no one for conservatives to get excited about. If he is elected, we'll get from him what Arnold has given California.
No thanks.
I saw that ugly term mentioned earlier here, and I just responded to your reference to the hatred and VITRIOL used on this thread (which you did refer to) Please see post #83.
Now I'm offended.
I've said many times on this thread that I don't know who I support for the nomination. You're calling me a liar.
I genuinely don't know who the best candidate is for the job of winning in Nov. '08. Whomever that is, I'm for. The only thing I have made up my mind on is that I'm against the communist Hillary, and I think making a determination to never support Rudy should he get the nomination is self-destructive and stupid.
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This is the Giuliani strategy in a nutshell -- get him the nomination before many Republicans and country realize he is a liberal.
http://washingtontimes.com/article/20071020/NATION/110200042/1001
"It looks like they're going to try to survive early, and he's got 16 million bucks in the bank, more than anybody else but [Mitt] Romney, and they'll try to roll through this thing, get to the big states on January 29 and Super Tuesday," said Scott Reed, a former Bob Dole campaign strategist who is not working for any presidential campaign this year. "If he survives that long, then we get into these megastates, where he has high name ID, very high favorables, states where people have not dug down and seen that he's a liberal Republican, and he may have a better chance," Mr. Reed said.
Rudy can't destroy the Republican Party,,,,but as President his core liberal policies, values and principles can!!
Great analogy....lol
you are not paying attention to what people are saying or typing.
A Giuliani Candidate IS ALREADY a defeat for these people. You can not fight perception.
Giuliani wins the primaries and the race is over. The end.
You will get the same thing as 1996, the Bob Dole effect.
The GOP will win or lose not in the general election; The GOP will win or lose the 2008 election IN THE PRIMARIES.
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