Posted on 10/20/2007 10:21:39 AM PDT by Ol' Sparky
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, walking into a political lions den, told the years 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.
Isnt 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 groups 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 Im 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, were just asking for disappointment .... We lose trust when theyre not honest with us.... I dont always agree with myself. [Laughter] Youll always know where I stand.... I will continue to extend my hand to you. I hope youll take it.
Giuliani showed humor, noting that he almost entered seminary: I know thats hard to believe. Noting that he attended Catholic school, he said the first school he attended where a prayer wasnt 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.
Weve got to find a way to be more inclusive, Giuliani said. Christianity is all about inclusiveness. Its built around the most profound act of love in human history, isnt it? Im 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: Im afraid theres something in the air here.
Im not going to pretend that I can be all things to all people, he declared. Im just not like that.
But he added, in another dig at Romney, Ill 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:
Weve got the right Senate and the Congress! The prayer included: Weve tried hard to make your agenda, our agenda.
Politicos Jonathan Martin contributed to this report.
If "this site" supports election policies that damage the GOP, then it's not a socon website, it's a Democrat web site.
Total hyperbole. Rudy would be fine as President, and at least he speaks the kings English well.
***We really are on different planes of existence. Rudy is against the very principles of the republican platform. Principles. The King’s English is important to you? Talk about hyperbole. You’re talking about “the King’s English” while we socons are talking about 40M dead babies. I can only imagine the Whig party was talking about proper hat sizes at the time the Republican contingent was talking about extending the right to liberty to human beings. HYPERBOLE? NO. And that’s ~400k dead versus 100X more dead. Hyperbole? You’re so full of baloney we can’t tell what the original ingredients were.
The King’s English
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King’s_English
The King’s English is a book on English usage and grammar. It was written by the Fowler brothers, Henry Watson Fowler and Francis George Fowler, and published in 1906, and thus pre-dates by 20 years Modern English Usage, which was written by Henry alone after Francis’s death in 1918.
The King’s English is less like a dictionary than Modern English Usage; it consists of longer articles on more general topics such as vocabulary, syntax and punctuation, and draws heavily on examples from many sources throughout. Because it has never been updated since the third edition in 1930, it is rather dated, and some of the Fowlers’ views are idiosyncratic; however, it still remains useful and has remained in print since its first publication.
The book deals exclusively with British English usage. Readers should be aware that its attitude to “Americanisms” reflects the age in which it was written.
Anything less than that and you’re the Libertarian party. They never compromise on the principles. And they never win either.
***I’m sure the Whig party said that about the Republican contingent at the time they wanted to do something about slavery. The RINOs wouldn’t know a principle from a participle, King’s english and street gutter english included.
The primary issue against Giuliani is abortion.
***True for me. And then there’s a bunch of other things like, 2nd Amendment, open borders, marching with the NAMBLA brigade, and a bunch more. This guy is a charicature.
But the fact is that the only difference between Bush and Giuliani on abortion is that Bush says he would like to get rid of it, and Giuliani says otherwise.
***There are plenty of other differences.
Neither one of them has done squat on the subject except talk, and as president, neither could do any more or less.
***Oh, there was that signing of the Partial Birth Abortion ban, that Rudy was against. Things like that.
The anti-abortion people have utterly failed in their job of convincing enough of the general population to oppose abortion. Without that, then the status quo will remain.
***Baloney. Hyperbole. Nonsense. But keep saying it and maybe it will come true. Why is it that 95% of Americans oppose partial birth abortion but your socialist candidate wants to keep it?
Voting for pro-life Bush was a worthless gesture regarding abortion.
***Fascinating. You mean we should have gone 3rd party back then?
Giuliani says he wants strict-constructionist judges, and there are plenty of other reasons besides abortion to want that. So I take him at his word.
***I think he has some ocean front property in Nebraska to sell you.
This whole bruhaha litmus test about abortion is much to do about nothing. The pro-life people have to do their job first, and then both parties will beat a path to an anti-abortion amendment, or whatever it takes to get rid of it.
***What is it that compels you to come onto a Socon website that states it’s pro-life, and push this bile nonsense about a disgraceful candidate? I can tell you that whatever you’re trying to accomplish will backfire. It strengthen socon resolve against your candidate. So in that respect it might be useful to keep pasquinades like you around.
Until then, they should quit waisting their time and money on partisan politics and spend their time convincing the populace to oppose abortion. Until they succeed in that, they’re merely getting in the way of other worthwhile conservative issues.
***Amazing. We went through that whole bugzapper thread and we still have to put up with this sick garbage. Your candidate has a moral sickness and you cannot see it because you share it.
Thanks for the post. Hmmm, crickets, as usual from the tootyfruityrudy crowd.
If “this site” supports election policies that damage the GOP, then it’s not a socon website, it’s a Democrat web site.
***Exactly how does this site support election policies that damage the GOP? We’re talking about supporting election policies that would SAVE the GOP from DEATH. Your moral sickness is showing.
Nothing you say above about myself or Rudy negates the ABSOLUTE result of allowing a Dem to be elected, which will be increased, not decreased, abortions. Do you want those results on your hands? Then dont vote for Rudy if he ends up being the Pub candidate, and you will get just exactly what you claim you dont want.
If you will not vote for Rudy Guliani for Prez, you will instead get Hillary Clinton or worse. You will have condemned untold numbers of fetuses to death, under a Hillary Clinton regime. So your principles will buy death and more abortions than ever. Plus new planned parenthood clinics and abortion clinics, which will inevitably spring up under a Democratic presidency. And undoubtedly a return to partial birth abortion if the Dems have their way. Under Guliani, you will get neutrality, and probably little change from the status quo where pro-life candidates and demonstrations against abortion clinics in individual states have made great inroads. The one area that is under the control of the Prez of the U.S. is appointment of judges, and Rudy has sworn to appoint constructionist judges. If he is the Pub candidate, then that will be a good thing in the one area most important to pro-life conservatives. If you do not vote for Rudy, you will be absolutely guaranteeing the deaths of future babies by abortion, more than you can imagine. So, thats where your hard-nosed, non-logical, lacking in pragmatism viewpoints will take you. Enjoy yourself while dooming future babies to an early demise.
Take a deep breath.
Turning Giuliani into damaged goods now would be a serious mistake should he win the nomination. There are about five candidates that have a shot at winning, and the people will choose their standard bearer.
If you can't support your candidate for the nomination in a positive way, then perhaps he doesn't have enough to recommend him in the first place.
I don't support the self inflicted suicide of the only political party that even pretends to be conservative by people suffering from Rudi derangement syndrome.
Do you want those results on your hands? Then dont vote for Rudy if he ends up being the Pub candidate, and you will get just exactly what you claim you dont want.
***That’s the big thing here, isn’t it? IF. IF rudy becomes the nominee. Should that be the case, it’s just me in that voting booth. For the republican party not to know the consequences of this is their problem.
I didn’t bother reading the rest of your post because it was more of the same consequences of the hypothetical.
If you want me to answer your hypotheticals, then you need to answer mine first.
Rudy splits the base.
I would expect rudy supporters to answer the false dilemma because there have certainly been enough of them asking the false dilemma of who would you vote for, Hildebeast or Rudy, and your post is a new form of sendup of the same false dilemma. If you dont like answering false dilemmas, dont ask them, and get yer buddies to stop asking them. In particular, since this is a socon forum (not even a GOP forum), it is very impolite to ask double-bind questions, expecially this early in the race.
Would you care to answer the false dilemma? Since team rudy is so fond of its own false dilemma, after all.
My contention: If rudy gets the nomination, he splits the base, possibly splits the republican party, and loses the election.
Your contention: If Hunter gets it, he wins the base and loses the election.
Hypothetical to answer your hypothetical. Both sides losing to Hillary.
Side A: The solib republican splits the base. The MSM turns on him the moment he is nominated. Hillary wins. Republican party is split.
Side B: The socon republican wins the nomination, loses to hildebeast in a tough fight. Republicans are united against the hillary presidency.
Which candidate is best for the republican party, Side A or Side B?
Win-Win false dilemma:
Side A: Solib wins presidency by ignoring the socon base and permanently splitting the republican party.
Side B: SoCon wins presidency by (obviously) relying on the socon base.
Which candidate is best for the republican party, Side A or Side B?
If Giuliani is the nominee, then damage done to him now via FR will result in damage to the party when people stay home next Nov. making it more likely that Hillary will be elected. Sorry, but that's just a fact.
OK, I took a deep breath.
Turning Giuliani into damaged goods now would be a serious mistake should he win the nomination.
***Well, duh. Because we’ve been saying all along that the media will pounce on him and hildebeast will make mincemeat out of him.
If you can’t support your candidate for the nomination in a positive way, then perhaps he doesn’t have enough to recommend him in the first place.
***The very same could be said about any rootytoot, especially any that are posting on Free Republic. Because this is a socon website. Tearing down socon principles & beliefs to uphold your candidate is not “positive”. Your candidate has little to recommend him in the first place, for socons.
I don’t support the self inflicted suicide of the only political party that even pretends to be conservative by people suffering from Rudi derangement syndrome.
***Then what are you doing on a socon website posting this anti-socon garbage?
If Giuliani is the nominee, then damage done to him now via FR will result in damage to the party when people stay home next Nov. making it more likely that Hillary will be elected. Sorry, but that’s just a fact.
***Then you should be doing your utter best along with all these socons to not let that happen — don’t let tootyfruityrudy be the nominee. For the good of the party.
No. Stubbornness and stupidity will split the base if it happens. There are several possible winners of the nomination process, and Republican voters will decide who they want. Making demands now on the electorate that if a majority doesn't cowtow to your demands or you'll take your football and go home is childish.
That does not address my hypothetical. Since you don’t address my hypothetical, why should anyone in this forum address yours?
IF I gave you a million dollars, would you be a millionaire? It’s a yes or no question. Talking about the likelihood of me giving you more than $10 does not address the hypothetical.
“Which candidate is best for the republican party, Side A or Side B?
Win-Win false dilemma:
Side A: Solib wins presidency by ignoring the socon base and permanently splitting the republican party.
Side B: SoCon wins presidency by (obviously) relying on the socon base.
Which candidate is best for the republican party, Side A or Side B?”
It’s not a debate about parties, sides, candidates. It’s how many more babies will die if Hillary and/or the Dems win the Presidency. A whole bunch. You are igoring the elephant in the room. And that elephant is more dead babies if the Dems win the election.
They pounce on all Republicans. So what.
hildebeast will make mincemeat out of him.
Say whatever else you want about Giuliani, but Hillary making mincement out of him is the last thing I'll buy. Rudy is quick on his feet and tough as nails, and I think the Hillary camp knows it full well.
The very same could be said about any rootytoot
Cute names are childish, and don't advance your arguments.
Then what are you doing on a socon website posting this anti-socon garbage?
Trying to prevent it from becoming an effective Democrat website by damaging the only political party that will give conservatives the time of day.
It's getting a little late, isn't it.
Again that does not address the hypothetical. So why should anyone in this forum address your hypothetical?
It’s only 8:30pm pacific time.
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