Posted on 10/28/2007 8:37:21 AM PDT by Sadecki
Jerry Ford wasn't sure Hillary Clinton could be elected President, but he was absolutely certain which Republican had the strongest shot at stopping her: Rudy Giuliani.
"That would be a great contest between Hillary and Rudy," the 92-year-old former President told a reporter in May 2006.
"I think Giuliani is an electrifying guy," he added. "He's a great speaker. He's had a good record of winning in New York City, and he can be tough."
Ford had gotten to know the former mayor at various political and corporate events over the years - both were members of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, for example - and often spoke admiringly of Giuliani's performance in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
He thought so highly of Giuliani, in fact, that when speculating in 2004 about potential replacements for Vice President Cheney in the unlikely event President Bush decided to make a change, Ford put Giuliani at the top of his list.
Officially, he remained scrupulously neutral in the 2008 GOP primary contest. A few months before his death in December 2006, however, Ford was asked by an old friend to predict who the Republican nominee would be.
He smiled and replied: "Well, if they want to win, Giuliani. He's really good, he's articulate - he's just a leader."
That makes sense, Jerry Ford was a RINO, may he rest in peace.
Wow. An endorsement from the grave. From one of the biggest RINOs ever.
Sorry Rudy. Jerry’s now voting Democrat in Michigan...
Yup, down the path of liberalism and to the destruction of the GOP. He leads, we bleed, liberalism succeeds...NO THANKS!
Everyone is wrong sometimes.
I'm confused. I thought Obama was the "articulate" candidate.
Ford won the nomination in 1976 telling Republicans that Ronald Reagan was too extreme. He said then that he was the only hope for keeping the White House in GOP hands.
His strategy failed then and it would fail now.
Ford was 92 when he said this and yes he was a RINO, but as RINOs go he was one of the better ones. I think he tried to do a good job as prez, but the forces of treason were strongly aligned against him and the job of dealing with them was obviously bigger than he could handle.
Is anyone surprised by this? Ford was part of the old Rockefeller wing of the GOP.
My thoughts exactly.
LLS
This guy annoyed me when he was alive, and I still can’t get any peace from him after he’s gone.
How many presidential elections is Ford win again? lol
The loser picks a loser.
He did not say that FReepers would like him. He did say that, if the GOP wants to win, Rudy has the best shot making that happen.
He did not say Rudy was the next Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, or anyone else. He did admire Rudy's charisma.
Now, whether you like Rudy or not, he is the only candidate currently announced who is capable of defeating X42's spouse. That doesn't mean you have to like him. But it is a practical and political reality.
So, slandering Gerald Ford is juvenile way of disagreeing with his point.
Let's see, can we get a measure of Latino slander in here while we're at it?
Who’s Jerry ford and why should I care?
If after the primary it was Rudy or Hitlery, we would pick the lesser of two evils and vote for Rudy.
“...last pro abortion...”
Exactly, Jules represents the NE Business/pro abortion segment of the GOP.
Folks like President Ford thought that Abortion was a great social experiment, like a new paint scheme was suddenly available for new automobiles.
They could not have been more wrong in view of the carnage that has be inflicted on Life in this country.
I never thought I would see the day were “Channeling” became a part of the discussion in the GOP.
Sheesh, now the dead guys are pushing Rudy! Give us a break!
I’m waiting for some long lost correspondence from Ronald Reagan promoting FRed as his successor, anyone got it lying around? ;-)
An opinion stated as fact.
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