Giuliani is GOP's best shot against Hillary, said Ford

NY Daily News ^

[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."

[Calpernia]

Actually, you are pretty funny. Extremely Extreme Extremist is exactly where he belongs. If you want to be around less intolerant anything goes types, why don't you recruit support from one of Giuliani's StoneWallVet groups?

Gays for Giuliani

[Sadecki]

Then that means he won't endorse the nominee, not run as a 3rd party candidate

No what it means is that the idiot reporter cut him off too early. But Paul did qualify his statement about a 3rd party run, so it does seem that he left the door open a bit.

I think he's going to run as a 3rd party candidate -- he's jsut saying he won't so that he can maintain what GOP support he has -- to say that you will do a 3rd party run while you are still going for the GOP nomination suggests that you have conceded you've lost already and that you have "disdain" for your party and will leave it if you don't get the nomination.

But if Paul has any political smarts at all -- he will never have this chance again -- this is his moment -- if he runs as a 3rd party candidate -- he will be the only candidate who is truly anti-war and has promised an immediate withdrawl if he is an elected -- as unpopular as this war is, that is a very compelling reason to vote for him to anti-war liberals and isolationist conservatives.

[Calpernia]

I too have disdain for the Republican Party. I have disdained it since Jim Nicholson, John Moran, Ralph Reed and their other congressional buddies organized the Log Cabin and Main Streeter infiltration of the GOP. The tables will turn. You all don’t have the Clinton’s in power to protect you anymore.

[firebrand]

Book to be released Tuesday.

[Sadecki]

I too have disdain for the Republican Party.

So why are you telling me. If so many conservatives have such disdain for my party, then they should start their own political party.

It is unreasonable to expect in a two-party system that all members of each respective party will agree on every issue. That is just ridiculous.

That the republican party has mass appeal is our strength. Intolerance is our weakness. remember. We are the big tent party -- not the democrats.

[donna]

President Ford was the last pro-abortion GOP president this country had.

The only one. This is why Vice Presidents matter, too.

[Calpernia]

I was supporting EEE’s perspective that you are WHINING about.

Keep that up and you may get some cheese to go with it.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

But Paul did qualify his statement about a 3rd party run, so it does seem that he left the door open a bit.

You can believe what you want, but he's not running as a 3rd party or independent candidate.

to say that you will do a 3rd party run while you are still going for the GOP nomination suggests that you have conceded you've lost already and that you have "disdain" for your party and will leave it if you don't get the nomination.

I guarantee you though that the GOP will go all out supporting Chris Peden against Paul in his Congressional race. Just like Bush, his father, and the RNC backed Democrat-turned-Republican Laughlin in the '96 Congressional race against Paul. Even if Paul does endorses the GOP nominee.

But if Paul has any political smarts at all

He does. The GOP has new voters and libertarians now to defeat Hillary. Paul has completely saved the GOP from extinction. If the GOP was smart, they'd just let the primaries play out and stay out of Paul's way and then court him at the convention. As long as Rudy or Huckabee isn't nominated, most of the coalition that previously supported Paul will support Fred or Romney. I say most of them because there are a few hardcore anti-war nutcases who are supporting Paul purely for craps and giggles.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

then they should start their own political party

Start acting like conservatives and you won't have this ongoing problem of conservatives fighting the Rockefellers every other year.

You really don't get it, do you?

[Sadecki]

As long as Rudy or Huckabee isn't nominated

I think that is going to be the GOP ticket

Rudy/Huckabee 2008

[upsdriver]

“Now, whether you like Rudy or not, he is the only candidate currently announced who is capable of defeating X42’s spouse. “

Rudy is the least likely of all the candidates to beat Hillary. Gerald Ford was our Jimmy Carter.

As far as Hillary goes, anyone can beat her but Duncan Hunter would annihilate her.

[Soul Seeker]

Well, good to know. Think Rudy will advertise this endorsement at the next debate?

[Sadecki]

You really don't get it, do you?

What's to get? I'm a republican who is arguing with some guy named "Extremely Extreme Extremist" who has nothing but disdain for my party. Given what your screename advertises -- that is as it should be. We don't need any extremists in the GOP.

[ex-snook]

"President Ford was the last pro-abortion GOP president this country had. The only one. This is why Vice Presidents matter, too."

Of interest Ford selected the liberal Republican Rockefeller as his VP.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Rudy/Huckabee 2008

Forget it. You got a social liberal and a fiscal liberal/nanny-stater. What are they going to do, do a "Wonder Twins" and merge Huckabee's socon views with Rudy's moderate fiscal policies into the perfect Republican? If Rudy's nominated, then Paul SHOULD break his vows and run as a 3rd party candidate.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

What's to get? I'm a republican who is arguing with some guy named "Extremely Extreme Extremist" who has nothing but disdain for my party.

ROFL - at least learn to type my screen-name when you reply, unless there's a twin of you running around here.

Given what your screename advertises -- that is as it should be. We don't need any extremists in the GOP.

All the GOP needs to do is run a positive, conservative agenda. Conservatism appeals to everyone. They don't have to apologize for being conservative. Start telling your masters to contrast sharply with the Democrats and liberals. Why do you think Paul has the support he has? He drew a sharp line between him and the Democrats and among most of the Republicans running. Now granted his anti-war views stink, but imagine him going head-up against Hillary. He runs to the left to her on the war, libertarian on foreign policy (still promotes a strong national defense), and to the right of her on all of the domestic issues. He would get:

- The social conservative votes
- Fiscal conservatives
- Libertarians
- Independents disgusted with the 2-party system
- New voters (Young adults) who never voted
- Traditional leftists/populists who hate big corporations and global government

This is how the Republican Party wins.

[Sadecki]

Why do you think Paul has the support he has?

because he is an anti-war candidate in the party that supports the war. And the war is very unpopular.

So support for paul is a back-door and simple way for anti-war democrats, liberals, independents, and isolationist conservatives to protest the war.

But all it will do is give Paul motivation for a 3rd party candidacy which when all is said and done will take more votes away from the democrat then the republican.

[calcowgirl]

BTTT!

Well, they seemed like pretty simple questions! LOL.

[calcowgirl]

If so many conservatives have such disdain for my party, then they should start their own political party.

I have criticism for the infiltrators who have entered MY Republican party and tried to CHANGE it by supporting the same SOCIALIST garbage as Democrats. Instead of fighting it, you want to expel the defenders!

That the republican party has mass appeal is our strength. Intolerance is our weakness. remember. We are the big tent party -- not the democrats.

I don't want the leftists in my tent!

[MaggieM]

LOL! That’s the first thing that came to mind for me too.