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."

[Cobra64]

Well said.

[EternalVigilance]

Well said.

Well, since you agree with him, I'll ask you:

How would Giuliani defeat Clinton at the head of a party that has been completely demoralized and destroyed?

[uncbob]

I have never for calling Reagan an EXTREMIST just like the left wingers did

[CONSERVE]

Okay if 50% of the people say they would never vote for hillary why should anyone believe that only one canidate could defeat her?

[FreeManWhoCan]

The impression I am getting here (FR) is that if it did come down to Rudy Vs. Hitlery, some would “stay home and cut their noses”. “Honey, where’s the knife?”

[Politicalmom]

Better a leftist Dem with an energized GOP opposition than a leftist “Republican” with no opposition.

[org.whodat]

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.

Now we have fantasy politics. What a pure BS statement!

[Luke21]

Ford, who lost to Jimmy Carter and was a Rino exemplar, said we should choose a left winger like himself. Big news here. Now why would the media resurrect a dead man for a Giuliani endorsement?

[Earthdweller]

I’ll tell you where the knife is...the Gop is cutting it’s throat with it by pushing Rudy.

[penowa]

I’m sure Jerry Ford would have been thrilled to return the Republican party to the pathetic thing it was prior to Reagan. That’s what all the RINOs are hoping to do. Wait until they discover where it actually leads...not to Country Club Nirvana (the perpetual minority,) but to the graveyard next to the Whigs.

[Racehorse]

nah. why even try to have a reasoned discourse amongst the passionate.

Wael, that is one of the fun things about reading FR. People are passionate.

Passionately reasonable? Reasonably passionate?

"He's a great speaker. He's had a good record of winning in New York City, and he can be tough."

For the time being, I'm a Thompson man. Giuliani isn't even on my short list of desired candidates, but I think I know what Ford saw in Giuliani. The man can speak with a public voice and he can be brutally tough.

Had not cancer taken him out of the Senate race against Clinton, we might have seen more of it. But, from what little I saw via the TV of Giuliani dealing with New York political enemies, they seemed to fear and loathe that acid tongue of his. I had hoped to see it lashing Clinton. That might have been a worthy and entertaining audition.

I recently watched an old 1984 (?) PBS series on the Constitution, specificially a segment dealing with immigration. It consisted of a panel composed of lawyers, judges, activisists and public officials. The Dean of the Columbia School of Law served as moderator. Giuliani was on the panel as the U.S. Attorney for New York.

If Giuliani wants to appeal to the "let's get tough on immigration" crowd (I'm a member), he ought to resurrect that appearance. Then, he'd only have to reconcile what he did as U.S. Attorney with what he did as Mayor of New York. That might be interesting.

I think it might go something like this: "I was appointed to be U.S Attorney to accomplish certain things, so I did them; I was elected Mayor of New York to do certain things, so I did them; and, this is why you will elect me President, and I will get them done. That is what I do."

[org.whodat]

a very small man who was probably the most mean-spirted and bitter man to ever occupy the oval office.

When they, the congress was working on the redo of presidential retirement, he was the first person whining.

[MotleyGirl70]

I’m waiting for some long lost correspondence from Ronald Reagan promoting FRed as his successor, anyone got it lying around? ;-)

I'm quite certain the only candidate Ronald Reagan would be supporting right now would be Duncan Hunter.

[pillut48]

Thompson/Hunter 2008! :-)
Hunter 2012!
Hunter 2016!

[org.whodat]

You are so wrong. He is the one candidate that is certain to guarantee a loss.

There is vast sector of the electorate who vote based on ideology. They don't calculate strategy. They don't vote for the lesser of two evils. They vote for the person they agree with. If they don't see someone they agree with they wait until next time. Rudy will NOT get these people out of their busy lives and to the polls. It's that simple.

Don't tell me how stupid they are or how wrong or spiteful they are. They are what they are, and they won't go out to vote for a liberal just because he has an R next to his name. Period.

Fuels costs to much to drive to the polls to vote for rudy. Agreed! LOL

[kinghorse]

Ford was my first Presidential election and the only guy I ever punched the ballot for strictly on ideology. I can always hold that over my old man’s head. He allowed Carter and the limited media we had back then to fool him. they portrayed Carter as this noble fast tracked Navy officer who believed in his commander Nimitz I believe and it was all a feel good military story about Carter. Can you believe it? This is the tale the MSM crafted for smilie along with his aw shucks and he won the Presidency. I didn’t fall for any of it and voted for Ford strictly because of ideology.

[EternalVigilance]

I'm quite certain the only candidate Ronald Reagan would be supporting right now would be Duncan Hunter.

Or, who knows, maybe he would be supporting his former Assistant Secretary of State, Alan Keyes.

"Alan, I should be the one thanking you, because you did such an extraordinary job in the first 7 years of our administration: working with Jeane Kirkpatrick at the United Nations, serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, defending our country against the forces of anti-Americanism.

"I think particularly of your work at a conference in Nairobi where you and my daughter Maureen worked to eliminate the disgusting ``Zionism is racism'' resolution from that conference's final report and earned the gratitude of all Americans. And there was your performance as my Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, where you pursued successful reforms of the United Nations and opposed with every ounce of strength in your body all those who have served to foster and legitimize state-sponsored terrorism.

"Alan, I should be thanking you -- and I am -- because every time I asked you to do your best, you did that and better. Every time I asked you to stand for America, you stood tall, and you deserve not only my thanks but the thanks of every citizen of this great country."

Ronald Reagan, October 26, 1988

[kinghorse]

To finish that thought, I hope Guliani isn’t the second time I have to vote with no conviction toward the man but a duty to the ideology, diluted as it may be.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

If after the primary it was Rudy or Hitlery, we would pick the lesser of two evils and vote for Rudy.

You are probably right, but I am getting powerfully sick and tired of the "evil of two leaser's"!

Someday, before I die, I'd like to see this country reign in spending and start shrinking social programs.

Regards,
GtG

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

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.

Rudy will get destroyed by Hillary.

Rudy's nominated = 3rd party