Posted on 07/30/2005 5:55:36 AM PDT by Uncledave
With Gipper's game plan, Rudy can win it all
July 30, 2005
BY THOMAS ROESER Advertisement
As I write this I know my fellow social conservatives will get mad: There is no one in either political party who would be a more exciting candidate for president than Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City. I'll tell you his story -- the good and the bad -- and I'll tell you how he can solve his problems with you. And me. Incidentally, as you read, keep in mind the contrast with Mayor Daley.
The good and bad about Rudy is contained in a book, The Prince of the City [Encounter: 2005] by Fred Siegel, a hard-bitten teacher at Cooper Union University. The good: Rudy came into office in 1994 a Republican in a Big Apple that was rotten to the core, steeped with bosses, bagmen and racial arsonists, a hostile "combination of liberal consensus and helplessness [that] made serious policy debate seem irrelevant," and quickly brought in a band of brother prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office. They gave up millions in private law firm salaries for the fun of working and drinking (after hours) with Rudy. Most never left his side until his two terms ran out in 2001.
Giuliani was an eerily compulsive hands-on manager. If you want to understand him, said an associate, remember that as a Yankee fan he's the guy who keeps score and writes down how each out and each run took place. Just as when he read The Godfather he diagrammed how the mob worked, for relaxation he would sketch on a pad how every department worked. He would explain to the public clearly what he wanted to do: cut the size of government, cut taxes to attract jobs "so people can work," consolidate or cut out city departments, introduce competition to delivery of services and work with the governor [Democrat Mario Cuomo] "to get our fair share of revenue."
He insisted on tough police standards, once jumping out of his limo in Times Square to chase a guy he saw grab a woman's purse. He was heedless of civil libertarians. It seemed like he wanted to offend all interest groups and took the heat, forgetting the polls. Crime in 1995 saw 163,428 fewer felonies, with murder dropping 16 percent in 1996. He trumpeted that work is the best social welfare policy, pushing welfare reform, announcing that 23 percent of the welfare recipients in Jersey City were also receiving New York City benefits. He balanced his budget, fought with Al Sharpton against what he called "racial racketeering," and grinned as he took heat from minority communities.
The bad? Giuliani was ego-driven. He got jealous of his police commissioner, who was getting more favorable press than he, fired him and hired another (who was just as tough). Giuliani's personal life fell into tatters: his first marriage annulled, his second wife was a TV anchor who drove him nuts. He spatted with her, kept public company with a divorcee, came down with prostate cancer, married again. His political career was pronounced over. Then came 9/11.
That tragedy redeemed him. When the first plane hit the north tower, Guiliani ran from the Pinnacle Hotel where he was at a breakfast, shouting over his cell phone that command headquarters should move from 7 World Trade Center to Barclay Street a block away. Good thinking: Just as they evacuated, the plane hit the south tower. The debris was so heavy his command center was inundated. With his cell phone deadened, Giuliani's staff thought he was dead as well, but a janitor found him dazed and led him out through a little-known passage in the basement.
Television captured the man at that moment, stumbling down the street in the smoke, his handkerchief to his mouth, directing his city through uncharted territory, ordering all bridges and tunnels shut down. Courage is the most important virtue, said Churchill: It guarantees all others. As Bush retires, he should be supplanted by a man of this valor.
Social conservatives will oppose Giuliani for his pro-abortion views. It's up to Giuliani to help himself with them, and here's how. As governor of California, Ronald Reagan signed the most permissive abortion law in the country. Rudy, can you hear me? If you want this thing -- this presidency -- you gotta change and mean it. Your marriages we can do nothing about. But your social views have to change. They'll say you're an opportunist, but you have heard that before. You can change. And mean it. We're waiting.
EV I have been around the block with you more than once. I don't like you. You think much more highly of yourself than I suspect most people do.
I on the other hand think less of you...in fact I prefer not to think of you at all.
By the way...do you have a job yet?
Since you are outnumbered maybe your the quisling? Maybe you are in the worng place if we are all rational thinkers here.
Que Twilight zone music.
Yes, it does.
Troll, I have pummeled you so many times it's boring. You're not worth any more of my time.
There is no qualitative difference between the two.
oooooooooooo....can we send him to THE CORN FIELD?
(It's A Good Life...Twilight Zone Season 2)
Ah. Here we have the motto of Rove's New Big Tent Republican Party.
Yes you pummeled me by calling me names. You are such a sterling intellect that you don't need any other resource and no amount of truth can shine through the Armour of obfuscation you wear so well. In a game of wits you are the master-debater.
If we could only send all of those like him maybe we could beat the democrats more often.
And even that is a more apt comparison than the one they're attempting to force on American Christian conservatives.
I tend to agree with you, SD. I believe there is a greater than even chance they are both DU trolls.
Er...none of the above. I understand not agreeing with my post (I think you have some valid points), but why the anger and personal insults? Have a blessed day.
Well think what you want. But as I have said more than once this is a political forum not a christian one and if you think you can get me banned based on my beliefs go ahead and try. I bet you fail. This is the Big Tent Party afterall. We certainly use alot less personal insults than those of you claiming to be Christian or even those who are christian but claiming not to be so they can have some kind of weird moral high ground.
Quantum theory introduces an element of randomness, which is hardly free will.
Point taken on an omnipotent God, which is why I have a problem with the Lutheran church I grew up in. I'll likely go Roman Catholic (if I can shake this agnosticism) solely because of the free will issue.
What business is that of yours?
You Christian-bashers are the biggest busy-bodies around.
Like all lefties, you do the exact things you accuse others of. You project.
Hey Eccles...I've been here two years longer than you. I was here long before there even was a DU.
You know what else. I will be here after you are gone.
As I implied, and have said I don't have the answer. If I did have the answer I would be rich :) We however do need to focus our attention on how to answer those type questions outside the context of religion.
Randomness is as close to free will as we may be able to get in this universe. I can live with that.
Bush has the been the source for many an expensive budget proposal (like his senior drugs plan), and I didn't seen congress doing anything to shoot them down.
Regardless of what body actually puts the budget together, the President has a great influence over it, and has been the all-around ringleader for spending for the last 5 years.
Sadly ironic.
While claiming that American Christians, 'if they ever get enough power', will 'act like the Taliban', they act like the Taliban now.
Hypocrites.
Tell that to Al Gore.
Wow, I asked the religious right to clam down and be quiet for a few years so we can win the most important election in History and I am acting like the Taliban :)
More likely demanding religious litmus tests is an act of the Taliban. In fact didn't the Taliban have religious litmus tests? I believe they did.
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