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.
> I don't see Giuliani leading a national gun control crusade -- he has real achievements he can stand on rather than hiding behind gun control.
I don't either. The national priority is fighting terrorism. If that is Rudy's priority also, then I am behind him 100%
Jeb Bush comes the closest, and if Hillary! is the Rats' choice, it offsets the "dynasty" argument.
I know he keeps saying he isn't running, but I'm hoping he changes his mind before '08.
I don't think you can fault Rudy for his divorces any more than you can fault Reagan for his rotten kids.
Can't argue with that. I think Rudy would do much better in those boarder line states that Kerry won. It's a toss up. The big fear is that Conservative will stay home as the did with Bob Dole. But then, Rudy, is no Bob Dole. He is tough. Hillary would never be Senator of New York today, had he not dropped out. What a shame.
Why then, don't we just erase the word "inalienable" from the books, forget all about being a republic, and just descend to the level of a stinking democracy?
I don't claim to have researched the issue of Rudy's divorces - plural BTW - but I'm clear that RR only had one, initiated by Jane Wyman.It does bear noting, however, that Rudy achieved prominence as a crusading US Attorney who made high-profile, frog-walk arrests of businessmen whom he in some cases later failed to convict. But it might take someone like that to beat Senator Rodham.
Yup. I'd like to vote for someone that had identical political views to mine, but then I'd have to run for POTUS, and we all know how that election would turn out.
I could have done everything on 9/11 that Rudy did and have done it better! I could have baked tons of Chocklate Chip Cookies for the workers while taking care of the city business.
As far as Giuliani or any other pro-abortion candidate goes, and I'm sure he would understand this statement even though he does not agree with it....I WILL NOT VOTE FOR TERRORISTS (ABORTIONISTS) OR THOSE WHO SUPPORT TERRORISM (PRO-ABORTION POLITICIANS)!!!
Can anyone deny that abortion is absolutely terrorism to the baby??!
Well aside from your paranoid delusions the fact is the rest of us Republicans need to win the election and as much as we love Bush he is not nor would ever be my first choice, but he did win and so i stand behind him. There are better Republicans than Guliani there are much better Reopublicans than Bush but I want to win and destroy the Democrats once and for all and by sliding Guliani in there and winning again we will spilt the democrats in two. You can stick to pure conservative candidates and lose the next election allowing the Democrats to regroup and survive or crush them in this country and force them into several smaller parties.
Millions of people will deny it, and you won't convince them by calling them names.
Woudl someone please tell me what the difference is between civil unions and gay marriage. NONE!!!!!!!
Don't be so sensitive! Good grief.
While I think Guliani would have the same Catholic problem as Kerry, especially with Benedict XVI, I'd rather speculate on Rudy/Rice. My take is that IF Guliani is on top of the ticket, it will need to be balanced by a real social conservative, most likely Sam Brownback.
Speaking strategically I think you could have Rudy or Rice on a ticket but not both, and either would be better on the bottom of the ticket than the top.
I'm not that sensitive, but I do know that calling people terrorists over an abortion won't win them over to our side.
The way American politics works is that a Southern Democrat on the top of the ticket with a Liberal Northerner at the bottom will always beat a Conservative Republican Regardless of his region at the top of the Ticket. In the next election if the Democrats are smart they will drop Hillery and go with the Southern Democrat. If that happens the only way for the Republicans to win is to win California or New York. Guliani is our best hope for taking New York as New Yorkers being the egotistical idiots they are will cling to their own above their party loyalty. American Catholics are actually a somewhat liberal lot and will go with Guliani as they don't see him as a threat regardless of the Pope. That slight increase in Votes will also push PA into the Republican camp insuring the 2008 elections for the Republicans. We got to play this smart if we want to cripple the Democrats.
It is going to be a long three years.!!!!!!!!
"Since Frist went to the dark side on stem cell research, it's wide open again. I was putting money on Frist to take it. Putting money on Allen now. "
Who else but Allen? Or some say Pence, but he's even more obscure. Certainly not Gingrich. A lot of these guys have a blind spot when trying to "read" what the right feels, a blindspot that's as big as the Dems have. I just don't think we a ready to put up with the flaws that so often have been shoved down our throats. For example, GW on immigration, CFR and pills for seniors - that's all stuff that just shouldn't happen from a conservative.
Whew! I'm not talking about winning them over to our side. I'm talking about why I can't vote for the likes of Giuliani, Pataki, Hillary, etc.
Yeah right..we'll win them over and then we'll vote for them for President! Gimme a break. You're thinking like Hillary Clinton.
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