Giuliani in '08 might be an uphill battle against McCain

New York Newsday ^ | December 10 2005 | GLENN THRUSH

[jmc1969]

WASHINGTON -- Rudy Giuliani and John McCain are the top-polling Republican rivals for the White House in 2008, but the two dinner buddies avoid talking about that topic when sharing tortellini and bresaola at Giuliani's favorite Manhattan bistros.

Their latest get-together took place on Nov. 1 at Elio's, an Upper East Side eatery known for its $30 veal chops. They shared a table with McCain confidante Mark Salter, Giuliani's wife Judith and his aide-de-camp Tony Carbonetti. McCain and Giuliani reportedly chatted about the food, sports and Iraq -- everything but 2008.

The same can't be said for the Arizona senator's operatives, who are girding for a clash between the two titans even though Giuliani could be a year away from making a decision. Some even predict the Straight Talk Express will roll over America's Mayor if it comes down to McCain vs. Giuliani.

"I think Rudy would make an attractive secretary of state or secretary of defense in a McCain administration," Marshall Wittmann, a former McCain aide who is still close to the senator.

"In my humble opinion, Rudy wouldn't get out of the gate," said longtime McCain strategist John Dennehy, who helped engineer the Arizona senator's victorious 2000 primary in New Hampshire.

[motzman]

How is he going to do that if the country rots from within?

Guiliani will cause the country to rot from within????

You are truly deluded in thinking Hitlery is the be all, end all of presidential politics.

Whatda??? I wouldn't be surprised if "Hitlery" doesn't even get the nomination.

It is time to mount the offensive and not let the left pick and choose what or who we defend ourselves against. You are all too willing to fight from a position of weakness and self-defeat, to defend and not attack.

Fight from a position of weakness? Guiliani is by far the strongest candidate we could have that would attract the independant and even Dem leaning voters that are needed to win a Presidential election, and actually have enough popular support to be effective. In my opinion, of course.

The Left will not define me or limit the parameters of my thinking. This is exactly what they want and I am not playing their game.

Speak for yourself. I'm interested in winning elections. Guiliani is a winner.

I want to wage a war, not a retreat... which is exactly the thinking behind saying Giuliani is the only one that can beat Hitlery...

Well, I never said that Rudy is the only one who could beat Hillary, but at this time he is the best out there. In my opinion. Time could change that.

In your mind you have already conceded defeat...

You have no idea what your talking about. Supporting Rudy is by no means a matter of compromise, or a decision made out of fear or fear of defeat. That is my opinion. Yours could differ.

GO GIANTS!

[motzman]

I am convinced if he were Senator from Rhode Island he would make Chaffee look like a conservative.

Exactly. And Rudy running on a national scale would be more conservative than when he ran for mayor of NYC.

Most of the Rudy bashing I see here is from people far away from NY, who judge him based on their own surroundings, not from on what Rudy had to govern, which was (and is) a very liberal constituency.

I'm a huge Rudy fan. I don't agree with him on every issue, but he CAN lead effectively. Now, I'm gonna sit back and watch the holy-rollers and the homo-haters call me a liberal.

I love it.

It MAKES MY DAY!

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I think the dems best bet is for the nominee to be a popular current or former dem governor from a Red State.

I think their best bet is to stick with their principles (i.e., cut and run, surrender, demoralize the troops, sedition, etc.) because at least that way, their own suicidal tendencies will defeat and save them at the same time...

Some know this and this may be why they are so intent on pushing for a RINO Republican nomination in the liberal media... ain't gonna happen...

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Guiliani is by far the strongest candidate we could have that would attract the independant and even Dem leaning voters that are needed...

I'm interested in winning elections. Guiliani is a winner.

Prove it. Run him for Hitlery's senate seat first...

The nomination will be decided by rank and file Republicans in the primary, not by the limousine liberal elites in the media or those who are agent provocateurs for the left.

You could at least learn to spell Rudolpho's name correctly before you go out singing his praises on a national stage... think about it...

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I'm gonna sit back and watch the holy-rollers and the homo-haters...

So, you are a anti-Jewish/anti-Christian voter??? I'm not and I'm an atheist... you are a liberal... thanks for the info...

[motzman]

Prove it. Run him for Hitlery's senate seat first...

He would have destroyed "Hitlery" if he didn't bow out due to CANCER.

The nomination will be decided by rank and file Republicans in the primary, not by the limousine liberal elites in the media or those who are agent provocateurs for the left.

Ahh...the "agent provocateur" accusation. Nice try.

You could at least learn to spell Rudolpho's name correctly before you go out singing his praises on a national stage... think about it...

That's the best you can do? Point out a typo?

You're done.

[motzman]

you are a liberal

An atheist calling me anti- Jewish/anti-Christian?

Now THAT'S funny!!!

[JCEccles]

Giuliani is pro-abortion, and pro-gay agenda. His candidacy will not be well received in the great red state heartland.

[JABBERBONK]

Rudy takes NY, and FL ....done!. Besides the lefty media hopes and prays McCain gets the nomination so they can throw the Keating 5 scandal into Americans faces each and every night on the network news shows. McCain is damaged goods=unelectable!

[JCEccles]

Where I live, a candidate that is pro-abortion and pro-gay agenda is considered anti-family. Family still defines the moral center of the great American red state heartland. Calling us "holy rollers" and "homo-haters" isn't going to win us over to Giuliani. Does he have enough votes to win without us?

I don't think so. Not running as a Republican.

[motzman]

Calling us "holy rollers" and "homo-haters" isn't going to win us over to Giuliani.

You wouldn't vote for him anyway, so why should I care? I could never convince you, you're taking orders from God.

I saw, and so did millions others, Rudy take a city that was in the dumpster, filled with liberals, and turn it around into a safe, productive, great place to be.

Then on Sept 11th, the world saw true leadership and courage from the man---compare it to Katrina and the Dems--but yet you won't vote for him due to "family values"

He threw Arafat out of Lincoln Center. He told the Saudis to shove their 10 million dollar donation. Yeah, Rudy sucks all right.

Keeping us safe from terrorists is the most important family value I can think of.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

You displayed the standard Marxist contempt for the Judaic religious folks... that somehow they are a problem...

Typical liberal... attacking Judaism by proxy through defamation of the Christians... political correctness... cultural Marxism... the whole reason for the nuclear option ping list...

(I'm not an orthodox or ecumenical atheist, there are no such things... and I just love catching liberals in a lie...)

But hey, I'm just a dumb cowboy, hardly as cultured and august as such a refined New York liberal like yourself...

[motzman]

But hey, I'm just a dumb cowboy

Yep.

hardly as cultured and august as such a refined New York liberal like yourself...

New Jersey...Even better.

You're just hiding out in podunk somewhere, while I'm on the front line battling real liberals every day.

You know nothing.

[Cautor]

Ping. Thanks so much for this information. No one in hell I'd vote for McLame. I despise him and his RINO ways. The guy is a loose cannon and I can't imagine him as Commander in Chief.

[bill1952]

I don't think that Rudy would win Florida.

I certainly don't know what is left of the GOP in NY, but I do know it here, and I seriously doubt that the GOTV would work for Rudy here.
I have very serious doubts that he could take NY, but thats up to NYers.

The Bush family certainly could get every pub capable of voting here, and we did it well enough that we swamped Kerry, and made M. Moore run out of here with his tail tucked into his fat ass, but for Rudy?

I doubt it.

[bill1952]

Then you had best accept the reality of Clinton being Commander in Chief. Thats much better, right?

I don't support McCain, but I'd vote for him in a heartbeat over Clinton. And that might be the choice.

[Collier]

My thinking is that since 9/11, he doesn't want to be Senator anymore. The NY Senate race was held before 9/11.

His popularity is now nationwide, instead of just statewide. I think he wants to test the waters to see if he can get the nomination, or maybe end up serving in a future Republican administration.

JMO

[MontanaBeth]

I wouldn't support either of them...ever.

[Collier]

That's not the case. When he was diagnosed, he was deciding on his treatment options.

Removing a piece of the prostate, removing the whole prostate, which would have left him incontinent for about 6 months, or having radiation seed implants, which is the one he chose.

He also had a girlfriend at the time, and the removal of the prostate would have left him impotent. :)

[ridesthemiles]

I don't think McCain has a serious chance. His health is a ticking time bomb.
We need a leader who isn't going to become incapcitated in office. I don't think McCain is going to remain healthy for the next 8 years. JMO.