1) He was not tanking against the beast. I believe he was initially in it until they began the chemotherapy. He could have beaten Shillary as it was a tossup when he bowed out.
2) I'd take Newt over Rudy in a heart beat. But Rudy over the rest of those clowns (McPain/Romney/Pataki) or the unelectable (Hunter, Tancredo, etc). Newt is more conservative on issues like gun control. However, my libertarian leanings make Rudy a closer fit on abortion.
3) Aside from abortion, gun control and gay rights (as opposed to gay marriage), Rudy is a good fiscal, law and order, small government conservative and would make an excellent President in these tough times.He also knows how to deal with the looney left, as he governed despite of those crooked RATs in the NYC council.
2. "Law and Order" is not a conservative issue. You and I as citizens preserve law and order, not some greasy politician and some donut munchers from Staten Island and Orange County.
3. Foreign Policy? Aside from schmoozing with the Likudniks, Rudy has about as much foreign policy knowledge as Silvestre Reyes.
Rudy doesn't belong in the Republican party. He is more of a Gaullist than an AMERICAN constitutionalist. No thanks Coogine! ;-)
"Liberty over Security, Always and Forever."