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Does anybody really listen to Jonathan Alter?

Rudy has a strong 84% conservative approval rating. (Battle ground poll as of Jan.11, '07)

The rebirth of New York City, the most visible urban achievement in the 20th century is the work of the person now dubbed America’s mayor. For the millions of Americans who live in New York and the millions more who work or whose livelihood has been affected by its revival the contrast between the pre and post Giuliani years could not be more striking.

His defense of Israel and intolerance for Arab and U.N. sponsored anti-Semitism is legendary.

He figuratively walked into the lion's den of a crime ridden, high tax, and decaying city and carried out a conservative agenda of tax cuts, crime reduction and, in the case of the Brooklyn Museum, defense of religion in the public square. On this count Giuliani seems to be the winner in the public character category for his extraordinary vision and leadership.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1780064/posts

Indeed, in one recent poll, majorities of Republicans who were informed of Giuliani’s views on social issues said that they were either minor issues or no issues at all; only 16% said that they wouldn't vote for him after being informed of these views.

In the online GOP Bloggers poll, Giuliani is consistently one of the few candidates to end up with a net positive acceptability rating. These internet denizens are well-informed, and overwhelmingly self-describe as conservative (78% self-describe as 7 or higher on a 10-scale of conservatism). If these people can support Rudy, anyone can.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/

In fact, an exit poll question from Pew in 2004 revealed that only 3% of voters named abortion as their top voting issue, 2% named religiosity, and 2% named gay marriage.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1780060/posts

Even Reagan couldn't live up to Reagan in today's climate.

He was a great president, but he wasn't perfect.

He was divorced, married a pregnant Nancy, and signed the most liberal abortion legislation at the time when he was Governor of California. As president he gave us two lousy Supreme Court judges, signed amnesty legislation, raised taxes 4 times and after the presidency he actively pushed for federal gun legislation (the Brady Bill).

Rudy also kicked Arafat out of a concert hall. This was back when it wasn't fashionable and Clinton was hosting the terrorist in the White House as his most frequent guest.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19980

Ultra social conservative Pat Robertson thinks Rudy would make a good president.

Asked if Giuliani would be an acceptable 2008 presidential candidate to Christian conservatives, Pat Robertson told ABC's "This Week:" "He did a super job running the city of New York and I think he'd make a good president."

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/5/1/102522.shtml

The SayNoToRudy web site changed their minds about him and now supports him.
http://saynotorudy.org/

Ronald Reagan on compromise:
When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn't like it. "Compromise" was a dirty word to them and they wouldn't face the fact that we couldn't get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything.

I'd learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. And I agreed with FDR, who said in 1933: 'I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.'

If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it.

~~ Ronald Reagan, in his autobiography, An American Life .

The Hoover Institute, at which Reagan is an Honorary Fellow, thinks Rudy has been good for the GOP.

Working on a book about the Republican Party, last year Hoover fellow Peter Robinson spent some time with Rudolph Giuliani. Although Giuliani is no longer running for the Senate, Robinson argues that Giuliani’s accomplishments as mayor of New York City set an example for Republican candidates just the same. A portrait of a brilliant politician—and a great public servant.
http://www.hoover.org/publications/digest/3491481.html

At the Reagan Library Gift Shop, all but 3 of the books sold under the "Ronald Reagan Book" section are about Reagan himself or presidential modes of transportation.

Rudy Giuliani's book Leadership is one of those 3 books.

The other 2 are written by Reagan's son and McCaslin.

Rudy's excellent speech at the 2004 GOP Convention:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/politics/083004-15v.htm

As George Will said on “This Week,” “His eight years as mayor of New York were the most successful episode of conservative governance in this country in the last 50 years, on welfare and crime particularly." Giuliani, more than any other candidate (Romney comes the closest) has the record of taking on major institutions and reforming them. Think about tourist magnet that is New York now. When Rudy Giuliani took office, 59% of New Yorkers said they would leave the city the next day if they could. Under Rudy Giuliani’s leadership as Mayor of the nation’s largest city, murders were cut from 1,946 in 1993 to 649 in 2001, while overall crime – including rapes, assaults, burglary and auto-thefts – fell by an average of 57%. Not only did he fight crime in Gotham like Batman, despite being constantly vilified by the New York Times, he took head on the multiculturalism and victimization perpetuated by Al Sharpton and his cohort of race baiters. He ended New York’s set-aside program for minority contractors and rejected the idea of lowering standards for minorities. As far as the economy goes, Rudy reduced or eliminated 23 city taxes. He faced a $2.3 billion budget deficit but cut spending instead hiking taxes.

http://www.redstate.com/blogs/dmeaton/2007/feb/04/achieving_socially_conservative_ideals_through_liberal_means_making_the_case_for_rudy

I believe that life is sacred and should not be treated as a commodity. I believe that the institution of marriage needs to be preserved. For now at least, good judges are best way to protect the institution of marriage and move America closer to the day when a debate on the local level can begin again about the value of human life. In order for us to have this debate in state legislatures we must win the next fight over the next Supreme Court vacancy, and if we lose the next presidential election than we will have taken a major step backwards in our quest to replace the current liberal ideology on the highest bench. More than any potential Republican president, Rudy Giuliani will have the easiest time getting strict constructionists confirmed to the Supreme Court and the lower courts.

Think of four scenarios: 1) A Hillary appointment 2) A court battle in which a thinly elected Republican administration that is led by someone who is avidly pro-life faces down a probably Democratic controlled Senate 3) A court battle in which the overwhelmingly elected Republican administration is led by the Bull Moose lover himself, Mr. McCain 4) A court battle in which pro-choice Giuliani, elected and respected by a huge majority of Americans, makes the argument that strict constructionist jurisprudence is needed in the 21st century. He did after all strongly support Justice Roberts, Justice Alito, and he said that he would have made Justice Scalia Chief Justice. As important, Giuliani can actually make a personal case for a specific legal doctrine. The mayor is a former high ranking Justice department attorney who has argued before the Supreme Court.

To reclaim the Senate and Congress, to hold onto the White House, to build a sustainable Republican majority, and to advance conservative principles, we Republicans must unite together and support a candidate who can win the hearts of the vast majority of Americans.

Only when we win hearts can we then win minds.

http://www.redstate.com/blogs/dmeaton/2007/feb/04/achieving_socially_conservative_ideals_through_liberal_means_making_the_case_for_rudy