[dirtboy]

I must say, though, that what has gone down on this thread has made me more inclined to believe that the people who will stay home if Rudy is the nominee are a small faction.

Bryon York had a good article today about Rudy, abortion and pro-lifers. He cited estimates that 9 to 13 percent of the electorate is single-issue regarding abortion - with the strong majority of those on the pro-life side.

That's a fairly signicant bloc when you consider that Bush won Florida by 500 some-odd votes in 2000 and even in 2004, his winning percentage over Kerry was far less than the pro-life block - and exit polling showed a key bloc for Bush in the swing state of Ohio was pro-life Dems.

I really think anyone who believes the GOP can win the White House in 2008 with a nominee with a 100 percent NARAL rating is completely deluded. Look at the rallies every year on the Mall on the anniversary of Roe. Where else do you ever see more than a handful of conservatives show up for rallies?

And that's just the pro-lifers. Now, look at the force in politics the NRA has become and tell me that Rudy's gun-control record also will not present problems.

[EternalVigilance]

The secure borders bloc, while it may be politically somewhat disjointed, is nothing to sneeze at, either. To them, Giuliani is poison.

[rbmillerjr]

“I really think anyone who believes the GOP can win the White House in 2008 with a nominee...”

Absolutely. No way a GOP candidate can win the General election without Pro-Life or NRA...and that makes sense considering the Planks in the GOP. With the Dems picking up more voters, I’d contend those groups are not just critical but required, for the GOP to have a chance. Why much of the GOP decided to jump on Giuliani’s bandwagon so early in a primary show that the GOP is not under very good leadership.

[Mom MD]

Then there is also the fact that a lot of us pro lifers just cannot hold our nose and vote for a pro death candidate. I can hold my nose and vote for a lot of things, probably even McCain if it comes to that, but I cannot vote for a pro-death candidate. It would violate my moral principles to an intolerable point. I will not with my vote support the holocaust of the late 20th and early 21st century.

I’m certainly not a single issue voter, I have lots of conservative issues I care about. But the deal breaker is the abortion issue. I don’t think I’m the only one

If rudy is nominated I haven’t decided whether to stay home or vote 3rd party, but I’m not naive. Either one will produce the same result.