Posted on 09/19/2007 4:26:24 AM PDT by IrishMike
Early in my career as a political speechwriter, a young but wise campaign manager explained why candidates from the same party too often tear each other to pieces in the primaries. He told me that when all the candidates of your party are shooting at the probable opponent from the other party, your frontrunner is going to get shot in the back. I thought of that analogy the other day as I read about Rudy Giuliani’s potent political attacks on Hillary Clinton.
Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democrats’ presidential nomination, stuck George Soros’ giant left foot in her mouth attempting to do the bidding of MoveOn.org. For the entire world to see, Hillary decided that a Senate committee hearing would be a good place to call a decorated war hero, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of American forces in Iraq, a liar. Parroting the same extremist nonsense that is rapidly making the folks at MoveOn the leading leftist nutters of the blogosphere, Hillary’s comments landed with a clank in most parts of America, most notably at the Giuliani for President Campaign headquarters.
The previous week, the folks running the nation’s premiere agenda-driven newspaper, The New York Times, embarrassed themselves by substantially discounting the now-infamous, full-page, MoveOn ad calling Gen. Petraeus “Gen. Betray Us.” Apparently, The Times management doesn’t realize that George Soros can afford the full rate.
Adding to their heartburn was former New York City Mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, who demanded and got the same $65,000 rate for what normally would be $165,000 worth of ad space. (Can you imagine anyone ever again paying the full rate for a full-page ad after this fiasco?) Rudy used the opportunity to excoriate Hillary for her cowardly submission to the anti-war Left and asked America who they trusted more, the senator or the general.
Rather than firing back at his opponents, Rudy is focusing on his likely Democrat challenger. Instead of answering the attacks of Mitt Romney and others in his party who are running behind him in the polls, Giuliani is acting as if he is already the Republican nominee.
Let me say again that even though Giuliani is tough on crime and terrorism, I don’t like his domestic agenda at all. As a pro-life, pro-family, pro-traditional marriage, pro-Second Amendment Republican, I find him far too liberal on most social issues. As my son said to me recently, “Rudy Giuliani is a just Democrat who’s willing to blow stuff up.”
I also find Giuliani’s personal life to be downright offensive. In some ways, he makes Bill Clinton look stable. At least Clinton never had Monica Lewinsky move into the White House and openly live with him like then-Mayor Giuliani did when he had his girlfriend (now his wife) move into Gracie Mansion while he was still married to the mother of his children.
Having said all that, going after Hillary Clinton is a brilliant strategy. It makes Rudy look presidential. It makes his GOP opponents look small when they attack him. And it creates its own momentum. The more Giuliani acts like the heir apparent to the Republican nomination, the more voters will become comfortable with him.
Those of us who were looking to Fred Thompson as the fiscal and social conservative who could wrestle the GOP mantle away from hizzonor are becoming increasingly alarmed by the efficiency of the Giuliani campaign. As I wrote a few months ago, just as Democrats must find a way to turn red states blue, the converse is also true, and Rudy could change the color of the map radically. Consider the electoral vote-rich states that could fall into the GOP column with Giuliani as the nominee: California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and, of course, New York. That’s a strong temptation to many Republicans who simply want to win.
Giuliani is leading in most polls largely due to his record as a tough mayor who cleaned up America’s biggest, dirtiest city and because of his leadership in the aftermath of 9/11. The war against Islamist fanaticism demands an alternative to Hillary Clinton. Rudy Giuliani firmly believes he is that alternative. An alarming number of Republicans seem to agree with him.
Bullsh!t, do you honestly believe that running for senate is more demanding than being mayor of NYC? If he had relinquished his mayoral duties you might have a point, but he didn't. And as far as 2006, a presidential bid didn't stop Hitlery from running.
Bottom line, Rooty Toot KNEW he couldn't beat Hitlery.
You’re right. I am totally intolerant of liberal opinion. I personally believe that abortion is murder and government sanctioned abortion is mass murder on the scale of genocide a la Stalin, Hitler, Pol pot, et al, and I will never ever be part of electing a genocidal mass murdering monster to the White House. When I see Hillary’s face, I see the face of an evil mass murdering monster. When I see Giuliani’s face, I see the same thing. Hope you don’t mind if I wretch at the thought of either of them occupying Ronald Reagan’s office.
I hope you are ready to put your money where your mouth is and start a Conservative Party if Giuliani is the Republican nominee.
And it's absolutely ludicrous to think that JulieAnnie is the only (or even best) Republican candidate to aggressively and successfully fight that war!! That's absolutely ridiculous.
What will he do different than President Bush? Try to pass more restrictive gun control laws? Allow openly gay service members in the military? Increase the number of sanctuary cities?
It's ridiculous to say that we need a LIBERAL to fight the WOT.
In the end, in THIS election I would rather have a RINO (if that is the only way we can win) in the WH then fatso or any other Democrat. I guess i’m not willing to give up my life on a political principle just yet.
In addition at this point in the campaign Rudy is being very smart. He is attacking Hillary as though he has already won the nomination and she is his only opponent. The man is smart and underestimating him is as big a mistake as those FReepers who underestimate Hillary.
Even IF John Paul I was murdered (and that’s a big if), it is obscene to suggest that John Paul II had a role in it. First of all, he was in Poland at the time. Secondly, he would have had no reason to believe he would be elected pope. Prior to 1978, a non-Italian hadn’t been elected in over 400 years.
Moreover, John Paul I was born in 1912, so the chances that he would still be living today are remote.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_I
You talk in circles.
I’m not saying that Rooty lost to Hitlery, I’m saying that he refused to run against her because he knew he would lose.
You need to buy a clue. I am a conservative. I believe in holding to the values of conservatism. I also believe that a conservative CAN win. A clear cut opposing opinion to Hitlery is what will win. A liberal candidate like Rooty will fail to unite this party and Hitlery will win.
A Realist in the sense you describe yourself, are people who do not have enough courage in their convictions. The RINO GOP and the other party, has sold you on the fact that you have to be more like them to succeed.
Realistic to me is standing on principle and daring to tell the other side that we are not buying their idea of realism as they define it.
Agree 100%. The only consideration for GOP voters - IMHO - is to defeat the Clintons and the democrat party. This is essential for all of us and our national security. I don’t care a bit about abortion, gun rights, and the rest when it comes to keeping the Clintons out of the WH. That’s the overarching issue in 2008, and I hope GOP voters can see it.
You missed The Big Story about Rooty's Move-on thingy:
Giuliani shelled out $64,575 for an ad in The New York Times----Rooty "said" the ad was paid for by "contributions" to his presidential campaign.
ROTFLMSO. "Campaign contributions?" Now I've heard everything. Watta phony.
Giuliani purportedly earns one million a month----he needs "campaign contributions" to run ads like he needs a hole in the head.
Now, who wants to hazard a guess as to which offshore account Rooty's ad money was transferred from?
Giuliani companies (that we know of) include:
(1) Giuliani Capital Advisors, LLC (AKA Giuliani Partners LLC),
(2) Giuliani Group,
(3) Giuliani-Kerik (re-named Giuliani Security and Safety, after the departure of the tainted ex-Police Commissioner),
(4) Giuliani-Van Essen,
(5) Bracewell & Giuliani LLP law firm (based in Texas with global interests), and,
(6) Giuliani Security & Safety, Asia
Was the ad money from Bracewell & Giuliani's January closings from accounts in Almaty, Kazakhstan (in the Crimea), totalling $1.625 Billion in billings.
Was the ad money from Bracewell & Giuliani's Cintra account? Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A., a Spanish transportation company (lobbied for Privatization of Toll Road in Texas)
Was the ad money from Bracewell & Giuliani's Banco Santander Central Hispano, S.A. (SAN.MC, STD.N) (a bank that traded with a blacklisted Iranian Bank)
Was the ad money from the company account tied to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chávez, who has called President Bush "the devil." Bracewell & Giuliani lobbies on behalf of Texas-based Citgo Petroleum, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Venezuelan oil company controlled by Chávez.
Sweet Jesus, Lord of Lords, God Almighty, there's so, many, many ways money can travel over the bounding waves into campaign accounts.
Not to me.
he makes Bill Clinton look stable
Now that IS a feat!
***************
If Hunter would team up with Giuliani, he's not the man I thought he was.
He also refused to run against her for two other reasons: (1) Her positions are NOT all that different from his (reference Rudy’s own comments when Slick was President comparing Slick to Rudy), and (2) He did NOT want an open liberal Senatorial voting record set in concrete for the public to see in his current quest.
It won’t be me starting a new party. I have no money or resources. But If Rudy becomes the nominee, I guarantee you that the Republican party will die. Traditional pro-life, pro-family, pro-gun, pro-liberty conservatives will not long be part of a liberal abortionist party. A new party will form naturally. And RINOs need not apply.
Both valid, but I think the biggest reason was that he knew he would lose. Keep in mind that prior to 9/11, nobody talked about Rooty running for president (why his failures leading up to that day made people think more of him is beyond me).
But what do we win? A socialist who is pro-WOT??
That was disgusting.
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