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.
I agree, Rudy is unelectable and would almost certainly lose to Hillary - which is why the liberal media is hyping him as the Republican frontrunner. I think cross-over Dem’s would more likely vote for Ron Paul, than Giuliani. Anti-war sentiment in this country has gained considerably, while pro-abortion sentiment has waned (thankfully), or at least remained stagnant.
Then why in the world would any so-called conservative support a candidate who is GUARANTEED to SPLIT AND DIVIDE the Party WIDE OPEN and increase the chances of her election???
The only way that Hillary wins (with her high negatives) is to split the Party.
If you want to SPLIT and DIVIDE the Party WIDE OPEN, a liberal (who opposes most core, bedrock, long held values and princicples) like JulieAnnie is the RIGHT MAN, at the RIGHT PLACE, at the RIGHT TIME!
Yep, the media would love to have Rooty as the nominee.
How Liberal of you to cherry pick my comments.
Sure and he’s running today because he thinks he can’t beat her. You are so lacking in common sense that I believe you are a lefty.
Here is a suggestion???
Just make sure Rudy is not the guy, then we are assured that up to a third of the party do not leave??? Just a thought.
GO FRED or Duncan
Do not call wagglebee a lefty.
If Rudy Giuliani is the GOP nominee in 2008, I'll make a $500 donation to FreeRepublic for each of these four states that he carries.
Rudy Giuliani couldn't even go back and win a race for mayor of New York City again today, and statewide polls consistently show him running behind Clinton in New York. If he can't even win his home state, he ain't winning any of these four.
I agree with much of what you say about fatso Hillary but simply do not put RG in the same class as her. Staying home if the nominee of our Party is less then you want will in fact be putting “...a genocidal mass murdering monster to the White House.”
I KNOW that I can show you one GUARANTEED to do exactly the opposite--to SPLIT and DIVIDE the base. We need a conservative candidate that unites and ENERGIZES the base. Rudy does exactly the OPPOSITE--divides it and demoralizes it. At least the other candidates (Paul doesn't even count) won't divide the Party, and demoralize the base.
We do NOT need the liberal DREAMWORLD of two political parties,,,,BOTH,,,to the left-of-center.
Rudy can take a hike.
That’s truly an astounding statement all right. If we had more people like you with no back bones back then, Ronald Reagan would never have been elected and the communists would never have been defeated. Ever try standing on the the strength of your convictions?
No Jim, I don’t talk in circles. You can’t see past your ideology enough to take in the big picture as it appears TODAY with the threats that face us TODAY.
Standing on a principle that costs you your life is all well and good. When your standing on a principle that costs ME my life, that is unacceptable.
I repeat, I will vote for ANY nominee the Party elects and all I ask is you do the same.
B/S. What a cowardly thing to say.
If he wins and pursues the WOT, keeps taxes low then that’s fine with me FOR NOW. After the raghead crap calms down then we elect a real conservative or else stand on principle at a time when doing so only means an election loss and not the loss of the whole nation to savage fanatics.
As with all liberals, you seem to have a serious problem with projecting.
Not sure if that's yours or not but that's perfect!
I will never vote for Rudy..........
I'm lacking in common sense?!
You are on a CONSERVATIVE forum pushing a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, pro-illegal alien, gun-grabbing liberal for the Republican nomination and have the gall to call me a liberal?!
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