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.
Jim, my conviction is that keeping the Clintons out of the WH and the democrat party from taking over is more important than anything else. This is a national security issue with the GWOT. I don’t run you down for your views, do I? This view does not mean I surrender my conservative credentials.
One more thing. Quit the name calling or I’ll you thrown off the site
IF you like Guiliani, then vote Democrat. That is what Guiliani is or should have been.
Just like EVERY OTHER LIBERAL, you don’t get your way so you throw a temper tantrum.
You are pathetic and so is your candidate.
Well, I’ve had enough of this mealy-mouthed weak-kneed wimpy whining RINO crap for one day. I’m going to bed. Hopefully, they’ll be gone by tomorrow.
Good night (morning, whatever it is)! BTW according to #182, some lefty wants to ban YOU from your own website!
*************
You're an ungrateful clod.
If, according to you he KNEW he couldn't win then then why is he running now? Like I said, no common sense.
BTY, did you ping JR so he could come to the rescue and help you argue with me?
If the Republican nominee is Giuliani, we've already lost. I stay home and clean my rifles.
You can stand by when someone calls you a coward then that speaks loudly and not well for you. This not about me getting my way at all but defending my right to an opinion and in this case my honor. Apparently you are not aware of the insult it is to call a man a coward.
Ungrateful? What ARE you talking about?
We're going to need them.
BLOAT.
5.56mm
That's one of the more ridiculous comments I have ever seen on here. Yep, no hypberbole there at all!! /s
It's ludicruous to think that we NEED a LIBERAL like JulieAnnie to save us all! Absolutely ridiculous.
When look at the layers of defense that President Bush has put in place--it is impressive, impressive indeed (regardless of who is President). Here's a few:
(1) The incredible growth in government surveillance activities from the Patriot Act,
(2) The growth in government surveillance in ECHELON,
(3) The growth in government surveillance in CARNIVORE,
(4) Redeployment of FBI personnel from illegal drugs to national security,
(5) The removal of the Gorelick Wall (thanks, again Slick—Rudy, are you listening?--since Rudy defended Slick on this one),
(6) The new gigantic government bureaucracy, with tens of thousands of new government employees, the TSA,
(7) With its huge, bigger, parent version—the new Washington, DC, bureaucracy (aka the Homeland Security Dept),
(8) The blank check now given to our intelligence agencies, and,
(9) The greatly increased coordination/info sharing between our intelligence agencies and the foreign intel agencies of our allies and friends,
(10) Belated arming of our aircrews (no thanks to liberals like Rudy),
(11) Increased presence of federal air marshals,
(12) The new, first-ever Director of National Intelligence,
(13) Stepped-up, updated and more thorough background checks on all employees in sensitive positions (govt and private industry), and
(14) Who knows what else—as this is all that quickly comes to mind--I’m sure there’s lots more that we aren’t even aware of,,,
but the bottom line is this. President Bush has put up a gauntlet that future Presidents can ride on for a LONG TIME.
It's ridiculous that we have to compromise our conservatives values and principles because ONLY a liberal Republican like Rudy can save us. Once again, absolutely ridiculous.
No DUmmie, if you read back through the thread, Jim was on to you before I made my first post here.
“”Rudy is electable.
Unless this happens, get used to a HillBilly White House, for eight years. “”
I second that.
After that ridiculous statement, I wouldn’t do anything you would ask.
It is your problem if you think that the only way to win is to give up your principles for a person that is everything you abhor.
What amazes me the most is how you people seem to have so much faith in Hillary, that you will slide to her side to beat her.
LOL, sure but you just had to ping him on your reply to MY post...right?
Well, don’t be afraid, I’ll go easy on you.
You're missing a crucial point here. The FRiberals DON'T abhor liberalism. As best I can tell, the only thing they truly abhor is the Klintoons; which means that once Hitlery is defeated next year and the Klintoons go back to the trailer park, the FRiberals can happily rejoin their fellow 'Rats.
You’re a guest here. Behaving so rudely is despicable.
I pinged Jim in response to something you said to him.
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