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.
Pat yourself on the back if she’s in the White House, as you will haven really made your point.
There will be only one group to blame--those who insist on abandoning 80% of the Republican platform by voting for Rudy in the primary.
Rudy will do to the nation what Arnold is doing to California--destroying it faster than Democrats could dream of.
Take off your blinders and make a reality check.
Steve Forbes is a Rudy man. He is a conservative with unimpeachable credentials. I’ve put my trust in the Forbes family for 30 years.
Disclaimer...... not a rudy man
That is BS. Forbes are not conservatives, they are RINOs. You go ahead and put your faith in them. I will save mine for a conservative.
At the very least, I have no confusion over the difference between a RINO and a conservative.
Your real knowledge seems at best, lacking.
Steve Forbes is the real thing. He lost because he was too conservative for the RINOS
He has never served in the military, never conducted foreign policy, and has no clue as to the nature of the US outside of New York. I rest my case. His latest performances to get elected are disingenuous and deceitful.
“Or we could get a socialist who is anti-WOT, anti-military anti-capitalism, anti-American.”
Pretty much like Rudy, then.
You can justifiability question him on social issues but on the other issues I think your just whistling past the grave yard.
Really? How did Ronald Reagan win two landslide elections then?
Conservatism is what wins elections for Republicans. The Democrats are the ones that have to move to the center in order to mask their liberalism.
Really? How did Ronald Reagan win two landslide elections then?
Conservatism is what wins elections for Republicans. The Democrats are the ones that have to move to the center in order to mask their liberalism.
Hillary Clinton is one of the most unlikable and "coldest" candidates to have every run for office. So, I have no idea why you would make that comment.
But, it is almost as if you'd support Bill Clinton if he could run for another term and was willing to do so as a Republican against because he has charisma just in order to win an election for the GOP.
> But, it is almost as if you’d support Bill Clinton if he could run for another term and was willing to do so as a Republican against because he has charisma just in order to win an election for the GOP.
Let’s put “paid” to that idea, anyrate. Bill Clinton was probably the worst President America ever elected — not once, but twice. He plumbed new lows and brought a noble office into disrepute. He broke nearly all of the Ten Commandments while in office — and that takes a fair bit of effort. And for all but one of them, aided-and-abetted by his wife, who is unbelievably being contenenced by America to be your next President!
It will be a sad day when Hillary is sworn into office.
I think that makes my position quite clear, for the avoidance of any doubt.
I can only observe what is going on in America from the outside: it is a long, long swim thru shark-infested waters across the blue South Pacific Ocean to get from here (Auckland) to America (Hawaii) — and even then, it is a still longer swim to the mainland. Maybe you guys have deep insights into “Fred” that we just don’t get down here — dunno. Could be.
From what I can see from the outside, the GOP is going to struggle to find a credible candidate to oppose Hillary — because it will be Hillary, not Obama.
Rudy Giuliani is the closest thing to a credible candidate that the GOP has — at least so far as it is observable from the outside. This is indeed a worry, for all the good reasons others have cited earlier.
As observed from the outside, “Fred” does not feature on the radar screen. Perhaps he should!
ANYRATE I hope that clears up any misunderstandings of my viewpoint on things. I wish Ollie North or Gen Hal Moore were running — but they aren’t, sadly enough.
Kia Kaha
*DieHard*
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This thread got a lot of people all kinds of fired up, and for the life of me I cannot figure why !
I was thinking along your line of thought, I’m also a Fred fan, the only candidate I’ve contributed to.
From Fred's camp I would like to see a lot more action, a lot more.
> This thread got a lot of people all kinds of fired up, and for the life of me I cannot figure why !
If I had to guess, Mike, I’d say that it is because people on this particular thread CARE. And that you have touched a raw nerve with this thread, like cold ice-cream on a brand-new filling. And you have made people take principled stands because the call cannot be ignored.
Well done!
Your thread is doing what it is supposed to do, and very well indeed. Kudos.
*DieHard*
Thanks.
That’s it.
By calling me a child you are exhibiting the typical liberal trait of transference.
The electorate that voted for Ronald Reagan - and the principles he espoused - simply no longer exists within our borders.
We have changed THAT MUCH since 1980....
- John
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