Posted on 10/10/2007 11:47:13 AM PDT by TitansAFC
Front-runner Rudy Giuliani increasingly claims the mantle of invincibility -- issues, schmissues, he's the only guy who can beat Hillary.
Judging from my recent cocktail party conversations, it's having an impact. But these same conversations reveal how much wishful thinking goes into the myth of Rudy the Invincible.
"I can't believe the American people will vote for that woman and her husband, a philanderer," one wealthy businessman told me.
"Who are you supporting?" I innocently inquired.
"Rudy," he said.
Can you spell "cognitive dissonance"?
Sean Hannity spends hours every afternoon criticizing those in the GOP coalition (such as Dr. James Dobson) who won't vote for Rudy; sure Giuliani may be wrong on gay marriage and abortion, but he'll be much better than Hillary because he'll appoint "strict constructionist" Supreme Court justices, right?
More self-delusion. Bucking the tide by appointing judges with sufficient intellectual integrity to overturn Roe v. Wade is very hard. Ronald Reagan wanted to do it, and he got it right only once. Even President Bush put appointing his good friend Harriet Miers ahead of appointing a Sam Alito. Only when the base went ballistic did Bush back down, and only because he really is a conservative who cares about what conservatives think.
Rudy? Here's a safe bet: He will appoint a loyalist crony to the bench. When the base erupts, he'll tell the base where it can stick its objections. That's Rudy.
When he's on your side, you admire how fearlessly he will defend your views. When he's not on your side, he ruthlessly steamrolls over you. And on abortion? Don't kid yourself: Rudy is not on our side.
And the Supreme Court is not the only issue of concern to social conservatives. What will Rudy do if and when a resurgent Democrat majority tries to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortion? Or for that matter overturns the federal definition of marriage in the Defense of Marriage Act? Will Rudy spend his political capital on vetoing either of these? He's made us no promises. Instead, he's counting on widespread self-delusion and cognitive dissonance to carry enough social conservatives to win the nomination.
My question is: What is he counting on afterward? Because, frankly, Rudy's electoral prospects don't look that good.
The once-powerful Reagan coalition had three legs -- strong on defense, less government and social conservatism. But the war in Iraq is not the same as the war on communism. It's very unpopular, and Rudy has become as identified with this unpopular war as John McCain. Meanwhile, he has abandoned social conservatism. What's left of the Reagan coalition for Rudy to run on? Naked fiscal conservatism? Conservatives are deluding themselves if they think fiscal conservatism by itself is a winning political coalition. Do they not remember the party of Gerald Ford? It was very fiscally conservative, socially moderate, and a permanent minority party.
The halo of "America's Mayor" is already slipping. For months, polls showed Rudy Giuliani leading Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head matchup, but by June of this year that lead had begun to evaporate. The latest poll, conducted in late September by ABC News and The Washington Post, shows Hillary Clinton beating Rudy Giuliani by eight points. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney trails Clinton in a head-to-head matchup in the latest Rasmussen poll by only nine points. One point better than Romney does not a convincing argument make for abandoning all principles.
And that's before Christian conservative leaders bolt the party, which has abandoned them on abortion, to run a third-party candidate.
A little political realism, please. If you think a candidate who breaks up the Republican Party is the best man to lead the nation, vote for Rudy. But don't imagine, it's going to be easy to elect him.
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I’ll vote for Homer Simpson over Hillary.
Great post. Keep it up. Reality needs to be shared somewhere — since the MSM doesn’t seem to subscribe. At least people on FR can get a healthy dose of reality and support.
The Rudy supporters take the south for granted. They think it’s a given for them. That if Rudy wins in some of the northern states, and MAYBE california, then they got it in the bag. A lot of assumptions on their part.
‘Sean Hannity spends hours every afternoon criticizing those in the GOP coalition (such as Dr. James Dobson) who won’t vote for Rudy; sure Giuliani may be wrong on gay marriage and abortion, but he’ll be much better than Hillary because he’ll appoint “strict constructionist” Supreme Court justices, right? ‘
I stopped listening to Hannity as I once did when in the summer of 2006 he began telling his audience they had to vote for Republicans ‘because if you don’t, Nancy Pelosi will become Speaker, and Harry Reid will become Senate Majority Leader’.
Thats not a good reason to vote for Republicans, its blind alligence to the party. As such, it was an absurd thing to say, much less believe.
Then comes his constant shilling for Rudy every single day.
I like Hannity, but I don’t take his word as ‘gospel’ on politics.
“When he’s on your side, you admire how fearlessly he will defend your views. When he’s not on your side, he ruthlessly steamrolls over you”
That’s Rudy!
BUMPED for The Truth!
Please add me to your Ping List, TitansAFC.
I will not support Rudy in the primaries. I feel that he is t\way too NYC oriented. The rest of the country, fly over country will be ignored.
That having been said, I WILL support ANY cantidate that come out of the GOP convention, including Rudy. I can NOT think of a Dem cantidate that I could support.
I am down to Mitt and Fred, and leaning toward Mitt.
.....Bob
How can ANY Republican, much less, any CONSERVATIVE, TRUST this arrogant, elitist, narcissistic, LIBERAL RINO A-HOLE?
Ill vote for Homer Simpson over ANY LIBERAL, be it Hillary, or RINO-rudy.
Rudy's people really ought to read this article: if he would get out in front of these issues and promise a veto in both of these situations, he'd be a lot closer to sealing the deal with the base.
In addition, these are positions that would not turn off the pro-choice social moderates that make up most of Rudy's supporters, so it would be a win-win for him.
So let me see if I got this right....
If the majority of American voters decide to send Hilary to the White House, it’s MY fault if that happens because I’m supposed to suck it up and vote for someone I don’t like?
I’m sorry, but no. I usually love Hannity but I disagree with him on this. What happens down the road when the stakes are even higher and the candidates are even worse? Do we chip away at our values until there’s nothing left?
If America is so bent on electing Hilary, that’s on them. I will NOT accept any guilt for their actions. I’m voting for whomever I like the most and sleeping with a clear conscience.
A pro-abortion leader will never, I repeat NEVER get my vote. Regardless of how much pressure comes from the left.
:
This is beating Hillary:
I gotta post the below pic every time I post the above pic:
It’s not going to be easy for any Republican to beat Hillary. Right now if I was betting with my pragmatic head instead of my heart, I would put my money on Hillary against ANY of the current Republican candidates. They put me to sleep in yesterday’s debate. I think what a lot of people think about Rudy is he has the BEST chance as of today of beating her. The odds still aren’t good. Heard Neil Boortz today saying how he talks all the time about the evils of Hillary, but he has this one dark thought that maybe America needs the jolt they will get if she gets elected to wake up. Tough medicine, but “pain is still the mother of all teachers”.
Hannity spends time in NYC, and what Rudy did there after Dinkins is like what Reagan did after Carter.
It was a sea change, that everyone could see and everyone was affected by. My guess is that’s where Sean’s Rudy love comes from.
“They put me to sleep in yesterdays debate.”
So I’m not the only one who felt that way? No one seemed to have any fire in their belly. You can’t win a debate - especially against eight other people - by being timid.
I really like Huckabee, but he doesn’t come out swinging and stealing the spotlight, which is what the GOP needs right now. If all the good sound bites go to Rudy and Mitt, they’ll easily take the party nod.
If America is so bent on electing Hilary, thats on them. I will NOT accept any guilt for their actions. Im voting for whomever I like the most and sleeping with a clear conscience.
Great, so when Hillary is President because you voted for the Perot candidate, you can sleep soundly knowing our country is in the hands of a lunatic, anti-war, socialist. Don't forget to get your
"Don't blame me, I voted for (insert 3rd party candidate here)" bumper sticker.
You may as well if Rudy gets the GOP nod......
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