Breaking News: Rudy Giuliani hints at dropping out

LA Times ^ | 28 January 2008 | Andrew Malcolm

[.cnI redruM]

Rudy Giuliani appears to be pondering an end to his long pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination.

In a meeting in the back of his chartered plane en route to St. Petersburg, Fla., a short while ago, the onetime, longtime GOP front-runner told a small group of reporters, including The Times' Louise Roug: "The winner of Florida will win the nomination."

[Mr. Silverback]

Well, it wasn’t clear to me. Are you actually hoping the nominee of the Party of Treason becomes C-in-C in a time of war?

[Petronski]

Are you actually hoping the nominee of the Party of Treason becomes C-in-C in a time of war?

No.

Is it your intention through guilt or guile to persuade me to vote for the GOP nominee?

Don't waste your time.

[Mr. Silverback]

Oh my...call those guys RINOs if you want (I do) but calling Rudy a conservative is like calling Hillary a smokin’ hot babe.

[Mr. Silverback]

I’m gonna need a new hobby.

I suggest scale modeling. I find it very satisfying.

[Mr. Silverback]

Is it your intention through guilt or guile to persuade me to vote for the GOP nominee?

It was my intention to do so through reason. However, since you must not have reached this position by reason, I won't try to get you out of it with reason.

[REDWOOD99]

Take his advice- Don’t waste your time.

[Mr. Silverback]

Wasn’t planning to.

[Petronski]

...since you must not have reached this position by reason...

Your personal attack speaks volumes about the strength of your position.

[Mr. Silverback]

You must be very thin-skinned if calling your position unreasonable amounts to a personal attack.

I meant it when I said I wasn’t going to try and reason you out of it. You may have the last word if you wish, but from my end this conversation is over.

[Petronski]

“Thin-skinned” would imply I was bothered by your attack. I was not. I merely pointed out that you felt it necessary to resort to it.

But your conclusion that my position is not the result of reason is certainly an attack.

Your transparent ploy about “the last word” did give me a laugh, though. Thank you for that.

[COgamer]

“I suggest scale modeling. I find it very satisfying.”

Hmm. It’s an option!

[TheThinker]

Great, now the only Republican capable of defeating Hillary is going to go down in flames. At least he is a known quantity, unlike Romney, and would play ball with Republicans, unlike McCain.

[TheThinker]

Rudy would probably have done less damage to the conservative cause as the nominee than anyone else in the race will.

I agree. Rudy doesn't have the ego of John McCain and, unlike Romney, you know where he stands. I think he could beat Hillary and maybe Obama. He is genuinely concerned about the WOT and intelligence failures. He's changed his stance on immigration and I think he's sincere. He might not be like Duncan Hunter but Romney doesn't think we should inquire whether illegals are working in literally our own back yards. McCain won't listen to his own base and Romney is a poser the like I have never seen.

[xzins]

So the answer is to nominate an absolute derelict because he’s honest about being an absolute derelict?

I don’t think so.

[newzjunkey]

He always planned to start his campaign in Florida. I think even he can see his strategy was all wrong.

I fear we're looking at a McCain nomination. Neither he nor Mitt inspire me with an eye towards November. I hope the Dems run Obama rather than Hillary.

[newzjunkey]

If he endorses it’ll be McCain.

[Vaquero]

more likely against Putzhead Schumer in 2010.

[Pablo64]

I agree. If I recall, he had a pretty good record as a prosecutor and he did do a pretty good job of cleaning up NYC (at least that’s what I hear - I’ve never been there). Either of those positions would probably be a good fit for him.

[Kimberly GG]

Thanks for the ping!

Great news....with the exception that he’ll probably endorse McCain, and so go his followers.

[TommyDale]