Rudy Giuliani Should Not Be the Republican Nominee, He Really Shouldn’t Even Call Himself Republican
Posted on December 1, 2007
If you were to make a list of political positions for Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani and compare them you would be lucky if you didn’t get them confused. I’m not sure why he is doing so well in the polls. Part of me imagines that it is the image of leadership America saw after 9/11 and the name recognition that has so many conservative leaning people pulling for him. I really don’t want to think people are that naive. I’ve heard too many people compromise their values to support him because they believe he is the only one that can beat Hillary. I don’t understand that belief. He’s got a lot of dirt that can be dug up and one doesn’t even have to dig deep to find it. That alone puts him at a disadvantage from other candidates.
A more important reason that anyone calling themselves a conservative should drop their support for Rudy is that he isn’t a conservative. Even if he was able to beat Hillary, there wouldn’t be much difference once he got to the oval office. It is a weak argument to prop your support on the notion of his electability. One would have to compromise so many conservative principles to support him that I really don’t think it would be worth it in the end. Unless you really think our country has moved so far left that the only hope is to elect the most liberal Republican candidate on the field because he might be slightly less liberal than Hillary then you should pick a more principled candidate to back. Any of them are more conservative than Rudy.
Are people losing hope in conservative principles? Because it is about more than just beating Hillary. Its about beating back liberalism. The only thing that can do that is conservative values and principles being incorporated. That isn’t gonna happen if Rudy Giuliani gets elected.
Thankfully there are others that are thinking the same way.
Rudy Panic set in for many Republicans this week, with conservative leaders both nationally and in Iowa concluding they need to settle on a single champion to prevent Rudolph W. Giuliani from winning the GOP presidential nomination.
They fear that victory by the socially liberal former New York mayor could permanently shatter the largely successful coalition of social, religious, economic and national defense conservatives that, more often than not, has worked electoral magic for Republican candidates at all levels.
“The main driving force behind all of that is a belief that Rudy Giuliani is positioned to win the nomination and a belief that, and I describe it this way, the four most central planks in our Republican platform would be sacrificed in the process: life, marriage, guns, border security,” said Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican. He said the calls and e-mails in Iowa grew “utterly intense in the last week” as Republicans urged one another to settle on an anti-Rudy candidate.
Rudy is not our guy. He is on the opposite side of almost every issue conservatives hold sacred. A Giuliani nomination would undermine the GOP.
But King said that if Republicans at their national convention move to amend the party platform to fall more in line with Giuliani’s positions, “then that changes the principles we’re founded upon and that’s a very big decision,” King said. “I think Republicans, when they think it through, are not going to go for that.”
A lot of this panic is being fueled by the sudden rise in success for candidate Mike Huckabee. Huckabee’s rise in popularity is hurting Romney’s chance of knocking Rudy out of the top spot in the polls. Hopefully anyone supporting Rudy on the false premise that he is the only candidate that can beat Hillary will wake up and come back to core principles of conservatism. Thats really the only thing that can win in the end.
Rudy: Anti-gun, pro-public funding for abortion, weak as they come on the immigration issue, and for the gay agenda. What was the difference between him and Hillary?
It’s no secret that Iowa Christian Alliance president Steve Scheffler isn’t a Rudy fan. But tonight, within spitting distance of Giuliani’s rival GOP candidate Romney, Scheffler explicitly urged Iowa Christians to oppose Giuliani in the race for the nomination. “If our party nominates this guy,” he told a crowd at a Dubuque gathering of the ICA, “we will see a bloodbath at the polls like we’ve never seen before.”
Scheffler went on to slam Giuliani’s position on same-sex marriage, life issues and gun rights. “Rudy Giuliani cannot be elected,” he said, citing the ex-mayor’s differences with social conservatives. “We cannot afford to nominate somebody who’s out of touch with the base.”
The scandal isn’t going away anytime soon either.
Others: Hot Air
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, 2nd Amendment, Abortion, Activist Judges, Border Control/Homeland Security, Boyscouts, Child Exploitation, Homosexual Agenda, Illegal Activities, Liberal Media/Bias, News, Politics As Usual, Video, War On Terror
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30 Responses to “Rudy Giuliani Should Not Be the Republican Nominee, He Really Shouldn’t Even Call Himself Republican”
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Mike Huckabee has exploded from the ashes of obscurity into the sunlit heavens of national awareness. That “awareness” may soon become celebrity status.
Huckabee is now:
1st in Iowa,
2nd in Florida,
2nd in Texas,
2nd/3rd in New Hampshire, AND
2nd IN THE NATION (rasmussen daily tracking poll has him at 15%, Romney at 10%)
As far as likability and personal appeal, Mike Huckabee is this century’s Ronald Reagan. His rise to the nomination will be fun to watch. Painful for his opponents.
“Give Hope Another Chance”
http://www.mike-huckabee.blogspot.com
John, your optimism is wonderful. I love hope. However, a little levity. Huckabee isn’t this century’s Ronald Reagan. There is a reason he’s nicknamed tax hike Mike, and his nannystate ways are worrisome.
Thank God. After seeing how quickly fiscal responsibility was kicked to the curb, I was afraid the other principles would soon follow. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one that won’t tolerate it.
“As far as likability and personal appeal”, he probably is. But by that measure, so was Bill Clinton, so I don’t think that means much.
It brings up an interesting point, though, Jay. Reagan is obviously a Republican icon and every Republican in every election tries very hard to associate himself with Reagan. Why is this always treated as a subjective thing? Reagans words and deeds are a matter of record. Why can’t we just hold a candidate up to Reagan and say “yes”, “no”, or “kinda”? If you had to design such a test, which characteristics would you use?
Okay, so Huckabee doesn’t know who Ludwig von Mises is and won’t wear an Adam Smith tie.
Overall, as Governor he cut a lot more taxes that he increased, just as President Reagan’s record was less than perfect as Governor and who was also saddled with a Democrat legislature. Huckabee is only one of two GOP candidates to sign the no tax increase pledge, aggressively pushes the flat tax and, better than any candidate, articulates how the current tax system hurts our competitiveness.
It’s up to free market conservatives to populate his campaign, educate him and resist when he wanders off the reservation – just like any candidate.
It’s also time for Mike to channel Bob Dole and tell Romney “Stop lying about my record.†Romney is now on the attack, saying Huckabee has no private sector experience and is a professional politician. Mike has very substantial experience as a minister and religious broadcasting executive.
Running a big tailgate party [Winter Olympics] and being a venture capital IPO peddler doesn’t automatically qualify somebody to be President. The reality is that Romney is from a political family and if he had beat Ted Kennedy for the Senate, he would have been in political office about as long as Huckabee.
I really didn’t intend for this thread to turn into any kind of advocacy for any candidate. I meant for it to wake up those supporting a liberal. Any of the candidates are better than Rudy. As for Mike Huckabee. I really think he is a good person with a big heart. I think he is a compassionate person. I just hope he doesn’t want to try to use government programs to fix everyone.
I’m gonna call BS.
Fine let’s stay on-topic: The Giuliani first term, almost surely with a Democrat Congress means the following- The end of don’t ask-don’t tell, a hate crimes law, tax-free fringe benefits for domestic partners, sexual orientation as a protected category in public accommodations and employment, federally-funded abortions, repeal FCC rules on decency and obscenity, end funding for abstinence and pro-marriage programs.
Right now George Bush is the only thing that is standing in the way. Why would a Giuliani administration spend one penny of political capital in fighting these changes?
With social conservatives silenced or co-opted, the second Giuliani term would bring about repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act with same-sex marriage being forced on every state. The Giuliani promise to appoint strict constructionists is a sop. If Sam Alito were cloned to fill every judicial vacancy, the courts would still be powerless to stop any of this.
The agenda is now to normalize alternative lifestyles in every corner of Middle America. Neutralize the law as it touches traditional morals and family structure, and thereby further desensitize the public and the culture. The Giuliani White House, at its core, would see nothing wrong with this agenda.
But – taxes would be low, Wall Street would be happy, the war on terrorism would be pursued with bravado, and “conservatism†would be re-defined.
Jeff- I see your point, the debate over Huckabee’s tax record is productive and fair.
Let’s get the facts out, force him to explain and get Mike acculturated to the fact that succeeding in Republican Presidential politics means being consistently anti-tax. And unlike Bush I, don’t let yourself get co-opted on taxes…
I disagree. As a Native Manhattanite and lifelong Republican I do support Rudy. He is a strong leader. I was proud when he tried to ban Arafat from New York City before Clinton had the State Dept intervene.I was proud when he told Saudi Arabia to take their 911 donation check and shove it. After 100 years of Dem leadership Rudy took NYC from a sewer to a decent place to live again. Yes I KNOW Rudy is a social liberal on certain issues. I don’t know what the other candidates are since they have changed their positions many times. At least I know with Rudy.
Keep researching. Not all of them are flip-floppers.
You’re welcome to do just that. In fact, you’ll need to. I’m not going to spend a single minute trying to “fix” a flawed candidate.
Besides, taxes are only part of it. The dude is unabashed about his desire to impose his health regimen on us all.
I agree Rudy would be a disaster for the GOP and America. Liberals don’t change their ways just because they list an “R” after their names.
As for Huckabee, he would throw America to Hades in a handbag as quickly as either Clinton or Rudy. Probably in even a shorter time due his wont for mass-amnesty for illegals. He, more than anyone is all afire to do so and in so doing, will destroy not just the GOP but also America’s future.
No one disputes Rudy was a good Mayor or would be a good Attorney General or Solicitor General or Ambassador to Saudi Arabia…
Being policy maker/role model in-Chief as President of the United States is a different matter. The point is that a Giuliani White House would be harmful to the GOP and the nation, having been co-opted by Democrats on important social issues.
It’s very telling Rudy has never gone repentant. It would be very easy for him to say “I’ve made mistakes in my personal life, I feel I’ve learned…” Or, “As I seek to lead our Party, I recognize I’m in a different role, and I respect the fact that our Party on a national level has always defended traditional moral values…”
He seems determined to re-shape our Party so that it can win Manhattan’s East Side while putting everything else at risk. Whether he is allowed to do so is up to rest of us.
It doesn’t matter WHO the GOP nominates, it’s going to be a bloodbath in November 2008. Giuliani has the most widespread national appeal and even he won’t beat whoever the DEM nominee is.
Giuliani has several problems. He is first of all a political animal who concerns himself with working the crowds who ever that happens to be. Political BS is his forte and that is not what we need in the White House at this dangerous time in our nation’s history.
He is a Rockefeller liberal,and always has been.
He is out of step with the rank file on almost all issues.
His wife certainly will not get him any votes in the social conservative households he needs to win in 08.
Newt had a fling and was crucified for it, Giuliani goes on an amoral rampage and gets a pass even from so called social conservatives like Sean Hannity.
This guy is a disaster waiting to happen. He is a fraud and should be eliminated as a viable candidate as soon as possible. Not only for the sake of the party but for the sake of the country.
How will Huckabee “force†anyone to follow his weight-loss regime?
He seeks to a) Point out that most public health care costs are lifestyle-driven. That is a fact, not a policy proposal.
b) Establish the President as role model for personal health and fitness. Is that a bad thing? I wish Bill Clinton had felt that way…
bob, how about Huckabee’s support for a National Smoking Ban? That is the nannystate crap I’m talking about.
I said “health regime.”
As Jay pointed out, one way would be his smoking ban. It wouldn’t surprise me if he has his eye on trans fats as well. Do I have to switch to sugar-substitutes as well? What about the Dollar Menu? Will Huckabee take away my God-given right to eat junk when I want a cheap treat?
Ummm, you missed the giant red flag there. Ya know what the conservative solution to that problem is? Eliminate public health care. We’re supposed to be the party of personal decisions and personal responsibility.
I actually feel more comfortable with Giuliani than with Huckabee, although i really prefer Duncan Hunter or Tom Tancredo. I believe Giuliani is the devil we know, whereas Huckabee is the devil we don’t know. Huckabee has a velvet tongue and a devilish charm that disarms people. I don’t trust him. However, with Jay’s admonitions, I am now more worried about Giuliani (but as worried as ever about Huckabee). Go Duncan Hunter!
I agree with what has been said here about Rudy 100%. While I respect the job he did cleaning up New York City and his leadership after 9/11, I feel that we must stick to our core principles. That is wy i support John McCain. I know all too well that McCain has angered a lot of consrvatives over the years, but when all is said and done h is the most consistently conservative yet electable candidate in the field. I have always felt that conservative Republicans were the ‘adults’ of the poitical establishment, and that we were much better at compromising than the ‘open-minded’ Left. I respect that Rudy has not attempted to pander as crudely as Romney, but supporting him is asking too much. However, it saddens me that my fellow coservatives are so unwilling to forgive Sen. McCain’s statements and some of his positions that they would support someone who holds opinions far out of what they believe, or someone who will tell anyone what they want to hear to get thier vote. I disagree with a number of positions that John McCain has taken over the years, but at least I believe that he is telling me what he really believes. As it happens, I believe most of those same thins. McCain has always been pro-life, always favored a strong military, always fought wasteful spending, and always favored lower taxes(he did vote against Bush’s tax cuts, but only because there were no corresponding spending cuts, and history has proved him right on that). I believe it is our duty as conservatives to call McCain out when he takes positions against us, like on immigration, but to accept him as one of us nonetheless. I believe he is ou last best hope, and the nice thing about himis that when he take a stand on an issue, I believe him, as no one would say half the things he has said out of political expediency. We need a strong leader now who can lead this nation in these tmes of peril, and that leader is John McCain.
Here is a question that should have been asked but wasn’t: YouTube Question for Giuliani
“John, your optimism is wonderful. I love hope. However, a little levity. Huckabee isn’t this century’s Ronald Reagan. There is a reason he’s nicknamed tax hike Mike, and his nannystate ways are worrisome.”
Hmmm…didn’t Reagan raise taxes in California…and natioanlly?
Hmmm.
Arkansas Leader
Ernie Dumas writes: Mike Huckabee raised more taxes in 10 years in office than Bill Clinton did in his 12 years.
Clinton tax increases
link
Corey
I agree on McCain. While he has pissed me off on NUMEROUS occasions I never once question his intent and patriotism. Sometimes I think he has fallen victim to political advisors trying to position him as a centrist. McCain -Rudy would be unbeatable.
McCain is definitely a better choice than Rudy. But then again, any of our candidates are…including Ron Paul. The primaries are the vetting process. The first thing that needs to happen is to oust the liberal from our choices. From there, I only urge everyone to follow their conservative principles and values to decide.
Huckabee supports only a *workplace* smoking ban.
What is the position of the other GOP candidates? Is he the only one to take this position?
“Huckabee supports only a *workplace* smoking ban.”
USATODAY
“What is the position of the other GOP candidates? Is he the only one to take this position?”
*sorry, not GOP. I didn’t find much on GOP other than Huckabee and Brownback.
The media is lying about Huckabee on smoking. He was very clear with Chris Mathews he was just talking about “workplaces”.
Why is he being picked on? What do the other GOP candidates think? Has Huckabee ever supported forcing everyone in his state to buy health insurance? If Massachusetts isn’t the “nannystate” what would be?
Let’s set it straight on taxes, what counts is the future. The tax situation facing us as a country is different from any one state. Is there any contender whose record is 100% pure?
Mike is only one of the two GOP candidates to take the anti tax pledge, the leading top tier candidate to favor abolishing the income tax.
Even President Reagan increased taxes as California Governor. What counts is what he did as President.
Huckabee can actually beat Clinton – and has a better shot than Rudy of doing so.
Nominating Rudy is like betting your life on Bill Clinton passing a polygraph. There’s ALWAYS another scandal to come out. With Rudy, it’s not just a matter of liberal media members picking on him. It’s just that there’s too much dirt out there – everywhere – his marriages, his friends, his policies and decisions, etc, etc, etc. You have to go out of the way to avoid noticing it. Even a member of the press with no particular agenda can’t avoid bumping into it. So, if he makes it to the General campaign, the Clinton folks will just pull out one piece of dirt a week. And even though they’ve also got dirt, his dirt is even more salacious and trashy. It’s more novel-worthy than anything even the Clintons can come up with.
So, if Giuliani runs against Clinton, Clinton wins. For a whole bunch of reasons. Including a diminished and demoralized conservative base who has a hard time looking in the mirror after years of bashing liberalism and ethnical violations – but championing Mr. Twin Towers.
But, Mike Huckabee can do one thing that no other GOP candidate can do. He can match every Democrat in terms of likeability and also can pull support from a wide range of voters of all party affiliations, economic backgrounds, and colors. The latter point is particularly important. The Democrats cannot win nationally without winning almost all of the black vote. If they get less than 75%, they’re toast. Huckabee earned a whopping 48% of the black vote as Governor of Arkansas – higher than any modern Republican I can think of. If he siphons away even enough to make 20% of black voters vote for the GOP, Hillary can’t really win.
Beat back liberalism???
Please, we are in the 21st century.