2008 Woodie Awards
Rudy Giuliani is a top tier candidate
Daniel Weintraub
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: Opinion
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Only a few months ago, conventional wisdom throughout much of the political world was that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani might make a competitive Republican candidate for president in a general election, but he could never win his party's nomination because conservative primary voters would reject him.
Now, suddenly, that wisdom seems to have shifted, and as Giuliani trouped through California this week, he was wowing conservatives with his charisma, his gift for sounding spontaneous on the stump and his call for bold national leadership.
"Rudy"-as he is known everywhere-has already been accepted as one of three top-tier Republican candidates, along with Arizona Senator John McCain and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. With California and several other large industrial states set to move their primaries up to early February, Giuliani might be more formidable than ever.
"All three candidates have challenges when it comes to proving themselves to conservatives," said Jon Fleischman, a party activist whose Flashreport.org Web site is considered by insiders to be the voice of conservative Republicans in the state. "Giuliani has just as good a shot as the other two of trying to articulate to conservatives why, as they compromise to pick a candidate, it should be him."
Romney, though seemingly a favorite of social conservatives, has a shifting record on some hot-button issues, including abortion. McCain frustrated grass-roots types with his sponsorship of a federal campaign finance measure that has meant restrictions on campaign activity-and free speech-that hardly qualify as limited government. Giuliani, meanwhile, has his familiar record in favor of abortion rights, gay rights and some restrictions on gun ownership, not to mention an interesting personal past that includes a very public divorce.
Dan Schnur, a Republican communications expert who worked for McCain in 2000, says the field so far reminds him of the old joke about two guys who are out camping in the woods and see a bear approaching. As one of them puts on his shoes, the other one says, "You're crazy, you can't outrun a bear." To which the first one replies: "I know, but I can outrun you."
Now, suddenly, that wisdom seems to have shifted, and as Giuliani trouped through California this week, he was wowing conservatives with his charisma, his gift for sounding spontaneous on the stump and his call for bold national leadership.
"Rudy"-as he is known everywhere-has already been accepted as one of three top-tier Republican candidates, along with Arizona Senator John McCain and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. With California and several other large industrial states set to move their primaries up to early February, Giuliani might be more formidable than ever.
"All three candidates have challenges when it comes to proving themselves to conservatives," said Jon Fleischman, a party activist whose Flashreport.org Web site is considered by insiders to be the voice of conservative Republicans in the state. "Giuliani has just as good a shot as the other two of trying to articulate to conservatives why, as they compromise to pick a candidate, it should be him."
Romney, though seemingly a favorite of social conservatives, has a shifting record on some hot-button issues, including abortion. McCain frustrated grass-roots types with his sponsorship of a federal campaign finance measure that has meant restrictions on campaign activity-and free speech-that hardly qualify as limited government. Giuliani, meanwhile, has his familiar record in favor of abortion rights, gay rights and some restrictions on gun ownership, not to mention an interesting personal past that includes a very public divorce.
Dan Schnur, a Republican communications expert who worked for McCain in 2000, says the field so far reminds him of the old joke about two guys who are out camping in the woods and see a bear approaching. As one of them puts on his shoes, the other one says, "You're crazy, you can't outrun a bear." To which the first one replies: "I know, but I can outrun you."
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SinkToTheBeat
Mark
posted 2/20/07 @ 9:32 PM EST
Giuliani is no good. He doesn't understand the second amendment and he's a federalist just like all the rest of the democrats and republicans save one, Ron Paul, a congressman from Texas. (Continued…)
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