Can a pro-choice Republican outsider charm the blue hairs, get the GOP nomination and kick Hillary's butt in 2008? Rudy Giuliani thinks so.
Candidates have been hesitantly dipping their toes in the waters of the 2008 election, but as we move further along in the year some of the heavy hitters are beginning to form their exploratory committees and starting to raise money. Last week it was Hillary Clinton for the Democrats, and this week she's balanced out by another New Yorker, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the Republicans.…
Article comments
26 - Dave Nalle
I didn't say the main objection of the GOP was his Mormonism, but that it was something the public in general will find alienating.
I think the problem for the GOP is that he's not that well known and doesn't offer anything unique and really attractive compared to other candidates.
And I do think you give too much credit to the American people. They're fine folks in many ways, but they're not always entirely open minded.
Dave
27 - Dave Nalle
I just added a cool link to the article in the third to last paragraph to a site which tracks issue statements and positions. You can find it here
What makes it particularly interesting in light of other recent discussions is that it includes a rating of the candidates on their version of the World's Smallest Political Quiz, which they also have available for you to take. So now you can compare your results on the quiz with those of the candidates.
You can take the test and it will tell you which candidate is the closest match. Right now it only has the 2004 candidates, but even that's amusing. Michael Badnarik was my closest match, but much to my horror the next closest was John Kerry. Then I compared my scores with 'political celebrities' and got a result I'm too humiliated to even mention. So, it's not entirely accurate, but it's fun to play around with anyway.
Dave
28 - Arch Conservative
I took the political celebs quiz and Pat Buchanan was my closest match.
I have always thought Pat would make a great president.
He's sorta like the anti Hillary.
29 - Arch Conservative
Dave I know how much you like polls so I just thought I'd mention that Rasmussen is reporting today that Romney's favorable numbers are rising while his unfavorable numbers are dropping.
Food for thought.
30 - Maurice
Interesting that Giuliani can be guilty of Eaton style of behavior and yet be considered electable.
We've come a long way.
31 - Clavos
I hope they update that quiz.
I liked it, but also was embarrassed by my closest match.
Next closest was Badnarik.
32 - Dave Nalle
OMG, based on my results, if you had Badnarik second I bet you had Kerry or Hillary first. Am I right?
And I'm with Maurice. If the public can overlook Giuliani's personal scandals - which match about half of theirs pretty closely - then we've come a long way in a positive direction.
Dave
33 - Nancy
Most interesting report on WTOP radio last night, to the effect that 48% of registered GOPs think that New Gingrich would be capable of revitalizing & reenergizing the GOP in the election - & that he's thinking about it. Newt G. Talk about resurrection-! Now THAT would be a really amazing thing if it happens.
34 - Dave Nalle
Newt has all the bad personal baggage that Giuliani has and more, plus he's a pariah to moderates. He might have a good chance in the primary, but he'd be a disaster in the general election.
dave
35 - Aku
On dave quiz link,
For the 2000 race I came up with McCain as my top followed closely by W. McCain and Regan tied for first place in the celeb category.
It really is a shame. If it was not for the Gang of 14 incident, I might have voted McCain in the future.
36 - Nancy
I'm just reporting on what I heard. Personally, I was surprised that he still had a political career at all, let alone that anyone in their right minds would consider him for prez. Maybe I misheard, & missed the part that said it was 48% of republicans in the nuthouse or something.
37 - MCH
"Newt has all the bad personal baggage that Giuliani has and more..." writes Dave Nalle, boldly ignoring his own recent bout with the fraudulent Vox Populi episode.
(signed,
CEO of the "MCH Exception")
38 - Aku
Having suffered defeat, is it a suprise that people would turn to Newt, who engineered their last success. It is a sign that no true leader has steped out of the mess of the last election and the party has little faith in its Congressmen to actualy do anything better than before.
It is not about Newt, its about now.
39 - D'oh
tsk tsk..Newt is another non-starter...remember why he was ousted as Speaker? Even if the religious right could get past what he has done with wives and interns there's always his new take on doing away with the First Amendment's pesky Free Speech.
40 - Nancy
I remember full well, but lots of republicans apparently have shorter memories. Plus the blatant hypocrisy of the cheating thing also helped altho you discount it, because he was the one making the most noise about Bill C. all the while he was doing the very same thing himself.
41 - Dave Nalle
Newt and Giuliani and even Clinton are all reminders that politics should not be about penises and where they are being used.
Dave
42 - D'oh
Fair enough, but do try and remember who dragged penises into it, and spent over $40 million on it, as well as went so far as to impeach a sitting President over it.
In politics, you can't throw shit around one day and not get hit with it the next.
43 - Dave Nalle
Once again, D'oh, you've made the mistake of thinking that I have a partisan agenda, or more precisely you've mistaken where my allegiance lies. Have you ever seen me say one word in support of the ridiculous persecution Clinton was subjected to?
Clinton's persecution was revenge for Nixon. Bush has been harassed mercilessly as revenge for Clinton. All three presidents had flaws and did things wrong. All three were hounded by the press and the opposing party far more than they really deserved.
Dave
44 - D'oh
Dave, I can readily agree that you were NOT part of the problem concerning the whole Clinton/Monica fiasco.
Might I suggest you are projecting too much shit my way, and instead you might want to just read what I type?
Bush gets shit because he is an extreme fuck up in many ways. Some of that spills onto you (not all, by any means) due to your defending some of his policies.
As for your partisan loyalties, you yourself have stated you are a registered Republican, not Independant or Libertarian (any longer, I know you have said that you were at onetime).
Bush hasn't gotten half the kicking around he deserves just for the things he's done..I could give a shit about "revenge"...just holding him fully accountable for what he and his Administration have done since 2000.
Same as I do with anyone...especially myself. to say otherwise is disingenuous.
the Tao of D'oh.
45 - Dave Nalle
Obviously we're going to disagree on how much kicking around Bush deserves. I think holding him accountable is fine, because I believe that in an impartial examination of his 'crimes' he would likely be exonerated.
And I'm not registered as a Republican. There's no party registration in Texas.
Dave
46 - Aku
On the original subject of this article, I found this at the Weekly Standard.
I found it refreshing because it introduces something at the end of the article forgotten (or at least not emphasised) in many discussions of Rudy, the tendency by some to put more weight on character, rather than politics and policies. According to the article, Rudy wins on character. We will see if that endures through the primary process.
47 - Dave Nalle
I agree that Rudy's character is a positive factor, but I think a lot of people on both the right and the left are going to point to his three marriages and his affairs as a big negative character issue.
Dave
48 - Emry
"...big negative character issue.
Dave"
Vox Populi Nalle.
49 - Arch Conservative
Fuck Rudy. He should stay in NYC with all the other liberal douchebags. That's where he belongs..not in the White House.
50 - Dave Nalle
Arch, the fact that you find Rudy so threatening is one of the finest endorsements he could have.
Dave
51 - Arch Conservative
Who said I found him threatening? I know he won't get the GOP nomination.
He's the topic of this article and I just don't like him. I was expressing my opinion of him and what I think he ought o do. I don't know exactly what I said in my last post that would lead one to think I am threatened by him. Don't go reading too much into other people's posts Dave.
52 - MCH
"Oh and while Rudy's kissing my ass John Mccain can suck my d*&k because he's not getting my vote either."
- Arch/Bing
Vox Populi said that very same thing once.