Hugh Hewitt: Watching the Signs (The 2008 GOP Primary Is Already Underway)

The Weekly Standard ^ | December 9, 2004 | Hugh Hewitt

[My2Cents]

We need to recognize that the top priority in 2008 may not be to push a conservative agenda, but to prevent Hillary from winning. At the present, Rudy seems the best bet to derail Hillary's express.

[graycamel]

There's only one good candidate for Pres.: Congressman Roy Blunt-R Springfield, MO (House Majority Whip)

[My2Cents]

Which is more important, a staunch conservative or electability?

Unless one's standard-bearer is electable, being staunchly conservative is an exercise in futility.

[ElkGroveDan]

Hmm....Not from a lib or rino source, either.

Well taht depends, he's been real happy to back liberals and RINOs in recent years. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Riordan come to mind.

[My2Cents]

I agree. Look at the kind of support he's getting with the label "pro-abortion" -- his support in the GOP would skyrocket if he switched his position. It's happened before.

[Digger]

The strength of the GOP is the conservative base. GOP leaders would do well to accept this fact.

This needs repeating on a daily basis.

[hansel]

I wouldn't be suprised if Giuliani changed some of his positions on some social issues for the base. In order to win in NYC, even Repubs have to be more leberal than elsewhere.

Would Giuliani be a little more acceptable if he altered a few of his positions?

I would vote for Giuliani in a heartbeat. He did wonders for NYC.
He threw Arafat out of the UN during a party because he's a terrorist and he told the Saudis to stuff their check after the 9/11 attack. Giuliani took on the mob.

He has cajones the size of the Jupiter's moons...

[Coldwater Creek]

Even though I am Pro-Life, the main reason that I would not vote for Rudy is his treatment of his wives. He is no better than Bill Clinton. Another Arkansan, Mike Huckabee might be my choice. A great moral man, funny and a great speaker.

[Digger]

You mean again - the lesser of the two evils. Sorry but I'm not gonna buy that any more.

[Coldwater Creek]

Why don't you just sell your soul to the Devil?

[hansel]

Rudy would derail Hillary in a heartbeat.

Condi could be competition, too.

If Giuliani ran against her in NY, she would lose her senate seat in a heartbeat as well. Even in NY.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

As for 2008, I sure do hope that a better candidate than those three emerges. Rudy is a liberal on social issues and a hyper-liberal on immigration. McCain seems to think his base is the press. Frist is a nice guy and fairly conservative, but he's a dull cipher. I think nominating any of these guys would be a disaster.

IMHO the field should be reduced to governors who are strong vote getters and like Bush on judges. I'd give Guiliani a pass on the governor bit, since NYC is more populous than many or most states - but not on judges.

The other two, Frist and McCain, aren't governors but legislators and shouldn't be considered - and I certainly don't want an author of McCain-Feingold naming judges.

Guiliani has been going around the country stumping for Bush, and in the process has undoubtedly amassed a strong base of chits he can call in in a run for the nomination. But my humble opinion is that there are governors out there who we could trust to name good judges - just none that are presently considered on the A-list. And at this time 8 years ago GWB was nothing like a shoo-in for the Republican nomination.

One of the best, if not the best, credentials of any Republican governor is that of the brother of the sitting president. Florida has not had a president come out of it yet, and it is a swing state which would not be in doubt if he were on the national ticket.

As to being the president's brother and the former president's son, what is that? Doesn't make him foreign-born, or a felon, or under the age of 35 years, does it? Do we pass on someone who has everything else we want, just because his name isn't "anyone but Bush"? Frankly, I don't see it. He says he won't run. If he doesn't, he would be the heaviest VP nominee I can remember, with serious appeal to the base and to Hispanics.

[My2Cents]

The second you develop an ounce of political pragmatism and reality, we'll talk....

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Rudy could do a lot by picking a running mate to balance out the ticket-somebody like Rick Santorum, perhaps?

tkathy: If the Dims try to go after Rudy's personal life, all he has to do is remind the voters of who they had as their leader for eight years.

votelife: Would Rudy's personal views on abortion affect any judicial nominee choices he might make? I think he would be smart enough to move more to the right on this issue.

[My2Cents]

It's too early to start fighting the purists...Have a Merry Christmas.

[christynsoldier]

exactly!! the ALBINO RINO HEWITT never meets a conservative that can win, and he runs down any conservative that isn't a Rockefeller Country Club Repub like himself... he still sees himself sunning on the beach with Richard Nixon, that true conservative that brought us Price Controls, killed the gold standard and loved playing to the Chinese Commies!

Hewitts an embarrassment to the Republican Party most of the time... definitely a go along, get along whatever guy...

[traderrob6]

Precisely

[xkaydet65]

A local NYC note to Freepers wary, as I am, Of Rudy and abortion. NY State began to provide funds for all abortions under Medicaid while Hugh Carey was Governor. He actively pressed for this funding, and was the object of criticism frm the Catholic Church well before Geraldine Ferraro and Mario Cuomo. Along about 1992, long after Carey was out of offfice, a news story hit the local TV about a teen age girl who had died from an abortion her parents knew nothing about. The abortionist was licensed, the abortion legal under NY Law. Carey had an epiphany of outrage. He publicly recanted his support of abortion. Decried his having been a force for its acceptance. He incurred the wrath of the Fem groups, the Democratic Party and the Press. He held firm and still does.

The relationship. Both Carey and Rudy are Catholic educated guys from Brooklyn. The nuns and brothers' education leaves a mark. So does the neighborhood sense of right and wrong. I don't think it's too far a stretch for Rudy to come round, especially on late term, and to do so in a way that does not look transparent.

[tkathy]

Hugh was out there campaigning 24/7 before the last election. He is loaded with intellect and charisma and is wonderful to listen to.

[Ancesthntr]

I have been telling anyone who will listen that I will actively work against anti-gun Rudy. If he somehow gets the nomination, lots of people down south and out west will be staying home on Election Day 2008.