Posted on 07/07/2006 7:32:14 AM PDT by chiller
Twenty-eight months to go, and I can't wait.
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Since Condi insists she isn't interested - and for the moment I believe her - speculation ranges from base-pleasing Republicans like Sens. Bill Frist, Sam Brownback and my current favorite, George Allen, to the intriguing prospects of envelope-pushers like John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.
And these two intriguing figures constitute my point of the day. There are two things I have stopped saying: first, Mr. McCain can't win, and second, Rudy won't run.
I still don't believe Mr. McCain will be the '08 nominee, but his loyal support for the war has healed some distaste that the GOP base has had for him since he challenged Mr. Bush six years ago. His disconnect with many Republicans on overhauling campaign finance is still an anvil around his prospects, but I can no longer write him off.
As for Mr. Giuliani, I used to say that he won't run and couldn't win if he did. The gay-friendly, abortion-rights-supporting ex-New York mayor whose legacy includes an embrace of gun control? It would seem highly unlikely.
Unless you were in a room with me at the Hotel Crescent Court last month as the Dallas County Republican Party welcomed Mr. Giuliani to a fundraiser also heralding local congressional candidates.
I served as master of ceremonies, and there was a thoroughly polite welcome for the GOP primary survivors who will try to unseat Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson and Chet Edwards.
But it was Mr. Giuliani who put a room of Reagan-loving red-staters into a positive swoon.
He did it with steadfast support for the Bush war doctrine, coupled with a passion for tight borders that even the still-admired incumbent cannot muster. He did it with strong fiscal conservatism, another Bush weakness. And he did it with a passionate pitch for school choice, an issue Republicans have neglected - mysteriously, since scads of Republicans and Democrats want it.
His content was great. His style was even better. His sharp wit and off-the-cuff comfort are miles beyond the average glazed, scripted politician. He sports a good-natured partisan streak that puts him a head above Mr. McCain, who seems to gag on any sentence suggesting that a Democrat might be wrong.
This is not my prediction that Mr. Giuliani's hand will rest on a Bible at the swearing-in on Jan. 20, 2009. But the Bible-embracing core of the GOP shows a willingness to consider him as he includes evangelical groups in his curious tour of various Republican constituencies.
He will not launch a national gun grab, leaving gun statutes to the cities. He will not push for nationwide gay marriage, happy to leave those decisions to the states, where the Constitution says they belong. He will not pound the bully pulpit for affirmative action, leaving that to the courts.
And speaking of the courts, he speaks glowingly of Mr. Bush's Supreme Court selections, Samuel Alito and John Roberts, suggesting he does not necessarily dream of packing the court with sure-fire abortion-rights opponents.
Throw in the tasty imagery of the Mayor of America wiping the debate stage floor with Mrs. Clinton or virtually anyone else, and it's the kind of thing to make a Republican heart quicken.
I don't know yet whether I can be a Rudy voter, but I'd enjoy watching him try to make me one.
Mark Davis is a columnist for the Dallas Morning News. The Mark Davis Show is heard weekdays nationwide on the ABC Radio Network. His e-mail address is mdavis@wbap.com.
Bernie and Rudy are business partners doing global security consulting. This means that if Rudy got into the WH, Kerik would be looking over all those FBI files.
Ronald Reagan had no Washington experience whatsoever. He was head of the Screen Actors Guild with NO political standing until he gave a great speech supporting B. Goldwater. Then he became Governor of California.
I guess using your criteria, Reagan wouldn't get your vote for the Republican nomination. Ford, Rockefeller and GHW Bush would all be better nominees because they have Washington experience, right?
The entire establishment of NYC, including Jews like Ed Koch, came down on him for throwing Arafat out.
You leave out his explanation for the act. It had nothing to do with Israel.
He said that as the third highest official in the Reagan Justice Dept, he had actual knowledge that Arafat was directly guilty of the murder of two US diplomats, Ambassador Cleo Noel and U.S. Charges d'affaires George Curtis Moore.
You can always dismiss what someone has done but the fact remains that he- and only he- did what was needed. No one before and no one since.
Maybe the question should be phrased this way:
If one was a 'Rat Presidential election consultant, which Republican Nominee would be the hardest to beat?
Anyone who thinks George Allen would be harder to beat than Rudy is myopic enough to qualify for an extra deduction on their income tax.
Pardon my French, but then why didn't he have the f#cker arrested?
SORRY YOU ARE WRONG! Kerik is NO LONGER a business partner with Rudy.
Rudy is electable. No one else is at this point. It's very doubtful that Allen is electable out of his region he's an unknown.
Karl Rove went and met with Guiliani early on this year which means one thing: this is the guy they are going to promote. Bush won't go out on a limb for McCain, and there isn't anyone else out there to fight the war on terror that Bush could feel comfortable handing the sword to after he leaves. It's got to be a hawk and Guiliani will be that guy. The moral issues are frankly ones that the gov't has been TOO much involved in and should be ratcheted back down to the states levels. And he'll get the New York vote, even over Hillary and that's a whole lot of electoral votes.
"Anyone who thinks George Allen would be harder to beat than Rudy is myopic enough to qualify for an extra deduction on their income tax."
LOL!
I totally agree!
Now, if my two choices in the primary are Rudy and McCain, hmmm. . .I'd have to think that one over.
Many Presidents were unknowns outside their own region until they ran.
I myself, at this point in time, support Allen. He can sweep the South and non-coastal western states, assuring us a victory in '08.
As a former governor and current senator, he is just as, if not more, qualified than a former mayor to lead the WOT, plus he has a proven record of conservatism in economical, cultural, defense, immigration and all other facets of government.
If Rudy runs, he'd be the favorite to win the New Hampshire Primary.
He would be a lock for most if not all of the Northeast states. I would think he would do well in the large Midwest states also.
He'd be the favorite for California.
Most importantly, he's supporting Republican candidates all over the country this year and making LOTS of friends.
I think Rudy is the favorite to win the nomination if he runs. I don't see anyone out there at this point who could beat him.
BUT, as a poster said, it's still early.
"Rudy is electable. No one else is at this point. It's very doubtful that Allen is electable out of his region he's an unknown."
Rudy isn't electable. The NRA and Right to Life will crush him, the base would never nominate such a liberal twit.
Perfect mayor for a liberal city, that is as far as he will ever go politically.
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