Posted on 08/21/2006 6:16:02 AM PDT by areafiftyone
The S.C. Republican Party’s sponsorship of “An Evening Honoring Rudy Giuliani” last week spoke volumes.
It reflected what some said is a shift in attitude toward GOP candidates with more liberal views on social issues.
There’s a greater degree of tolerance and acceptance, party officials said.
Giuliani, who rose to national prominence for his take-charge performance after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, supports gay rights, gun control and legalized abortion, which puts him at odds with most Republicans.
Nevertheless, he has traveled the country extensively on behalf of GOP candidates this year while acknowledging his own interest in a possible 2008 presidential bid.
Although his liberal stance on social issues is likely to disqualify him with religious conservatives, the former New York City mayor remains in great demand as a speaker before Republican groups.
In this visit — his first major political trip to South Carolina — Giuliani attended a fundraiser for conservative GOP congressional candidate Ralph Norman, the one-term state representative who is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. John Spratt, a 24-year House veteran in a hotly contested race in the 5th District.
Giuliani ended the day in Charleston at a star-studded $2,500-a-couple fundraiser for the state Republican Party.
He packed the place.
“Rudy is a very popular figure,” GOP chairman Katon Dawson said. “We didn’t have any problem with him coming.”
Giuliani, affectionately known as “America’s mayor,” is seen as middle-of-the-road by most voters nationally, according to Rasmussen Reports, an electronic survey company.
It found 36 percent of Americans see him as a political moderate, 29 percent said conservative, and 15 percent said liberal. Twenty percent are not sure.
Former state GOP chairman Barry Wynn said the party needs to take a fresh look at the way it regards new voters, especially those new residents who’ve settled along the coast and are starting to have an impact on state party politics.
Those voters tend to be more progressive in outlook and are more inclined to support someone like Giuliani.
“I think Rudy could be more popular in South Carolina than most people would think,” Wynn said.
The debate in 2008 isn’t going to be about tax cuts, abortion or Social Security reform — Republican favorites.
“The overarching issues this time will be national security and leadership,” Wynn said. “Everything else will fit under that.”
Such a scenario favors Giuliani, Greenville consultant Chip Felkel said.
Francis Marion University political scientist Neal Thigpen, a GOP activist, said Giuliani is in a “special category.”
He’s a “glittering personality” with star quality who can get away with supporting legalized abortion and gay rights.
His position on those social issues “would not hurt him as bad over the long haul as one may think. If John McCain had the same position, it would hurt him a lot worse.”
Needless to say, the hard-core religious right won’t surrender territory on social issues. They’d rather go down in flames than win.
But unless terrorists no longer are a threat to the United States, national security and leadership will be at the top of the issues heap in 2008.
Voters won’t be concerned about gay rights or abortion. What matters most will be their own security in a volatile world.
And the candidate who stands to benefit is Giuliani.
“If your house is on fire,” Wynn said, “you want a guy with the hose.”
Ummm I hope you are not serious. I am an Italian. Now where is my cement mixture. LOL
It's not acceptable for ANY candidate.
Sorry I mean HAD NO Military Experience.
Dear don-o,
It may be that in 2008, we just don't have a very good candidate. It's happened before.
Frankly, I still think that once he's done with the 2006 Senatorial campaign, Mr. Allen will put on a good show for 2008. He's no worse a campaigner than our current president, and can be significantly more articulate.
Remember, too, that the process itself helps the ultimately successful candidate. I remember laughing at a Georgian peanut farmer in 1976, and an Arkansas hick in 1992. I didn't find either of these men to be serious candidates. I think lots of folks laughed with me early in the primary seasons in those two years.
I remember how feckless Mr. Bush, the father, seemed in the early part of the 1988 season, but how formidable he was in the general election.
The process itself lends a certain dignity and gravity to successful candidates.
However, it's clear that there is no Ronald Reagan on the horizon.
Fortunately, the Dems don't have a JFK, either.
;-)
sitetest
Vague?? There's nothing vague whatsoever about his stance on 2nd Amendment issues. Rudy enthusiastically supported and enforced what are by far the most extreme gun ban laws in the US as mayor of NYC. No one should think that as president he wouldn't use his office to push hard for passage of extreme gun control laws for the entire nation.
If the choice is between two enemies of the 2nd Amendment I don't know where the NRA will stand, but I'm pretty sure I know where a large portion of it's 4-1/2 million membership will stand, with conservative 3rd parties. If there is little or no difference in the positions of the two major party nominees on socio-religious and Constitutional issues we may as well just make a statement for the benefit of future GOP primary elections by voting 3rd party.
Amen.
McCain is certainly not strong on national defense and has no great love for this country. He adores illegal aliens, and his vote on amnesty could be viewed as bordering on treason.
It will be ongoing beyond 2008. The question remains, who is qualified to pick up the torch once President Bush leaves office. That thought and question alone virtually eliminates any democrat that is out there running for POTUS.
That's not the vibe I am getting here. I wish it was.
And I do agree with you. There are character issues that should never be overlooked by anyone.
In Israel their past conduct has indeed been gunfire. In the 1970's it was common for Israeli schools to get shot to pieces by terrorists. That all stopped when the IDF began issuing UZI's to all school teachers! But look at the massacre at the LOD (Greece) airport from the 1980's. Firearms and grenades. Achille Lauro cruise ship? Gunfire. Munich 1972? Gunfire and grenades. True...lately the attacks internationally have been backpack devices, like Spain and London. I personally do not think that the 911 scenario will work again. Maybe the last UK plot is more likely, to take out only the airliners in mid-air. While tragic, I doubt it will have the terror impact that a Beslan school massacre would inspire.
Bombs? Sure....picture waves of suicide bombers "going off" simultaneously in malls and schools across the country. Picture a Beslan taking place in all 50 states at once. That was pretty one on one in the comparative sense to 911. Can that be stopped by an alert citizen? Sure. It's happened in Tel Aviv more than once.
Exactly like a common criminal, the Jihadis see us as SHEEP to feed upon. They think we're decadent, soft and stupid. Especially our civilian citizens. I think they've garnered a grudging respect for our military...but they absolutely do not feel the same way about our citizenry....yet.
Assuming Congress gives them the green light, President's by and large (regardless of whether or not they have military experience) don't order troops around on the battlefield once they are there. They order them onto the battlefield, with their commanders on the ground.
That has got to be one insightful comment.
There's a mistaken perception that the Dem candidate is virtually unbeatable, and that we must abandon our conservative Republican principles to back a RINO.
As JimRob famously wrote: "First Hillary has to get by us."
We need to hammer this message home to every sing post that tries to paint Giuliani or McCain as the favorite. The list of issues that I posted are significant in the South and Midwest:
Abortion
Partial Birth Abortion
Higher Taxes
Gun Control and/or Confiscation
Religious issues
Homosexual Agenda
School Vouchers
Illegal Invaders and/or Immigrants Amnesty
I just noticed this. I live in Miami, Florida. Home to one of the largest populations of Jews and gays in the nation. The Jihadis have no love for either group. I am most certainly in their sights in the sense that Miami is a high value target. Also consider that many of the 911 attackers got their flight training in south Florida because they blend in -- they look like hispanics. Now comes the report that illegals crossing the Mexican border from threat nations are learning SPANISH to better blend into the background scenery.
And as Margaret Thatcher said, "Don't go wobbly, (George)."
>>especially if the Democrats don't do something stupid and nominate a pure cut-and-runner.
Yes, a lot depends on who the other candidate is. It also depends on how things - including Iraq and the economy - develop over the next two years.
Currently, there are only three ways of assessing how candidates will fare against each other: opinion polls; fundraising appeal; and judgement. This far in advance of an election, judgement is probably the most important. It seems that you and I have made different judgements.
It is possible that nearer the time we will find out which of us was right. But then, so many other factors come into play, that it is very possible we won't.
"In the loonie bin probably."
You're the one championing a pro-abortion presumptive Republican presidential candidate, with photos in circulation of him in not one, but two different drag "outfits." Your definition of a loon obviously differs from mine.
As Sir Winston Churchill said: "A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril."
Well then do it. I would like to see the reaction of people.
Of course they do even when jailing them.
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