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.”
Very weak post if I do say do.
Read a little history - how many of our great leaders were mayors or even of lesser titles.
Very weak effort.
Dear justshutupandtakeit,
"People are not the same as potential people."
Not sure what a "potential person" might be.
However, an unborn baby is a person. Not a potential person.
Calling an unborn baby a "potential person" is DU talk.
"PA would not be a 'tough nut' for Guiliani. It would be a cakewalk."
This from a person who seems to identify unborn babies as "potential persons." You'll forgive me if I no longer take you seriously. I thought erroneously that you were a conservative. You post more like a liberal troll trying to destroy the Republican Party from the inside out.
No wonder you're such a big Giuliani backer.
sitetest
For the last 60 years, war or no war, life in America has gone on, unchanged. Just as it did during the Korean War, the Vietnam War and all during the Cold War. Daily life for Americans didn't come to a grinding halt because the Feds were prosecuting wars overseas. And social issues weren't placed on the back burner because the US was fighting the Commies in Asia or the Soviet Empire. That is never more true then today, even with the US involved in the WOT. Social issues and fiscal issues don't take a back seat for most conservatives.
Republicans have been nominating pro-life candidates for Prez since Reagan in 1980. Even Bob Dole was a pro-lifer. Gun owners and NRA members don't support candidates who call for a ban on so-called assault weapons and want more gun control limitations. Most conservatives don't want special rights for homos and amnesty for illegal aliens either.
Giuliani`s pro-abortion, pro-gun control, pro-special rights for homos and illegals makes him a social liberal. Did Giuliani act instinctively on fiscal and crime issues as Mayor of NYCity, and in the best interests of New Yorkers? Sure he did. That doesn't make him a conservative. Rudy was a liberal Mayor, governing a liberal city.
Conservatives can do a whole lot better then nominating a liberal as the GOP`s Presidential candidate for 2008. Besides, there is over two years to go until the election. Lets see who decides to announce for President before we jump on anyones bandwagon this early. Especially a liberal candidate.
In 1976, Republicans didn't know who was going to win the GOP nomination, until the Republican Convention was held in August of 1976. Then a sitting POTUS, Gerald Ford, barely beat Ronald Reagan.
Everyone needs to slow down, before a serious error in judgment is made.
Leadership is crucial and being a tremendously successful mayor of NYC is more difficult than being governors of most states.
Vice President Cheney has no military experience and who would oppose him as a candidate? Gore had military experience as does Murtha and who in their right mind cares?
All I have said all along is that the conventional objections do not carry much weight for Guiliani because he is unique. My preferred candidates: Cheney, Rumsfeld don't have a chance and my earlier favorite Senator Allen has a bad case of foot in mouth disease.
There will be no "suprise" nominee. McCain and Guiliani are the clear front runners and, without death, serious illness or withdrawal, will be the ones to beat.
I have two sons. They are real people.
My wife had a miscarriage. The fetus was not a real person only a potential one. They simply are not equivalents.
Maybe it would have been a real person but there probably was some defect which prevented it from becoming such.
I don't particularly care what you think I am or am not. This discussion is not about me.
I am not a big Guiliani backer merely one who has no doubt that he will win the nomination if he wants it and the presidency thereafter. Stereotypical opposition to him will not be sufficient to defeat him particularly when he chooses a conservative running mate: Allen, Barbour, or someone like that.
Dear justshutupandtakeit,
I prefer not to bring my private life into these discussions, but my own personal experiences are not markedly different from yours.
Yet, the unborn baby was a real person, a real human being. I will not go further into my own personal experience on this, but I will say only that I recognize the inherent humanity of each human person from conception on.
The failure to recognize that is a major blindness in much of our society generally today, and in many individuals.
The Republican Party has traditionally fought against this moral blindness by working toward the day when all persons, born and unborn, are protected in law. The Republican Party is a pro-life party.
If unborn babies were only "potential persons" then why bother with the legality of abortion?
Pro-aborts belong over at DU, not at Free Republic trying to hijack our party.
sitetest
Bs. Aside from the fact that there is no where near the sheer geographical area involved and he has no experience whatsoever in assessing or addressing the interests of rural and small town citizens. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. Small towns, bedroom communities and rural dwellers have needs and concerns that state governors need to address - and the Rudester doesn't even have a clue.
Vice President Cheney has no military experience and who would oppose him as a candidate?
Cheney served as the Secretary of Defense from March 1989 to January 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. He directed the United States invasion of Panama, and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East. Not my Idea of no military experience prior to his presidential run.
Gore had military experience as does Murtha and who in their right mind cares?
It should be a requirement, not Sole criteria.
There will be no "suprise" nominee. McCain and Guiliani are the clear front runners and, without death, serious illness or withdrawal, will be the ones to beat.
Reagan came out of nowhere. So did Carter and Slick Willy.
Permit me to repeat:
NO ANTI-GUN CANDIDATE WILL GET MY VOTE--EVER!!
NO ANTI-GUN CANDIDATE WILL GET MY VOTE--EVER!!
NO ANTI-GUN CANDIDATE WILL GET MY VOTE--EVER!!
Thank you.
It does with me. I will not vote for him.
Why bother with the legality of abortion? Uh, it was thrown into the legal arena by the pro-aborts and will never get out.
Roe was opposed by conservatives as much for the seizure of power by the Courts as for any moral concerns. That and the fact that federal power was expanded into State concerns.
Oh, please if you can handle the problems of NYC a small town would be child's play. There is nothing approaching the complexity of NYC in them an none of their problems are unique. Leaders handle such things with ease.
I presumed you were speaking of actually being in the military.
Reagan in NO way "came out of nowhere". He was governor of the largest state in the Union for two terms and prior to that was one of the most recognized people in America from his tv shows. There is no comparison to Reagan.
Dear justshutupandtakeit,
If unborn babies are merely "potential persons," then why shouldn't abortion be legal?
sitetest
You didn't address that you just tried to pretend it isn't so - either because you have never lived out in a rural area, or because if done so honestly Rudy doesn't measure up.
Dear Blackirish,
"Even if Guliani promised to ...and I think he would keep his promise...to appoint judges in the mold of Roberts and Alito they would not care."
It isn't that we wouldn't care. We just wouldn't believe.
Mr. Giuliani's record is so completely all-abortion all-the-time, it's a basic right, he'd pay for his own hypothetical daughter's own abortion, believes so strongly that it's a fundamental right that he wants the GOVERNMENT to pay for the abortions of poor women, that nothing short of a total conversion experience, with weeping and gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, covering with ashes, recounting of his coming to Jesus, and absolute repudiation of his evil ways would quite convince. Even then...
I admire Mr. Giuliani for his forthright (even if quite extreme) stand on the issue of abortion.
However, it would be a little late in the day for him to try to make a modest course correction by suggesting that he would appoint folks to the Supreme Court that would overturn Roe. It would be seen for the cynical act that it would be.
sitetest
Neither one of them will do well in the deep south. I'd bet on Newt Gingrich first. I'll bet Algore thought he would take his home state of Tennessee in 2000. Too bad, they voted their guns. First time that has happened in about 80 years....that a favorite son hasn't swept his own state. I'll bet Algore thought he would take West-By-God Virginia, too. THAT would have given him the Presidency. West Virginia hasn't gone Republican since the early 1900's. BUT....the first day of Deer Season is a public school holiday! West Virginia voted their guns, too. Rudy will be perceived as the carpet bagger from Nuuuu YAWK and McLAME will be seen for being the sellout RINO he is! Southerners won't trust either one. Can't win without the solid south. What makes the solid south solid? Social Conservatism.
Well-said.
Well-said.
Wanna bet. Rudy will never win the nomination.
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