Posted on 02/20/2007 6:57:46 AM PST by meg88
ONLY a few months ago, conventional wisdom throughout much of the political world was that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani might make a competitive Republican candidate for president in a general election, but he could never win his party's nomination because conservative primary voters would reject him.
Now, suddenly, that wisdom seems to have shifted, and as Giuliani trouped through California last week, he was wowing conservatives with his charisma, his gift for sounding spontaneous on the stump and his call for bold national leadership.
"Rudy" - as he is known everywhere - has already been accepted as one of three top-tier Republican candidates, along with Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. With California and several other large industrial states set to move their primaries up to early February, Giuliani might be more formidable than ever.
"All three candidates have challenges when it comes to proving themselves to conservatives," said Jon Fleischman, a party activist whose Flashreport.org Web site is considered by insiders to be the voice of conservative Republicans in the state. "Giuliani has just as good a shot as the other two of trying to articulate to conservatives why, as they compromise to pick a candidate, it should be him."
Romney, though seemingly a favorite of social conservatives, has a shifting record on some hot-button issues, including abortion. McCain frustrated grass-roots types with his sponsorship of a federal campaign finance measure that has meant restrictions on campaign activity - and free speech - that hardly qualify as limited government. Giuliani, meanwhile, has his familiar record in favor of abortion rights, gay rights and some restrictions on gun ownership, not to mention an interesting personal past that includes a very public divorce.
Dan Schnur, a Republican communications expert who worked for McCain in 2000, says the field so far reminds him of the old joke about two guys who are out camping in the woods and see a bear approaching. As one of them puts on his shoes, the other one says, "You're crazy, you can't outrun a bear." To which the first one replies: "I know, but I can outrun you."
"These three candidates don't have to convince conservatives to trust them completely," Schnur said. "One of them just has to convince conservatives to trust him more than the other guys."
On that score, Giuliani has had a mixed performance in California. At the state Republican convention in Sacramento, he failed to show for a scheduled visit with the California Republican Assembly, a conservative grass-roots group, ticking off some activists who probably would not have supported him anyway, at least in the primary. But convention delegates responded warmly to his speech, which included a strong defense of President Bush's conduct of the war on Islamic terrorism. And his presence created a buzz in the hall that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has something of a love-hate relationship with party regulars, could not match.
Bill Simon, the Los Angeles financier who was the Republican candidate for governor in 2002 and is a former colleague of Giuliani in the U.S. attorney's office in New York, is supporting him. So are Curt Pringle, the mayor of Anaheim, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich. The not-so-conservative former mayor of Los Angeles, Richard Riordan, is also on board.
Giuliani clearly benefits from the aura surrounding his performance in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, when he was seen as a strong leader in a crisis.
"I think he has broad appeal in California," said Kevin Spillane, a Republican political consultant who has been talking to the campaign about joining the effort. "Even people who disagree with him on social issues respect him and see him as a strong leader and believe he is an effective and competent and very substantive political figure. I think that's what people are looking for."
It still seems difficult to believe that Republicans, even in California, will nominate a candidate for president who supports abortion rights and is comfortable around homosexuals. But these are strange political times. Maybe, like the gallows, the fear of another President Clinton will concentrate the collective Republican mind.
Daniel Weintraub is a columnist with The Sacramento Bee.
((((((PING)))))
The only possible distinction between Rudy and Hilary is that some could argue over which one looks better in a dress and make-up.
Rudy was never a long shot. That is a myth. By 9-12-01, he was the frontrunner.
oh, and the conduct in the role of Commander in Chief
One big difference between Rudy and Hillary is that Rudy believes the United States is worth defending and Hillary doesn't. That is enough for me.
And Rudy would win that poll too! :)
The headline is inherently false.
Yet another fluff piece by the liberal media, this time the McClatchy people. There is a reason the liberal media writes favorable articles for Giuliani.
True, but it makes for a nore interesting narrative. 23 months until the next inaugration is a long time!
This is exact article already linked through a post
Posted on 02/20/2007 8:02:13 AM CST by areafiftyone
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1787858/postsRudy Running Well in the Home of Ronald Reagan Elephant Biz ^ | 2/20/07 | Bill Hobb
"Only a few months ago, conventional wisdom throughout much of the political world was that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani might make a competitive Republican candidate for president in a general election, but he could never win his party's nomination because conservative primary voters would reject him.
And YOU were pinged to it so don't act like you didn't know.
Because the know Hillary will destroy him.
I agree 100%! That is the bottom line of this campaign and why conservatives like me have jumped on board with a lot of others.
If a bear is chasing you and your friends through the woods you don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun your slowest friend.
Yeah, Santorum won it going away didn't he.
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