Posted on 02/21/2007 12:06:36 PM PST by Reagan Man
The Republicans, and even some socially conservative and evangelical leaders, are beginning to adjust to the possibility of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as the GOP nominee for president.
But not all. The Southern Baptist’s Richard Land, for instance, predicts massive defections from Rudy in the event of a Rudy Giuliani vs. Hillary Clinton race. Hugh Hewitt, evangelical talk-meister in the syndicated stream of radio shows doubts this ; "... If Rudy is persuasive on the judges he will nominate, he wouldn’t have a problem with the social conservatives in the general election." So tell us you’ll nominate the likes of Scalia, Roberts, and Alito to the Supreme Court, and we will line up behind you no matter your substantial views that run counter to the Judeo-Christian ethic, he and his handlers are undoubtedly thinking.
Well, I won’t.
And I bet I speak for hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions when I say that I cannot in good conscience vote for a man with significant moral problems in his personal life, a radically wrong view of abortion (against it personally, but for women making their own pro-abortion choice), and oh-so-very Times Square and Hollywood on the issues of homosexual rights and guns (for and against, respectively).
Can’t vote for him, even if his opponent is Hillary Rodham Clinton ? No, I cannot.
Aw, c’mon, Team Republican says, nobody who purports to be socially conservative, evangelical, or who voted twice for Ronald Reagan will be able to muster a vote for Hillary over Rudy.
Probably right. But voting for her isn’t the only option. When the electorate isn’t excited about the candidates, they are capable of staying home — particularly those who don’t much care to think political thoughts 24/7 and are not enthused about the choices. There are others of us who will either leave the presidential portion of the ballot unmarked or decide for the first time in our lives to vote, say, the Constitution Party.
Next argument — Then you’ll just be putting Hillary into office. Next rebuttal — No, rather, my precious vote won’t be responsible for putting into office a man who thinks we will vote for him because he is best suited and capably prepared to keep America safe but can’t guard his own soul from moral perdition.
But, in all of this, there is something else to think about. The President of the United States guides his own political party and its platform. And the party of President Rudy Giuliani will soon become the party of the same kind of governing mushiness that has absorbed the Democrats. Give the party to Rudy and the moral code and political sensibilities of Reagan are lost, perhaps for good.
Better to lose an election and reload ideologically than try to cheer on and take cues from a man with a worldview radically divergent from your own.
May the primaries be kind to the GOP ; and kindness means Giuliani loses.
[Matt Friedeman (mfriedeman@wbs.edu) is a professor at Wesley Biblical Seminary. Respond to this column at his blog : evangelismtoday.blogspot.com.]
"YOU people have no clue what Rudy is all about. YOU refuse to accept his statements and actions on these issues. Grow up."
So, only the elite Rudy supporters have a clue, but not those of us who oppose him? Interesting.
Which statements are you referring to? His statements while he was Mayor of NYC, or his statements since he's announced he's running for president? Which do I believe, before, or after? Please advise.
"Politicians have to EARN my vote. They are not granted a right to it by the letter next to their name."
In the mean time, we get a Clinton/Obama administration for 8 years.
Yes, but it's the principle of the thing.......
Rudy has NARAL to explain. I just read up on Margaret Sanger and the start of PP. Never knew any of that before.
Rudy is anti gun and thinks the 2nd amendment means it can be "regulated".
Rudy is po-amnesty. Mr. law and order refuses to enforce the law and then has the audacity to got to court to fight it. He loses and still refuses to obey the law.
On core issues Rudy is a loser.
Giuliani/Kyl 2008!
"In the mean time, we get a Clinton/Obama administration for 8 years."
And whose fault is that? The people who stuck to their beliefs, or the party who continues to sell them out?
Show me anywhere in life where rewarding negative behavior produces positive results. Work, family - it doesn't happen. If you fail to say "no", your employees or kids or political party will continue to walk all over you.
I'm sure glad the founding fathers had more guts to say "no" than a lot of people on this site. If this board was around then, there would have been people saying "Yeah, I don't like soldiers being quartered in my home or being taxed without representation, but I don't want to risk the consequences of saying no!"
The context I was speaking is the pro rudy crowd refuses to acknowledge his statements and actions are contrary to core beliefs of the Republican party and conservatism.
"And whose fault is that? The people who stuck to their beliefs, or the party who continues to sell them out?
Show me anywhere in life where rewarding negative behavior produces positive results.
It sure didn't work with Bill & Hillary did it? : )
Will do.
Those who are attempting to hold the Republican Party and the Country hostage to the whims of the radical right most certainly should look to their "conscience", "principles" and "integrity". Because all three are sorely lacking.
You brought Reagan up.
Yes, that's correct, Reagan Man...
Truth is Giuliani is closer to the liberalism of Hillary Clinton, then he is to the conservatism of Reagan.
If the order is
Hillary Clinton ↔ Rudy Giuliani ↔ Ronald Reagan
on the Left-Right political spectrum, wouldn't it still be better to vote for Rudy than to help Hillary by not voting for Rudy?
Again, politics is the art of the possible.
You know why the republicans gained power?
They ran as conservatives. Unapologetic conservatives with an agenda and a plan.
You know why they lost power? They stopped being conservatives and tried to be warm and fuzzy and outspend the liberals. They lost their way.
"With attitudes like yours" - is a great way to hand over power to the liberals.
You just countered yourself in your post: Democrats are running "conservative" candidates. Why is that? Because in most cases, conservatism WINS elections! The problem comes for republicans when they say they're going to be conservative and then end up breaking the promise. Even worse is when they run a liberal republican - look what happened to gerald ford.
So you're saying democrats are running conservatives to win elections, but the solution for republicans is to go more liberal. Do you people even notice the disconnect when you say things like that???
"Show me anywhere in life where rewarding negative behavior produces positive results."
And in the meantime, how many Americans get blown to hell by some jihadist because Jack Murtha is Secretary of State?
I don't like Rudy at all - his being an enthusiastic gun-grabber with authoritarian leanings rules him out for me, and being a generally liberal person on domestic issues doesn't help...
...BUT...
...anyone who says that they'll stay home or vote 3rd party if it is a Rudy-Hitlery race next November is, IMHO, sorely lacking in judgment.
Why? Because we are a 2 party nation. Except for the odd statehouse race every few years and 1 or 2 Congressional seats, all races of national importance go to someone with an R or a D after their name. That's a fact, like it or not, and has been for over 100 years and will continue to be for the forseeable future. That means that failing to vote for Little Evil in the General Election makes the election of Big Evil a far more likely event.
IMHO, you vote for and contribute to the person you like the most in the primaries, and you hold your nose and vote for the least bad candidate in November. I'd have thought that conservatives would have learned that lesson with the Bush v. Clinton race of 1992.
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