Posted on 03/04/2007 7:26:41 AM PST by veronica
Fred Wehba is not supposed to be a Rudy Giuliani supporter.
A born-again Christian who helped found an evangelical church in celebrity-soaked Beverly Hills in 2002, Wehba is deeply opposed to Giuliani's pro-choice, pro-gay-rights views.
But Wehba, a successful businessman, is willing to look beyond those traits to something else he sees in the Republican former mayor: a leadership X-factor that he believes could squash Democrat Hillary Clinton and carry Giuliani all the way to the White House in 2008.
"He's someone who can get things done, and he can win," said Wehba. "And I'm not the only Christian who thinks like that."
As 2008 hopefuls start to woo different slices of the electorate, one of the more unexpected shifts appears to be a slow migration of white evangelical conservatives toward the thrice-married Giuliani.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll last week found that such voters are now a major reason why Giuliani is outpacing Arizona Sen. John McCain by 23 percentage points - up from just seven percentage points in January.
Giuliani is pulling ahead with a novel approach: by simply agreeing to disagree with conservatives on social issues, then moving quickly to the common ground he shares on taxes, education and the war on terror.
"You've got to run based on who you are," Giuliani told a group of South Carolina firefighters recently. "If you do it that way, even people who disagree with you sometimes respect you."
Giuliani is aided by the fact that conservatives have no real standard bearer in the top tier. They distrust McCain for once bashing televangelist Jerry Falwell, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is now greeted with beach flip-flops for all his shifts on abortion and other social issues.
"Giuliani has an authenticity that does register with a lot of conservatives," said John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. "They say, 'Well, at least we know where he stands.'"
Which is why Wehba, 59 - a former Texan who last voted for George W. Bush - will be standing with Giuliani tomorrow night when he hits Los Angeles for a fund-raiser.
"Maybe we don't all agree with his social positions," said Wehba. "But that's okay, he's a deal maker."
drip drip drip drip
That's the sound of water leaking into the hull of the SS Rudyhater.
Bullsh*t. We distrust McCain overwhelmingly because of his outlawing political speech, but there are plenty of other reasons, too.
His opinion of Jerry Falwell, however, is so far beyond meaningless that I lack the vocabulary to describe it.
Now, that's a well-thought out riposte. :)
But he is able to compartmentalize his life quite nicely--not applying what he professes to believe to his daily life--and I'm sure he is not alone...
Oh boy - this should be another fun thread!! I'm just going to settle in and enjoy.
The evangelist in a "celebrity-soaked" environment going with they guy he thinks can win doesn't surprise me and doesn't impress me. Haven't there been more than enough of these "mega-church" preachers shown to be more worldly than spiritually-oriented to leave some lessons with folks?
There have been many very good presidents who were not particularly Christian men in their private life, just as the worst president of the 20th century, Jimmy Carter, a self-identified (and obnoxious) born-again, is so crippled by an adherence to a form of sentimental Christianity that he is dangerous to the survival of the Nation. If Rudy gets national security, crime, social security and Medicare reform, and general fiscal discipline correct, then I can live with stalemate on the other issues right now. I think Rudy can beat the Dems.
Well, I guess it's a done deal.
We should just cancel the primaries and get on with the coronation.
That's a mighty big IF.
Agreed, Conservatives distrust McCain for backstabbing the President at every crucial opportunity so that he could grandstand himself on Sunday morning. He fed the media hatred of W. in exchange for self-promotion.
LALALALALA! He can't win, he can't win, he can't win!
I'm certain that a Beverly Hills "evangelist" speaks for the entire Religious Right. /sarcasm
The author's apparent cluelessness on the question of McStain makes me doubt everything else he writes. Honestly, I couldn't have told you what John McCain thinks of Jerry Falwell if you held a gun to my head!
They know he can win. They just don't want him to win.
(((((PING))))))
BINGO! And they will try anything they can to try to stop him. But the problem with that is they don't have any influence whatsoever on the average voter.
Rudy is already talking to the hands of many republicans..
And list is growing.. and will continue to grow..
Ugh!.. BUSH barely won in 2004.. Did I say barely?..
Rudy will get Hitlery elected FOR SURE..
Bwa-hahaha!
Brilliant!
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