[atomicpossum]

The question for discussion is: Will the SOB factor help Rudy, or hurt him?

Truthfully, I think it's his one beneficial trait.

[Steel Wolf]

Upon some reflection, I think this is why I like Rudy. He's a SOB, and I'm tired of President Bush's nice guy/pushover routine. I think most people are, too, which explains Rudy's appeal. Once you admit that he's an SOB, but that's what you want, then it's easier to overlook his negatives. It's because he's a negative force that I want unleashed on my enemies.

At any rate, I've said my piece. Cue the hand wringing and gnashing of teeth.

[ken5050]

I'm not sure if it will be a factor at all. There's another old adage which I think is more appropriate..

Yes, he's an S.O.B, but he's OUR S.O.B.!"

[dforest]

Nope. "Its like deja vu all over again"

We need to get over Rudy. This party is setting itself up all over again for a 2006 replay. Clever on the part of the Dems. If something works , why fix it?, strategy.

We lose in 2006, more about the Foley kerfuffal, than anything else. After the elections, the RATs get rolling quickly for 2008. Puts us in a hurry.

We are fed polls that Rudy is the guy. It is already causing a major division and argument in the party. Many people do not know the Rudy history, especially people who spend little time on politics, they only think of 9-11.

We put Rudy up, the MSMs and the Dems will make the most ugly facts about Rudy ever more ugly.

The MSMs are too quiet at this time on Rudy and his history, they are...waiting.

We will have a Foley scandal of POTUS size proportions. In sail the RATs with relative ease.

End of story.

[longtermmemmory]

another National Review puff piece.

Guiliani is just having his buds write warm and fuzzy pieces.

Just because a MSM buddy writes him as an SOB does not make him less of an anti-second amendment, pro-homosexual marriage, typical lawyer politician.

[Beckwith]

Apprised of the fact that the potato famine of 1846-7 may have killed a million Irish people, Lord Cardigan sniffed: “Not enough to do any good.”

Cecil Woodham-Smith, considered the preeminent authority on the Irish Famine, wrote in The Great Hunger; Ireland 1845-1849 that, "...no issue has provoked so much anger or so embittered relations between the two countries (England and Ireland) as the indisputable fact that huge quantities of food were exported from Ireland to England throughout the period when the people of Ireland were dying of starvation."

According to John Mitchel, quoted by Woodham-Smith, "Ireland was actually producing sufficient food, wool and flax, to feed and clothe not nine but eighteen millions of people," yet a ship sailing into an Irish port during the famine years with a cargo of grain was "sure to meet six ships sailing out with a similar cargo."

In Ireland Before and After the Famine, author Cormac O’Grada documents that in 1845, a famine year in Ireland, 3,251,907 quarters (8 bushels = 1 quarter)) of corn were exported from Ireland to Britain. That same year, 257,257 sheep were exported to Britain. In 1846, another famine year, 480,827 swine, and 186,483 oxen were exported to Britain. The average monthly export of food from Ireland was worth 100,000 Pound Sterling — almost throughout the five-year famine, Ireland remained a net exporter of food.

While Irish peasants met severe misfortune, landowners — most of whom were Anglican — continued to prosper.

[freedomfiter2]

Almost anyone can act like an obnoxious jerk, the trick is in knowing when that's appropriate. Bush thinks it never is and Rudy thinks that's always the way to go.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Remember what the American Voter reacts to in these times:

No balding white man is going to win the Presidency over Hillary or Obama (scratch Giuliani and Thompson).

No old-looking white man is going to win the Presidency over Hillary or Obama (scratch McCain and Hunter).

No mean-looking white man is going to win the Presidency over Hillary or Obama (scratch Gingrich, Gilmore, Huckabee, and Paul).

The only Republican candidates who can appeal to a sufficient number of shallow, superficial American Swing Voters are Mitt Romney and the strangely quiet Colin Powell (Europe's favorite American). If one of them isn't the nominee, a Democrat will win in 2008.

Which ultimately might not be a bad thing. The next President is going to have to answer for a real-estate-equity-driven Depression, an act of nuclear terrorism on American soil, tax increases to fund swelling entitlement payments, the rest of Mexico setting up housekeeping on American soil, and China's forcible re-annexation of Taiwan. By 2012, the Mitt Romney and/or Jeb Bush "Return to Sanity" ticket is going to look mighty appealing. ;)

[freespirited]

I want an SOB in the WOT.

[MinuteGal]

Agree with his posits or not, Derbyshire is one helluva writer.

In my opinion, National Review (magazine and on-line) has assembled the best stable of political/cultural columnists and critics since the assemblage of fiction-writing contributors to the old Saturday Evening Post.

Leni

[GSlob]

The trouble with this approach is that hillary has a DOB- [or B-] rating of 150.

[Gracey]

I believe THE SOB factor was why the VERY Conservative CPAC www.cpac.org voted for Rudy in their straw poll. He came in first when adding 1st & 2nd choices. He had no campaign, no flyers, no staff, he was not even on the agency, and he and Romney were the front runners. Good post.

[dervish]

it's why I like him. And Bolton. The US needs a tough talking/acting President who will unashamedly assert US power.

[Al Simmons]