COURT-ING A DISASTER WITH BASE (Rooty fails abortion test---status in doubt)

NY POST ^ | May 4, 2007 | JOHN PODHORETZ

[karnage]

I didn’t see the debate, but from what I’ve read on FR, a lot of observers feel that Rudy did not do well. I have not been a total Rudybot, but willing to consider him. I expected him to do well in debates. If not...

What do you think of Romney?

[Just mythoughts]

Matthews is media representative of who runs the peoples house and the senate as of last November. I really do not have a problem observing how a “conservative” candidate responds to a flaming liberal.

I just am not sure that anyone other than FR and political strategists were even paying attention.

[NucSubs]

Amen about the moderator. WHY do they do that? Jeeze Louise! WHY!!!!???

[NittanyLion]

I posted this in the debate thread. While I don't mean to spam across multiple threads, I think it fits better here, so I'm going to repost it. Apologies in advance to those that have to read this twice:

The Giuliani Problem

After the debate last night, one has to believe that Rudy has a serious problem with positioning. Forget about who you want to win the primary, and just compare Giuliani to Romney. If you were the type who is willing to vote for Rudy, what would recommend him over Mitt?

"Inevitability / can beat the Dem candidate" - after last night I have more confidence in Romney's ability to win the general than I do in Rudy's. Mitt would completely embarrass Hillary or Obama in a debate.

Fiscal Responsibility - Giuliani's promoters point to his spending restraint while mayor (regardless of whether the facts bear it out); yet, Romney's success in private and public enterprise is clearly superior.

Foreign Policy - neither candidate has any experience in this arena, so it's a push.

Social issues - one can argue with whether Romney's position on abortion has really changed, but Rudy has blatantly stuck with his. I think Romney wins on gun control as well.

Personally, I don't see how Rudy overcomes Romney. That's not to say that Romney will win, but by my reckoning Rudy could very well be boxed out of this race unless he somehow repositions his campaign.

[Liz]

Rudy seemed to have never been asked or thought much about many of the questions and it became difficult for his canned responses to apply to the actual questions.

Rooty flopped at his mission........to finish off conservatives and take the party to where he wanted it, (where he thinks he can win). Note that he did make a weak allusion to winning w/ Dems and Indies.

Rooty was vainly clinging to the RINO's Impossible Dream----to takeover the party by dumping social conservatives off the Repub lifeboat.

Unfortunately the Big Plan was based on the ignorant assumption that conservatives would roll over and play dead.

Ain't happening.

[stopem]

This was posted on another thread, interesting:

http://newsbusters.org/stories/politico_what_do_you_dislike_about_america.html

[ken5050]

You nailed it.. Rudy was terrible last night...he looked very uneasy...Hunter and Gilmore, as supposed “2nd tier” candidates” were the big winners..they both were polished, looked presidential,..showed they belonged. McCain look old, tired..

[thepresidentsbestfriend]

Rudy is a POS!!!!!

[thepresidentsbestfriend]

What you dont get is this....Rudy told us last night that if elected he will SHOP for the 1 so called conservative judge that will guarantee Roe not be overturned.

Also Rudy is a POS

[Guenevere]

Well said!

[Mr. K]

_.-*”-._.—._.—._.—._.@!

And you know Flipper
Lives in a world full of Wonder
Flying there under
Under the sea

_.-*”-._.—._.—._.—._.@!

[Leatherneck_MT]

“He was for overturning it before he was against it.

By a matter of seconds.”

LOL

Typical freakin liberal

[Fresh Wind]

I thought it interesting that Chrissy, and many of the candidates, spoke of “repealing” Roe v. Wade. At least Rudy used the “overturn” word, not that it makes me want to vote for him.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Rudy is a Liberal, he has always been a liberal, he will always BE a liberal.

Supporting a Liberal over (more or less) proven conservatives is something I personally (and many here) will not do.

If Rudy is the republican nominee, the republicans will lose their ass in the 2008 election.

[tcostell]

Personally I think the last thing you can say about John is that he's delusional, but I agree that he's been a cheerleader. John is less an ideologue and views himself as taking a more practical view of politics. In his eyes he's keeping his focus on winning and worrying about policy as a secondary concern, while we at FR tend to be more ideologically driven and view his take as a "win at any price" attitude.

Apart from being from NYC and knowing Rudy personally, his political priorities jives with supporting Rudy as the strongest candidate to beat the Dems. Now that the Giuliani campaign has begun it's freefall in earnest, we can count on John to propose practical and effective ways to help ensure a win for whoever gets the nod.

I'll admit, he gets on my nerves a little sometimes too because I think policy is more important than victory. But one thing is for sure, and that is that John is a serious guy with a lot of serious thoughts and a damned smart cookie.

I'm glad he's on our side.

[tioga]

He is articulate and unapologetic about being a conservative.

What a guy! I love that about him.

[AU72]

"It would be OK also if a strict constructionist viewed it as precedent"

Like Dred Scott?

[monkapotamus]

[liberty or death]

“Agreeing to allow Chris Matthews to moderate the debate? Insanity”.

My thoughts exactly. also ad “Stupid”, “Cowards” and just plain old “Fools”.

The left must just laugh their ass off when they set the same old traps and the Republicans just stomp right in the center with open eye’s and an “Idiots” smile.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I wish we hadn’t banned so many Rudy people, it would have been fun to watch them try to explain this. They would have needed all new quotes from Simon and Olson. :-)