Giuliani Risky Candidate for Conservatives

Illinois Conservative ^ | November 11th, 2007 | Jerry M.

[SERKIT]

The best thing the Illinois Conservative can do is to help clean house in Illinois. The IL-GOP has been in free-fall for many years. It has opportunities, but never misses a chance to blow them. Illinois GOP leadership is a circular firing squad at best.

Let's start with ousting Durbin, squashing Barry Obama, and get some serious candidates for Senator.

And how about our fine Governor Blow-Dry-a-Vich? Lyin' Ryan is in jail - get over it. Let's rebuild folks!

BTW, I don't think Rudy will win the Illinois primary.

[Reagan Man]

This article mirrors many of the anti-Giuliani threads posted on Free Republic over the last year and a half that did a good job exposing Rooty for the liberal he is. Nonetheless, a good summation.

The GOP`s conservative voter base remains seriously split, enabling Rooty to pick off enough support to keep him the front runner. If enough conservatives don’t wake up, Rudy will win the nomination.

[supercat]

Moving to the so called "center" means sacrificing principles to appease the socialist left to garner as many votes as possible simply for the sake of winning.

Democrat and Republican politicians have different objectives. The Democrats stand to benefit from big government whether they're in leadership positions or not--if government gets big enough they'll be plenty of pork to go around. Further, big government will help keep any would-be competitors "in their place". Republican politicians, by contrast, can only benefit if they get leadership positions. If government shrinks (as they're supposed to make happen) there won't be any pork for non-leaders.

Unfortunately, it's in both parties' interest to have the country led by RINOs who take positions far to the left of those Democrats would be able to take against more conservative Republicans. That way Democrats get the big government tyranny they want, while Republicans get the leadership positions they want.

[supercat]

Rudy makes it two risky candidates, Waffling Willard is the other.

I would consider Mitt Romney as the only "risky" candidate from among that tier. Rudy is simply poison, and McCain would simply be crazy.

If Fred Thompson were not in the race, I would consider Mitt Romney as the least odious of the candidates who seemed to have a shot of winning, though I am deeply concerned about what positions he would push should he win the presidency, especially in a second term.

It may well be that Romney's just as bad as Rudy, but simply hides it better. But if I have to support someone I'd rather it be someone who either at least claims to support my position. If that's not possible, I'd rather have someone who openly claims to be my enemy than someone who claims to be my friend but openly supports (supposedly on my behalf) positions to which I am opposed. Note that I'd be unlikely to actively support either of the latter two types of candidate.

As I see it, the primary front-runners are Giuliani and Romney. Of those two, I would consider Romney preferable. He has some points in his favor, though it's hard to tell how many; Giuliani has zero points in his favor to balance.

Of the next tier candidates, I would consider Fred Thompson to be likely the best. Duncan Hunter sounds like a good candidate, but I can't imagine any way for him to break through. Fred Thompson hasn't been doing well, but I don't see the systemic negatives for him that I do with the other candidates. The futures markets are down on Fred hard, but their predictive abilities at this stage in the game are dubious at best anyway.

At this point, I'm short on McCain and Giuliani, long on Thompson, slightly long on Rest-of-Field (Huckabee?), and neutral on Romney. That mirrors my desires, somewhat, but it also relates to how I see the systemic negatives. There are a lot of people whom I can't imagine voting for Giuliani in the primary under any plausible circumstance; he may well get a plurality of delegates, but I don't think that would get him the win.

[mainerforglobalwarming]

Our rino candidates are polling 58% of the vote last time I looked. 58% of gop voters want a liberal as our nominee. How sad.

[Bobbisox]

Has anyone heard as to whether or not the NRA will be endorsing a candidate prior to the Primary’s, and is there any scuttlebutt as to who they will back?

[tiger-one]

Good analysis, thanks.

[jonathanmo]

Nope, the NRA doesn't typically do that...

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/02/08_endorsement.html

[Dead Corpse]

Risky? Disastrous is more like it.

[Dead Corpse]

Add in “Insane” John McCain for the trifecta.

[BigAlPro]

I’m not sure why you threw this quote at me, but I can assure you I have no desire to see the GOP move to the center. In fact, I am one of the people who wonders if it is time for the emergence of a truly Conservative Party. I would love to see a Christian based, common sense, conservative party in America’s future.

[Dead Corpse]

Rudy is the only guy that can beat the beast...

Bullsh*t. We need someone that can ensure the base shows up to vote. The GOP seats another "Brady Bill" Bob Dole and it'll be a landslide for Hillary.

Stop asking us to hold our noses to vote for yet another lame ass RINO.

[Liz]

QUID PRO QUO? LA Police Chief Bratton Endorses Spitzer Driver’s License Plan (Giuliani wants Bratton as Homeland/Security/Sec)

==============================================

William J. Bratton, former NYC police commissioner under Mayor Giuliani endorsed Gov Spitzer's plan to license illegals.

EXCERPT LA Police Chief Bratton was NYC police commissioner from 1994-96, during the first term of Mayor Giuliani, but the two men famously feuded, with Giuliani resentful that Mr. Bratton — a pioneer of the city’s Compstat program — was getting credit for the city’s reduction in crime.

In March 2007, Giuliani began trying to mend fences with Bratton and met privately; afterward, Mr. Bratton said he “enjoyed” the tête-à-tête. In May 2007, the two men met in Los Angeles.

In a statement released October 2007 by Gov Spitzer’s office, Chief Bratton said: As former Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and now Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (since 2002), I support efforts that have the potential to solve crimes and improve traffic safety. That’s why I backed legislation in California that would give undocumented immigrants the ability to get a driver’s license once they have provided proof of their identification. It is my belief that by doing that you would reduce the number of hit and runs and increase the number of insured motorists on the road. We would also now have undocumented immigrants’ identifying information on record such as photographs and addresses which could prove helpful in the fight against crime and terrorism.

QUOTE SOURCE http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/bratton-endorses-spitzer-drivers-license-plan/

(Licensing illegals hit a roadblock when it was determined some 80% of Americans oppose the plan. Spitzer was forced to backoff when the plan contributed to a debate fumble by Hillary Clinton followed by dismal approval ratings).

==============================

RUDY: I'D TAP MY OLD FOE BRATTON
By DAVID K. LI, NY POST
August 13, 2007

EXCERPT GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani floated an extraordinary olive branch to bitter rival William Bratton, hinting he'd consider his estranged former top cop for a high federal post.

In an interview in this week's New Yorker magazine, Giuliani was asked whom he'd tap for Homeland Security secretary if elected to the White House. He laughed and told the magazine whom he wouldn't tap. ".....you need a Bernie Kerik without the background problems that Bernie Kerik had," Giuliani said of his ethics-challenged former police commissioner and close friend.

The former mayor lavished praise on his first police commissioner, Bratton, the city's top cop from 1994-96..... Giuliani is largely blamed for forcing Bratton, now LA police chief, out of office in an ugly battle of egos. "But you sort of look back on some of the things and say that was an extraordinarily productive relationship," Giuliani told the magazine. Now that I look back on it, I really appreciate the (Bratton) relationship."

It's certain that Giuliani won't be tapping Kerik for any job in his potential Cabinet. Kerik, NY's top cop from 2000 to 2001 and a close friend of Giuliani's, was briefly nominated for Homeland Security's top post by President Bush. Kerik withdrew, claiming his employment of an illegal nanny would make his confirmation too difficult. It soon emerged that Kerik had a flood of ethics allegations that were much more serious.

BEST OF ENEMIES Giuliani and William Bratton at a press conference in 1996 announcing Bratton's resignation as police commissioner.