Posted on 07/25/2009 4:26:20 PM PDT by yongin
A few months ago, most people assumed former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's political future was unpromising, to put it nicely. Sure, he might run for governor of New York if Governor Patterson ran for re-election, but his national ship had sailed. After all, if the economy was the big issue, who better to nominate in 2012 than former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney -- who, at Bane Capital, excelled at turning around struggling businesses?
Despite getting off to a fast start in the 2008 Republican Primary campaign, Giuliani had faded fast, a victim of poor political strategy and social views outside the comfort zone of the party's base. So why would Republicans even consider nominating a guy who failed so miserably in the '08 campaign?
How quickly things change. If the Republican Primary were held today -- in the wake of the Henry Louis Gates, Jr. incident -- I would not be surprised to see Rudy win.
Why? President Obama tapped on nerves across the political spectrum when he said the police in Cambridge, Mass. had behaved "stupidly" in arresting his friend Gates, an African-American scholar at Harvard who was briefly detained for disorderly conduct after police answered a call that two black men had been seen trying to force their way into a house -- his house, as it turned out.
Regardless of who was in the right or wrong, it was clearly a political mistake for Obama to weigh in, and judging by his shift in tone on Friday, Obama has admitted as much.
Obama and Democrats risk reinforcing the narrative that they are weak on law and order issues, and slow to defend those who put themselves in harm's way (see Pelosi vs. CIA). And perhaps Republicans will make a strategic decision to nominate Giuliani.
After all, who is better suited culturally to put some New England states back in play than the Mayor of America? And who better to go head-to-head with President Obama on issues of law-and-order than Rudy Giuliani?
No one on the national scene today is better equipped to rhetorically challenge President Obama on these issues than the former Mayor of New York who rose to the occasion on 9-11.
But, you say, Giuliani has already proven he cannot -- with his background -- win a Republican primary. Rudy Giuliani could not win a Republican primary in 2008, but after four years in the wilderness, Republicans may be more accepting of Rudy's past and positions than they were four years ago. And ager at President Obama might make them more willing to overlook Rudy's flaws.
Rudy would need to run a legitimate ‘48 state’ campaign. What killed him was starting his campaign with the FLA primary. This does not mean I support him, but to have any chance, he would need to act and campaign like a credible candidate.
He could be governor of NY. I’ll ask him how he did things as mayor of NYC. I’ll run for that, then run for governor after 8 years (I mean really, ending all the damn welfare for those who don’t put in a dime, lifting the Nazi-like restrictions on firearms) and totally turn around the state.
If he does run though, he has to completely switch a few of his personally held beliefs permanently. Can’t just be a campaign thing.
Thanks, tried the RINO, I'll take a real conservative this time.
The delusions of some “analysts.”
I could definitely support Rudy. And after our current fiasco, more people would be open to a true leader.
Palin/Bolton 2012
Please no.
Rooty Toot is just as big a leftist as Zero is.
Obama will have his photo-op with both Gates & Crowley. The issue of Henry Gates will ba non-issue in a few days.
Nope. No liberals. No RINOs.
Giuliani will never be president but I do expect him to be the next governor of NY.
I agree.
The Republicans have a death wish if they can’t get away from liberals and RINOs.
And here I thought we were done hearing about Rooty Tooty as a national candidate. He spent years campaigning in Florida and managed to come in third behind the other RINOs.
********************
Go figure. Guiliani, Romney and Huckabee supporters seem unwilling to throw in the towel.
Utter nonsense.
Gosh it was a party of losers. And for all who want to challenge my post, read my tag line first. You voted in O as certainly as you pulled the D lever. My grand-kids thank you folks for crippling us for a generation.
I hate RINO with my coffee in the morning!
I hate moral relativism. I want a candidate I can back fully, not grit my teeth and bear it.
“Thanks, tried the RINO, I’ll take a real conservative this time.”
Uh.. how about putting the party purity on hold until we win one presidential election for a change?
Oh, and read my tag line.
I know, I know! What we need to do is run ALL THE EXACT SAME WORTHLESS ASS RINO CANDIDATES THAT WE RAN LAST TIME! that’ll win it for us for sho!
I'm with you. I think America is ready for a breath of fresh conservative air! I'm not letting the media pick my candidate this time.
I can't imagine a "real conservative" getting elected to governor of NY.
Screw Rudy and screw Romney!
No more liberals!
Let's see:
Rooty Toot finished third in Florida (which has a huge population of NYC retirees), his ONLY qualification is that he happened to be mayor of NYC on 9/11/01 (never mind the fact that in seven years as mayor he did NOTHING to secure a KNOWN TERRORIST TARGET) and he is as far left as any 'Rat.
Myth Romney spent more money than any candidate (much of it his own) and couldn't even beat McLame, plus he is a socialist. As far as the "he was successful in business" angle goes, a huge portion of his success was based on family connections (and let's not forget that the most successful completely "self made" man to become president was Herbert Hoover).
And finally the Huckster needs to realize that the ONLY reason he got as many votes as he did was because everyone else had dropped out and he was slightly more acceptable than McLame or Myth.
No thanks. He’d make an excellent replacement for Eric Holder though in a GOP admin.
I truly thought that we would NEVER again hear about this leftist running for president.
NO........the ignorant OPEN REPUBLICAN PRIMARY in Florida...dimwits voted for McRino....that is what happened....
I’ve always liked Rudy, even though he’s way too liberal for my taste. He will probably never be president but he would make an outstanding Gov. of N.Y. or Attorney General in my opinion.
Has Rudy declared he’s running for NY Governor? Heard earlier this year, Rudy expressed interested in a Talk Show job at Westwood One.
Special ping to FR favorite, Liz
Well, passing up Rudy Giuliani for NY is just plain foolishness.
There is no one who is willing to run for that office in that state more qualified than him.
Never understood that strategy. I guess it probably had to do with funding and the fact he knew he couldn’t go toe to toe with Romney and therefore had to pick and choose his battles.
I thought Florida was a closed primary (but I might be wrong) and regardless Rooty was easily the most liberal candidate in the primary and he finished third behind two other RINOs.
What is so hard for you to understand?
Free Republic doesn’t support liberals.
Like Romney, Giuliani is a liberal.
I'd rather see Bolton as Sec-State - bigger impact on global anti-American dictators!
Perhaps as an openly discussed issue, but I think a lot of people had their eyes opened to the community activist race-baiter that is the real Obozo. They did what they saw as their civic duty (dopes that they are) in '08 to lay race to rest by voting for the inexperienced, know-nothing, thug dictator-appeasing, Constitution-hating socialist-marxist black guy, but they're not making that mistake again.
No, he figured that Florida had the most liberals, has plenty of retired New Yorkers and was winner-take-all. Rooty Toot had far more name recognition than Romney and his fund-raising issues should have let him know early on that he was too liberal.
Yes he is, but in NY he's probably the best conservatives can hope for. And since you're not from NY I can see why you might not understand that.
You’re not paying attention.
Free Republic supports pro-life conservatives, not pro-abortion liberals.
Like Romney, Giuliani is a pro-abortion liberal.
Although not the one who led the Allies to the end, Monty ended up being an important part of final victory just because he was good enough when we needed it.
Maybe Rudi, Mitt, Huckabee are not who we would want to call Mr. President for 2 terms (Palin, Thompson, Jindal?) maybe they can be our Monty. Not the President for 2 terms, but suitable place holders?
Thanks but no thanks. We lose with RINOs.
I like the sound of Palin/Bachmann, an all conservative ticket.
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