Posted on 11/26/2006 11:57:04 PM PST by MadIvan
Some of the biggest Republican donors to George W Bush's presidential campaigns are backing Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, for the White House as the candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton in 2008.
Over a private lunch of sea bass and hamburgers at New York's 21 Club recently, Mr Giuliani addressed nearly three dozen of the men who helped propel Mr Bush to the presidency. They included "Pioneers", who donated more than $100,000 to Bush campaigns, and "Rangers" who gave at least $200,000.
Patrick Oxford, a major Bush contributor from Houston who attended the lunch, said that despite having courted the top Bush donors for years, Senator John McCain, seen as the Republican front runner for 2008, had not persuaded all of them.
"Every Republican leader and fundraiser has had the chance to contribute to or join the McCain team. If he's not seen to be the inevitable choice by now, perhaps that signals something," Mr Oxford said.
"The great success of President Bush in 2000 was that he created an aura of inevitability relatively early. I suspect that's been the McCain effort as well and the polling numbers don't reflect that he's done that."
Mr Giuliani is seen as a hero of the September 11 attacks for his dignified and patriotic performance as New York mayor, as well as being known as a foreign policy hawk. He has therefore been able to tackle head-on the concerns that his liberal stances on abortion, gun control and gay marriage make him unacceptable to ordinary Republicans.
"Closer analysis will find that his positions on those three particular issues are not hands-down odious to the Republican rank and file," said Mr Oxford.
Also at the lunch were Thomas Hicks, an owner of Mr Bush's beloved Texas Rangers baseball team, and Bill Simon, a wealthy California investor, while T Boone Pickens, a Texan oil billionaire, took part via conference call.
Sen McCain, who lost to Mr Bush in the 2000 Republican primary, and Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, seen as the most conservative candidate, have built superior campaign structures. But Mr Giuliani could emerge as the anti-establishment candidate who can help Republicans recover after their disastrous defeat in the mid-terms elections when they lost both houses of Congress to the Democrats.
"He is exactly the change the Republican party needs," said Frank Luntz, a leading Republican strategist. "They can't run the same kind of candidate they have run in the last four elections. They have to do it differently. Giuliani would do well to study Tony Blair's campaign for the Labour leadership. He will need to transform the party in the same way. If he follows Blair's strategy and focuses on electability then it could be easier than people think.
"Republicans have lost Congress and there is a tremendous fear in the GOP [Republican party] that they could lose it all to Hillary Clinton... 2008 is not going to be a liberal versus conservative fight. It's going to be about who's got the goods to make things happen."
Mr Oxford, a partner at Mr Giuliani's law firm, said: "Republicans are sensible people. Rudy can clearly win the general election. He is a very smart, telegenic, articulate and forceful speaker and presence.
"He gives the sense of being able to restore confidence in our government and among our friends abroad. It's going to be interesting to see where money goes because to a large degree your big givers are highly pragmatic - they'll go with the winner."
There have been mutterings about Sen McCain's age. At 70, his is eight years older than Mr Giuliani and would be the oldest president ever to be elected. As a senator, he has never wielded executive power. Mr Giuliani had "demonstrated his leadership at a famous time", Mr Oxford said.
Hillary must be denied power: that is the priority for 2008.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
The priority is getting true conservatives elected, so we don't face another debacle like this last one. Rudy will never be elected president.
If getting a "true conservative" in is more important to you than that, well, you can't be helped.
Ivan
One correction:
"They included "Pioneers", who donated more than $100,000 to Bush campaigns, and "Rangers" who gave at least $200,000."
They did not "donate" such amounts, but took responsibility for raising those big fat goals. Kind of an Amway approach to fundraising.
Ah, yes, that would be the "short term at all costs" brand of integrity.
I would probably vote for Sam Brownback if I got the chance (living in Texas, the nomination is pretty much decided b/f our primary), but I wouldn't call the desire to win a problem of integrity. Most people would rather get 70% than 0.
These are the same folks who helped Bill get elected in '92.
If you want to throw a tantrum, hold your breath until you turn blue until you get completely what you want, that's your problem, not mine. It indicates a lack of maturity that you cannot accept you're not always going to get what exactly you want.
However, it's fine to be so childish during the primaries. But if Rudy wins, I hope you'll have the sense and maturity to ensure Hillary doesn't get into the White House. If you sit on your hands in November 2008, I'm going to blame people like you (among others) for the disaster that follows.
Ivan
I guess that you will REALLY enjoy a Hillary presidency; just as you LOVED 8 long, weary years of Bill's.
Rudy may be more Liberal that Hillary.
Regards, Ivan
You are absolutely correct, Sir. As one of our prominent biblers said, even Lucifer is preferable to hillary. And Giuliani is no Lucifer.
Oh? Prove it. Furthermore, try and prove that Rudy is more venal, nasty and just plain evil than Hillary.
Ivan
She has to be denied power.
Regards, Ivan
Some conservatives can give Giuliani a pass on his pro-abortion stance. Some can pass on pro gun control stance. Some can pass on pro homosexual anti morality stance .
None will give him a pass on all three.
yitbos
On abortion, hillary and Rudy are in agreement.
Same for Gun Grabbing.
Gay marriage, Rudy supports that.
I do not think Hillary has said anything in support of Gays getting married.
You're not presenting a solution. You're just saying unless you get your definition of a "true conservative", you're going to sit on your hands. That's not a solution, that's a recipe for surrender. It's not being conservative, it's being a whingeing brat.
..but even were I to accept your "compromise is a virtue" brand of realpolitick, you're going to have to remember something, Rudy will never sell the "I'm a born again Christian routine" to Pat and Jim and D. James.
Who said he would?
Even a crass pragmatist could come up with someone better than Rudy.
Name 2 candidates who are better positioned, then.
Ivan
She [and her bitter half] is a behavioral commie. By that I do not mean that they are waving red banners or spouting marxist garbage, or are card-carrying members of a communist organization. But they walk through life as commie nomenclaturists [were they to speak russian, the impression would be complete] - "Rules are for thee, but not for me - I'm from the master race."
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