Mar 13 2007
Giuliani Will Lead The GOP Pack For Some Time
Giuliani is leading the GOP 2008 polls right now because he is a demonstrated leader with a backbone made of the same steel that President Bush has in his. He has his priorities right in that the war on terror is the paramount issue of the day, and Iraq will determine the course of the war on terror for the next generation. If we win our kids and grand kids may experience a similar life that we boomers (and post boomers like me) have had. If we lose Iraq to al Qaeda, our children’s children will be locked in a generational battle.
But he is also leading because the broader conservative coalition that includes us impure conservatives who get called silly names like RINO, etc, are not going to put our future in the hands of the same stubborn idealogues who ended up losing both houses of Congress in 2006. When punishing immigrants is a higher priority than fixing our borders (a deliberate AND announced tactic of Rep House leadership) then America knows security is taking a backseat to far right blinders. When people turned on Bush for considering Harriet Myers or working business deals with moderate, allied Arab countries (which included the same Arab country investing in state-of-the-art cargo container scanners in all inbound ports they run across the globe) it is clear obsession had taken over for reason.
So it is no surprise Giuliani, Romney or Fred Thompson (if he runs) will be the top option for the GOP presidential race in 2008. The surprise in the liberal media that Giuliani’s moderate stances are not hurting him is no news to those of us who have tired of the GOP purity wars. There are no pure conservatives in a governing majority, by definition. And those who ponder if any of these fine men are conservative enough are the ones who actually sit in the minority. McCain is way too liberal and hot headed to fit the bill for 2008. But Giuliani, Romney and Thompson are cool, level headed coalition builders. They don’t stop progress until they get their way – these people lead.
So am I surprised to hear GOP insiders (i.e., the purity police) are trying to convince themselves Giuliani’s expanding, solidifying lead is somehow really a fragile transient fad? No I am not and I like what I see. Laura Ingraham had to deal with a strong Giuliani supporter and simply whimpered she would hope no one would jump on a bandwagon this far out. What she fears deep down, and what is the reality of the 2006 election, is the far right bandwagon lost its way, threw a couple of wheels and is now being abandoned. It is not anyone is jumping onto a wagon that bothers some, it is their wagon is being vacated. Failure, as we saw throughout 2005-2006, along with acts of turning on our President lockstep with the Dems, was all that was required to end that little parade. Giuliani and the other two moderate conservatives will be in the lead for 2008 for a long, liong time.
The purity wars are over and only a few hold outs are hoping for return to the condescending days where the cries of “oooh, RINOs!” was the disparanging words echoing across the rightward landscape. By losing so spectacularly there is no need for moderates to hang their hat on the far right and hope to bring some sanity to the movement. Now there is a sea of moderates who have soured on the far right and left, exemplified by the fickled and muddled dems now in power. The cleaning of Congress will continue until the radicals are distant memories, and moderate Presidents will run rough shod over Congress during the cleansing process.
The era of the moderate is settling upon a tired, weary, threatened nation.
BikerKen, I sure hope it’s Winston. I mostly agree with what you’re saying (& by the way — thank you for your service to our country). But as I said in previous post, I think the true middle is mostly conservative. The problem is Bush has gone left of middle to work with the dems, and as we know, the Dem party is being yanked hard from the radical way-way left (socialists). In these instances (immigration, Plame-gate/Libby, judges, entitlement spending, etc.) it does no good (for Bush, for repubs, for the country) to compromise with the dems/left.
BikerKen, I’ll take a Churchill. I mostly agree with what you say (& thank you for your service). But as I said in previous post, I think the true middle is mostly conservative. The problem is compromising with a left of middle position, or left, as Bush has done too many times. The dems are veering evermore left, being yanked hard by the radical way-way leftists (socialists). So, compromising too many times (pork-laden spending bills, entitlements, Plame-gate/Libby, judge nominations, immigration, etc.) with the left is not a winning position with the true middle, and not good for Bush/the repubs/the country.
Headline on HotAir: Bush “pledges†to Mexicans: I’ll work hard to keep the borders open
Posted less than eight hours ago and over two hundred comments. They are running about 20 to 1 against Bush’s policies. So I suppose all of those people are the ‘far right’? I don’t think so.
Every time immigration is mentioned on this site, it rates about ten to twenty times as much response as anything else and most of it comes from people who want to enforce the border. Most of the headlines AJ post on here never reach ten responses. So who is really in the mainstream of the republican party?
Terrye makes the intellectually bankrupt argument, “If you think Bush isn’t tough enough, why don’t you run for President yourself?” That strikes me as remarkably similar to the Left’s argument against supporters of the GWOT, “Well, if you’re so gung ho, why don’t you enlist?” Such demagoguery is unworthy of you, Terrye.
Rudy isn’t my choice for Prez, but I would welcome either him or Jeb Bush to run FEMA any day and say AMEN!
This is just great, we have got Carol doing her Bush belongs to the Saudis shtick and Bikerken complaining once again that Bush is not mean enough. But he is just sure Fred will be because Fred is a conservative and they are by their nature big and bad and mean. and moderates are wussies.
I don’t think the American people want to see much more of this myself. So while you guys talk about hardball vs marbles, remember the American people are getting sick of the whole damn game. And promises of more bickering will not win you elections.
Back in 98 when the Republicans lost seats it was not because of Bush, it was because they just had to impeach Clinton. A censure was not good enough, oh nooo, they just had to be tough and go for blood and look where it got them. Bush brought them back into the majority, not Foley or Ney or Cunningham or even DeLay.Tancredo is not the guy who won two terms in the White House.
I am just saying that Congress needs to be responible for itself rather than always blaming losing on someone else. They made lots of mistakes that had nothing to do with Bush.
Here in my district a conservative Hostettler somewhere to the right of Tancredo on immigration got beaten badly by a moderate Democrat. And rural Indiana is not a liberal place.
Now if Thompson is the candidate I will vote for him against a Democrat. My only point is that saying Bush is weak because he has not done what you want him to is simply not fair. Maybe you think Fred Thompson would lay land mines at the border, but I doubt it.
I don’t like Hot Air anymore than I like Air America…but I doubt very much if Bush is pledging to keep the borders open. That sounds like more hysteria from the Tancredo clan who helped the Republicans lose in the last election.
But hey, make people like soothsayer happy and attack the Republican president and demand that the guy who is in there take stands that are doomed to defeat, that will show the lefties. Yes sir. If some Republican gets up at a press conference and says I can whip any son of a bitch in this place they will cringe in terror.
BTW, Bikerken, it is not necessary to attack me and AJ, without us you have about as much chance of winning a national election as Pat Buchanan. And I know career military people who would prefer McCAin but no doubt their service to their country will not be enough to keep you from complaining about their choice.
Dubious:
Speaking of demagoguery look at this comment thread.
And you know what? If you want to see what happens when conservatives try to play hardball like the Democrats…look at what is happening to Gonzales right now. I think the whole thing is overblown to the point of ridiculous myself, but it seems that the Justice Department thought it was time to get tough with some people and look where it landed them.
I, too, wish Bush had cleaned house at CIA , DOS and the AG. But that’s probably harder than it looks.
Calling Bush a “wimp” is just bravado. That man has shown more courage than any American leader in modern times. Most of his troubles stem from a hostile, traitorous press and lack of support from his own party in congress. And for those yearning for a “General Patton,” remember that it was his mouth that got him into trouble.
Romney seems bright and conservative, and if he has flipped on issues, what’s important is which side is he on now. Giuliani has flipped, as did Reagan. As do most of us as we grow.