Rudy has solutions

By Aziz P. -
Giuliani has launched a new site that - aside from the actual omission of the words "president" and "2008" - looks pretty much like a campaign website. The man is going to run. And he's going to get clobberred in the GOP primary. I still think he should run as a Democrat; after all, even Kucinich and Sharpton enlivened the debate in 2004 and brought substance, though they hadn't the remotest chance of winning the nod. I am aware that my position on this is controversial.

Comments

Aziz P. said…
I'd certianly be tempted to (but not guaranteed to) vote for him. The only Democrat running against him who I'd definitely vote preference over him would be Gore. Any other Dem - Warner, Edwards, Clinton - is going to have to make a case.

But if RG runs as a GOP, then he faces one huge obstacle to my vote. That is the incompetence of the present Administration. If he cleans house, then problem solved. If he "inherits" - then fugeddaboutit.
10:20 AM
Razib Khan said…
For one thing, his record in New York City has a lot of Democrats up in arms, particularly those who are sympathetic to minority communities.

this is an important point. but many of my friends who are pretty convential lib dems think that "tough on crime" quasi-repubs like rudy and bloomberg have been good for the city. the issue though is that i'd bet with you, the black caucus would veto him because of his bad relations with the black community (my impression is that he didn't have a problem with NYC large asian community, and far less so with latinos, so 'minority' here means black i suppose).
3:15 PM
Razib Khan said…
tim, you make a substantive point. nevertheless, i would argue that rudi is not must more liberal, e.g., olympia snowe or arlen specter liberal, he's lincoln chafee liberal. as for taxes and the like, i don't get the impression he is a hard-line fiscal conservative! my only point here is that outside of new york city rudi would likely have been a moderate democrat. i mean, evan bayh is probably more conservative than he is!
9:56 PM
russell said…
Giuliani was an effective, "knock heads" executive while mayor, and he won enormous sympathy and respect for his conduct after 9/11. He was the only political figure I can think of who expressed, publicly, sincere *grief* over what had happened, and who frankly and fully acknowledged the human loss without a hint of self-aggrandizement or political self-seeking.

The first comment I'll make about Giuliani is that I don't think he'd make a good President. Being mayor of NYC is the ultimate exercise in herding cats. A tough, take-no-crap, roll-up-your-sleeves hands on executive is just what is needed there. I'm not sure that style will fit the office of POTUS very well.

Giuliani also has a deserved reputation for riding roughshod over certain populations in his efforts to clean up NYC. His tenure is not remembered with universal fondness.

As a practical matter, Giuliani also has two very large hurdles to jump to be a viable candidate. One hurdle is with social conservatives, and is known by the names of Donna Hanover and Judy Nathan. The other hurdle is with civil libertarians, and goes by the names of Abner Louima and Amadou Diallo.

Thanks -
7:11 PM
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