Consider Giuliani's Enemies

While it's far too early to make any recommendations for the 2008 GOP primaries, do not dismiss former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani simply because he is pro-choice or favors civil unions for gays. I've never been much of a one-issue voter, but considering the importance of national security and the war on terror, that issue is paramount. Without security on the homefront, nothing else really matters. Which is why I find the obsession in some quarters with gay marriage, gun control, (insert liberal pet issue of the week), etc., extremely shortsighted and naive.

In today's NY Post, John Podhoretz suggests Giuliani's enemies may be his biggest asset. He makes a great point. For the past week since Giuliani announced he's forming an exploratory committee for 2008, an endless stream of Democrats have been out spouting their talking points about Giuliani being pro-choice, pro-civil union and so forth and how he won't appeal to the base, as if we're all such reactionary rightwingers we can't focus on the big picture.

But there are other things most Republicans don't know about Giuliani - and when they find out some of those, chance are their fondness for him will grow. And for that boost, it appears, Rudy will have only his enemies to thank.

The Post's David Seifman reported yesterday that some New York lefties are seriously considering an effort to attack Rudy in the manner that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacked John Kerry in 2004 - to reveal the "unvarnished truth" about his mayoralty and deflate his status as an American hero.
...
On issue after issue of concern to America's conservatives - the misuse of the welfare system, the destructive effects of bilingual education, the disastrous misuse of public monies by municipal unions, the need for tax cuts, the essential requirement of supporting the city's police against unjust attack as they risked their lives to secure civil peace - Rudy fought.

He fought The New York Times and the liberal establishment - and gave them no quarter. They despised him - and the relentlessness of their expressed displeasure only seemed to push him to greater action.

Conservatives nationwide don't know any of this. But thanks to Norm Siegel and others, they may hear about it from exactly the sorts of people whose loathing of Rudy will enhance his stature and burnish his credentials.

Rudy's appeal to GOP primary voters can and will go beyond his peerless handling of 9/11 and his brilliant record on crime. Voters will learn that he was a liberal-slayer.

Meanwhile, over at National Review, Deroy Murdock points out Giuliani right now is the frontrunner, and it's not even close.

In a nationwide Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,050 Republicans and 203 GOP-leaning independents, 24 percent backed Giuliani while 18 percent chose Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. McCain, at 17 percent, lags behind Rice, a declared non-candidate.

"If we assume Rice is not running and allocate her votes," says pollster Scott Rasmussen, "Giuliani would top McCain 32 percent to 22 percent in the November 4 - 7 study."

So while none of this means I'm automatically in Rudy's camp, at this time I simply encourage Republicans to keep an open mind about things, consider who is out there trashing him, and stay focused on the big picture.