Rudy Guiliani is considering throwing his hat into the ring for the 2012 Republican nomination. Seriously.
According to the AP, Rudy’s representatives are now up in New Hampshire hiring political operatives. The ex-Mayor will make a final decision “by the end of September,” says top Guiliani aide Jake Menges.
While “America’s Mayor” showed incredible leadership on 9-11, at times Rudy has also seemed a tad out of it, and this certainly adds to that reputation. Perhaps he hasn’t noticed that the Republican Party has moved so far to the right that if Ronald Reagan were alive and campaigning, he would be considered the field’s flaming liberal.
So before you laugh at a Guiliani bid (too late?), consider that current leading Republican candidate Rick Perry thinks scientists are plotting to make us believe climate change is real, that “other” unnamed scientists dispute the theory and “even Galileo was outvoted for a spell.” Apparently the swaggering simpleton didn’t realize he was comparing himself to the Vatican that persecuted Galileo for his depraved notion that the Earth revolves around the sun.
Perry also said that Social Security was a “Ponzi scheme” and joined almost all the other Republican candidates in disputing evolution. Meanwhile Perry’s main competitor Mitt Romney is anti his own health care plan, pro-choice in Massachusetts and pro-life in Utah. What a flexible fellow!
In that light, Rudy doesn’t look so bad. Sure, his butt-kissing of George W. at the 2004 Republican convention was a bit embarrassing. When asked his first reaction after the WTC towers fell, Rudy said “I grabbed the arm of NYC Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik (don’t ask), and said to him ‘Bernie, Thank God George Bush is President!”
And yes, some aspects of Rudy’s personal life might not be an asset on the national stage, such as his penchant for cross dressing and the fact that he told his wife about his desire to separate by holding a press conference and parading his mistress down Broadway.
And yes, his pro-gay rights and pro choice stances won’t play well with the Republican base. But Guiliani would argue that his proven leadership abilities and unquestioned patriotism gives him powerful centrist appeal and makes him more electable than anyone currently in the race.
Polls currently show President Obama running neck and neck with the leading Republican candidates, and if the economy doesn’t improve or goes further south, there’s a strong chance he won’t be re-elected and we could wind up with an anti-science, religious fanatic nut as our national leader.
So do I want Rudy to be our next President? No I don’t.
Would I like him to be the Republican nominee?
Absolutely.
Rudy will never run. Same as Sarah Palin. And Donald Trump. He’s become a sideshow. And a media ho. All three of them have been thrown to the sidelines and can’t stand not being in the spotlight (since the real campaign has begun) and just want to make some extra money and get a little bit more attention.
I don’t exactly know what you mean by “incredible leadership” during 9 11.
The reason the command center was at the trade center and unusable, is because G. insisted on it there….against the advice of every expert. Why? he wanted it walking distance from the Mayor’s office, so that the press would be right at hand, for any emergency. (remember, there had been a previous attack at the WTC…this was an incredibly unwise decision….fueled only by personal desire for publicity.)
He did nothing to stress masks and safety for responders and has done little if anything to advance health care for these people.
His more liberal positions were necessary to win in NYC….as soon as he started to go national, he started to walk them back.
Finally….a guy who announces his divorce in a press conference…and then sanctimoniously asks for his privacy to be respected.
They don’t get much worse than this one.
Robert:
I agree with your points about the command center, etc. That being said (and unlike Bush) Guiliani took charge from the get-go, set just the right tone and made us feel a responsible, empathic adult was in charge when it mattered most. I don’t like what he’s done since either, but let’s give credit where credit is due.