Posted by
Georgiaboy on Thursday, September 14, 2006 9:38:06 PM
Couldn't resist geeking out about the 2008 primary again.
Rudy Giuliani has been posting some strong showings in polls. Blogosphere polls, state polls, nationwide...you name it and he is winning. Even in polls that talk about his liberal positions, he still keeps right on chugging. I think the libertarian wing of the party has fallen in love with him and will stay solidly behind him for the rest of the race. Right now he seems to be the front-runner.
I have mixed feelings about him. He is better than McCain, which isn't saying much, even though his positions may be a bit more liberal. But, I am not thrilled about the idea of him getting the nomination.
At one point, I was one of the people that dismissed him. I figured he would drop like a rock once people found out about his views on abortion, gays, guns, and immigration. But, I am not so sure anymore. You see, he only has to take three simple steps and he becomes acceptable to your average GOP voter that is impressed by his 9/11 aura, spending credentials, and the way he cleaned NY up.
1. Most importantly he has to passionately describe the type of strict-constructionist, originalist judges he will appoint. He can talk about how he wants to give the decisions on social issues back to the states. Every stump speech he can decry judicial activism and talk about how he will appoint Scalia's, Thomases, and Robert's.
2. He becomes a hard-liner on immigration. He has said some pretty squishy things about immigration in the past, but he needs to ignore that and push for border fencing and denounce amnesty.
3. He has to acknowledge that he supported gun control in the past and change his position. I really can't understand why he is for gun control, he seems to be a libertarian type republican but gun control goes completely contrary to this. He needs to explain that his views on gun control were tailored to NY and he has no desire to see them implemented on the rest of the country. He can pledge to oppose any new gun control laws and with a Republican congress voters will not be too concerned.
I don't know if those three steps will seal up the nomination. He still has his crazy marriage history to deal with. But, if he moves in the direction of those three tweaks, I don't see anyone who can stop him.