I wish that David Frum would expand on his contention that John McCain should pick Rudy Giuliani to be his running mate, beyond the argument that Rudy "shares the vision of a practical, reforming, war-winning Republican Party that inspires John McCain." I can certainly see, based on Frum's vision for conservatism and Rudy's record as New York mayor, why he signed on as an adviser to Giuliani's primary campaign. (I had hopes for the Giuliani campaign as well, once open a time.) I have a harder time seeing why he's still bullish on Rudy, after the decidedly lackluster and unimaginative campaign that Hizzoner actually ran - a campaign in which Giuliani, by Frum's own account, adopted exactly zero of his senior policy adviser's ideas for a "practical, reforming" GOP domestic agenda.
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Rudy For Veep?
16 Jun 2008 01:01 pm
Comments (20)
What would the slogan be? "They May Be Cheating Fucks And Their Wives Are HOMEWRECKING WHORES, But At Least They're White!"
That would get them the Douthat/Sailer vote, but it's a loser in November. But then McCain is doomed anyway, so let's go with the All Adultery, All The Time ticket just for laughs.
I was thinking about Frum's case for Rudy Giuliani, and I thought back to the musical "1776" (which my brother-in-law was in at Olney).
"And what does it profit a man to gain New Jersey, and lose the entire South?!"
I apologize to anyone reading my thoughts on this for the umpteenth time at various blogs. But it really seems plain that the operational question for Repub Bigshots is 'Who will be standing when this building falls down?'
The expectation that Barrack sweeps and Repubs all but disappear from the House and that the Senate Dems will be able to beat Cloture (the hallowed 60 number), is not limited to the Left. Repubs have a similar vision. They expect to be busy rebuilding their party.
The question for the Repubs is not who can help the ticket in Nov. The question is who is going to lead the Party in 09. The leaders of various segments (who often don't get along very well) are jostling and crowding to get their contender on the ticket so that their bunch will be in charge of the reconstruction project.
Rudy makes no sense if you expect to win. Look at his primary record. However if you want a particular (Corporate wing, moderate-immigration, Non-religious) portion of the Repubs to be bigger frogs relative to the shinking pond that is the GOP, Rudy might be your guy.
Problem: We know so much trash about him, what do we not know. I think Rudy fits the profile of someone easily blackmailed: a true scumbag who depends of public applause and great wealth. Trying to combine the two is going to lead to a huge Rudy crash someday. My prediction.
Dude, Bernie Kerik.
I thought Romney would have been dumb enough, but Giuliani would be magnificent.
Giuliani would be enough for many who genuinely care about abortion (sorry Ross), to stay away.
Not counting the coin toss over which one gets a terminal illness first.
That would get them the Douthat/Sailer vote
As though Sailer's not already on board with the NotBlack Major Party Candidate. Or that Douthat's not voting straight Republican for the foreseeable future.
ed says: "As though Sailer's not already on board with the NotBlack Major Party Candidate. Or that Douthat's not voting straight Republican for the foreseeable future."
Douthat would also vote gay Republican if Larry Craig was on the ticket. What would the slogan for McCain/Craig be? "The GOP - It's SUCKTASTIC"?
Larry Craig - a VP Repiglicans can get behind!
Ross's homophobia is mainly because Andrew's beard is so more heterosexual than his.
As a center-right guy driven insane by the Bush years, I read Douthat's blog because it's one of the few sane conservative sites out there. But, man, the last few weeks have revealed him to be nothing more than a Republican hack. Goobye, the vast majority of your readership.
"But, man, the last few weeks have revealed him to be nothing more than a Republican hack."
Eh? I'm not a Republican voter by any means, and I can be pretty critical of Douthat (though I still enjoy a lot of his takes). But I don't see what you're talking about. What in the last few weeks have been different? Douthat is a conservative. Is it surprising that he is very likely to support the more conservative party when it comes to various issues and candidates?
What would the slogan be? "They May Be Cheating Fucks And Their Wives Are HOMEWRECKING WHORES, But At Least They're White!"
That would get them the Douthat/Sailer vote, but it's a loser in November. But then McCain is doomed anyway, so let's go with the All Adultery, All The Time ticket just for laughs.
Posted by MoeLarryAndJesus
I wasn't aware of whites displaying openly racist behavior, like voting for a candidate of "their" skin color 92-97% of the time. Nor of voting against whites that had solid civil rights records out of racial solidarity, unlike, ahem....
I also wasn't aware of any white candidate belonging to a church in 2008 that engaged in open hatred of black culture and "black privilege" as parishoners hooted, stood, cheered, and hollered.
Somehow I doubt The Stooge Troll fretted that much in the past about the adultery of Bill Clinton, Hillary, Richardson, Cisneros, Andrew Cuomo, Jesse Jackson, Spitzer.
****************
The problem with Rudy is that his "Hero of 9/11" shelf life has expired and you are left with a basic scumbag who ran a very bad campaign and who offered nothing but Bush, but harder.
Richardson and Romney and Huckabee also did things that hurt a VP selection. Richardson showed himself to be stupid, fumbling, inarticulate. Huckabee a member of the Christian Taliban. Romney - sadly - showed he was a brilliant man who embraced the disastrous strategy of saying he was for double-helpings of everything Bush did when that isn't what the country wanted but more a change agent like the true Romney actually is. Voters wanted - outside the small Base still loyal to Bush - a rejection of Bushism, and a rejection of Religious Right intolerance, and true fixes - not "more of the same".
I think Romney might be the guy to turn to - in both Obama and McCains case - for being a crisis czar, not VP. Obama putting Romney in as Treasury Secretary or as his man to reach a health care insurance deal might be a bipartisam success. McCain, if he wins, which is unlikely - to appoint Romney as Energy Czar to impliment realistic solutions to our energy woes that give reasonable but not absolute protection of the environment, or as Treasury Secretary.
Frum likes Rudy because Rudy is a warmongering neocon fanatic. If you love war, McCain/Rudy is your dream team.
For the rest of us... Romney/Huckabee 2012!
Kleagle khris ford writes: "I wasn't aware of whites displaying openly racist behavior, like voting for a candidate of "their" skin color 92-97% of the time."
How about the fact that you've voted for white Christian males 100% of the time, chuckles?
Now go Cheney yourself with a chainsaw.
: "I wasn't aware of whites displaying openly racist behavior, like voting for a candidate of "their" skin color 92-97% of the time."
Well, you could be putting the cart before the horse, seeing as how the Republican party is the party of Trent Lott, George Allen, Fox News, and other stuff. So perhaps blacks have a good reason to vote against these despicable people. A key element of the Republican base. Shame on you, Mr. Ford, for pretending you didn't know about this.
"But, man, the last few weeks have revealed him to be nothing more than a Republican hack."
Eh? I'm not a Republican voter by any means, and I can be pretty critical of Douthat (though I still enjoy a lot of his takes). But I don't see what you're talking about. What in the last few weeks have been different? Douthat is a conservative. Is it surprising that he is very likely to support the more conservative party when it comes to various issues and candidates?
Strange how the definition of "conservative" always conveniently morphs into the Republican Avatar du jour. McCain did horrible things to his first wife from a family values standpoint? Meh. David Vitter is all good, and he broke the law. Well, at least they would appoint anti-Roe justices. For a certain world-view that's a coherent philosophy. What does Rudy have in common? The correct answer appears to be (R) after his name. And lack of qualms about blowing stuff up. Two core conservative values to be sure.
Or, the simpler and more reality-based explanation is he's a hack who still feels some pangs of guilt about it, hence the wailing and gnashing of teeth. Classic Douthat!
What would the slogan be? "They May Be Cheating Fucks And Their Wives Are HOMEWRECKING WHORES, But At Least They're White!"
No, Moe, the slogan would be "They'll kill the sand-n****rs and that's good enough for me!"
Screw them. I'm voting Chuck Baldwin.
Glaivester quotes and writes: "What would the slogan be? "They May Be Cheating Fucks And Their Wives Are HOMEWRECKING WHORES, But At Least They're White!"
No, Moe, the slogan would be "They'll kill the sand-n****rs and that's good enough for me!""
The Repiglican Party is a big tent party, so there's plenty of room for more than one Klan rally.
"Screw them. I'm voting Chuck Baldwin."
Chuck Baldwin is a lunatic douchebag who thinks Alan Keyes and "Judge" Roy Moore are qualified to be president. They're not, and he isn't. But I'm happy to see you're still swimming in Nutjob River, G.
"Rudy For Veep?"
TR: You know if he picked Liebermann I think I'd go third party. However Giuliani? This might actually get me to consider a vote for Obama.
Will Wilkinson for veep (although I'm being silly since I'm writing him in for pres.)
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Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream
Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class
When you had hopes for the pro-choice Giuliani.
Anything for the (R) eh?
But it's all about abortion! I'm such a religious person!
Yes, but your true faith is red. Plain to see.
Posted by Douthat the Hack | June 16, 2008 1:26 PM