The better Mayor Rudy Giuliani does, the more the Left attacks him. In the wacky words of our legally elected (though less than stellar) Commander-In-Chief, “Bring it on.”
Mr. Dickerson is being disingenuous when he says of Giuliani, “he was a vision of moderation.” Mr. Dickerson is a seasoned professional journalist. He knows full well that last year, before he threw his hat into the ring, Giuliani was “America’s Mayor.” Of course he was going to present a moderate face (façade?). Anyone who is familiar with Da Mayor’s tenure in New York knows full well that he is a bulldog, no pit bull, determined to get what he wants. He is also hot tempered and ruthless, but unlike some candidates, not unprincipled. For Mr. Dickerson to note with disdain and surprise that Giuliani has returned to his natural form rings false as sneakers on the Statue of Liberty.
Giuliani has returned to his natural pugnacious (and partisan) ways for many reasons, one of the strongest, as Mr. Dickerson acknowledges, the Democrats are swinging hard to the left. Attacking “socialized medicine” (and I question the need for quotation marks) is red meat to the grass roots of the Republican Party (and rightfully so). If Giuliani wants to win, and he surely is “in it to win it,” (as if anyone enters such a demanding contest just for thrills), he must convert hard core Republicans to his cause. His attacks against Obama, Edwards and Clinton are a rallying cry. Again, Dickerson’s surprise is a poorly present ruse.
Granted, haranguing passengers to buckle up is pure nanny statism, but Giuliani was correct in his finger waving at public money being used to desecrate the image of Mary; while this was a solid political move, it was also one of conviction. As for “sanitizing Times Square,” does Dickersen object? Would he prefer the crime and squalor that NYC endured under Mayors like Bean and Dinkins? Yes, social conservatives applauded this clean up, but so did almost all of the law abiding citizens of New York. Doing the right thing need not be seen as pandering.
Republicans are exactly looking for logical and ideological consistency, but most thinking people understand that they will not find any candidates who can please 100% of their base. Giuliani is exciting. (“Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”) When the Left press (the majority of all media) starts offering free advice to the candidates of the Right, the candidates are best served by remembering that free advance is worth a thousand times its price. As for alienating the general public with its supposed leaning towards the Democrats, that is whistling past the cemetery: as poorly as President Bush is polling, and as badly as the prior congress polled, the newly Democratic congress is polling even lower. If Congress continues its vindictive ways, America might actually start looking for third party options. Finally.
Is Giuliani unelectable? The polls allow for his winning, but on the other hand, our Madam Senator has such high negatives that she is currently unelectable. If, or when, Ralph Nader enters the race, as that unsafe to govern at any speed maniac says he will, Hilary’s numbers become even softer.
As a New Yorker, I was disappointed that we didn’t have a Clinton/Giuliani show down. I look forward to seeing if America is heading to “subway series” for the presidency.
