Rudy Gets Serious
By Dan McLaughlin Posted in 2008 — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Looks like the Giuliani campaign is finally getting in gear. The NY Post reports that he is selling his business:
Rudy Giuliani, a 2008 GOP White House front-runner, is moving to sell the Wall Street wing of his multi-pronged business - the strongest sign yet that he's making a serious play for the presidency, The Post has learned.
Officials at Giuliani Partners have been meeting quietly with several firms about buying the firm's stake in Giuliani Capital Advisors, an investment banking company, sources familiar with the discussions said.
The Chicago-based investment firm is the largest arm of the former mayor's self-named business, and may be the biggest cash cow of Giuliani's four-unit business.
Read On...
Rudy is also hiring key staffers:
Meanwhile, Giuliani yesterday added former Bush-Cheney campaign adviser Brent Seaborn to his staff. Seaborn was involved with so-called "micro-targeting," which helped boost GOP votes for Bush in his 2004 campaign.
He also hired Patrick Ruffini, President Bush's Webmaster, to help with his Internet strategy.
A series of new hires will soon join Giuliani's presidential exploratory committee in key primary states, and the organization will settle on a pollster and a media consultant, those close to the former mayor said.
"This is serious. This is indicative that we are very serious and very excited," a source said.
The exploratory committee will add a handful of regional finance directors geared toward raising money from Republicans nationwide, giving Giuliani financial clout to compete with the fund-raising machines of candidates such as Arizona Sen. John McCain, the National Journal's Hotline reported.
The move comes on the heels of Team Giuliani's announcement that former Republican Rep. Jim Nussle would help in his key home state of Iowa.
The game is afoot!
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Rudy Gets Serious 10 Comments (0 topical, 10 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Surely you jest. I can't think of anything that would fire up the third party vote more than a giuliani nomination in the republican party for President in 2008. There are good odds he would finish third.
You nominate Guiliani, and you get Hillary.
you get Hillary as well.
I am sick and tired of the "sit out to send a message" crowd. They cost us on Nov 7, 2006. That was a day of shame. You let KOS win. Do you really want Hillary! to win? And who would you propose to run? Tancredo is unelectable.
I'm happy to hear this news. While there are issues on which the Mayor and I disagree, I believe him to be an honest broker who will restore fiscal soundness and appoint federalist judges to the bench. I also believe he will be an effective prosecutor of the GWOT, which will outlast his Presidency (should he be elected), but which will be met forcefully.
Overall, I like Newt, but I don't believe he is electable. I think Newt would be like Goldwater, in a sense returning the Republican party to its conservative roots, but losing the election in a landslide. If we could afford such a scenario, then I would be in favor; however, I believe the stakes are too high, which is why I am backing Rudy instead.
I associate myself with Langdon's comments. As a movement conservative, I have been longingly hoping that a 21st century Reagan will somehow emerge, perhaps from the farm team of governors. I had the long flirtation with the idea of George Allen, but he turned out to be a modern day Jack Kemp (great in theory, very disappointing as a candidate).
At this point, if I were to vote my mind (accumulated policy views), I would support Newt. But I feel myself being tugged along towards Mayor Giuliani. GWOT is the pre-eminent issue of our times, and any presidential candidate must pass a very high threshold as credible Commander in Chief. No one on the Dem side of any prominence is anywhere near that. Giuliani leaps over that particular bar with ease.
And although he is not a Governor (the historic model for success), being Mayor of New York City is the equivalent executive experience of being Governor of a medium sized state. So, as of now, he is hovering at the top of my hypothetical candidate preference list.
I am personally so tempted to say "Anyone But Hillary" though I have always liked Rudy Giuliani for the most part. I seriously hope he goes for it.
He toucheth the mountain - and it smokes
Competence and effectiveness in government. The big question is what is he going to say on judges and social values. I don't think the more socially conservative of us will vote DEM but they might not vote.
Veritas magna est et praevalet.
The hero of 9/11, but way too left on social issues. Upper West Side values = San Francisco values. No difference to me.
Damn the torpedoes!
There's something to be said for the idea that maybe local values should be determined locally. That's a message I would like to hear Rudy deliver. Let NY have its NY values, and Alabama keep its Alabama values, and get federal judges out of the business of imposing a single set of values on all.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
I like Rudy alot, but I am really afraid of his stance on gun control issues. As it stands now, I know Bush would veto any further unconstitutional anti-gun legislation. Unfortunately, I don't know if I can say that for Rudy, him being a law enforcement guy and all. I need some real clear assurances from him before he gets my vote.
A Giuliani candidacy would be much like Eisenhower, he would be right-of-center consensus candidate that would unite the country.
I'm looking for electability this election, not just ideological purity. 2008 is going to be tough, and I'm willing to make some sacrifices to keep Hillary out of the White House.
"Back in the thirties we were told we must collectivize the nation because the people were so poor. Now we are told we must collectivize the nation because the people are so rich. "
William F. Buckley, Jr.