As I had said before, an attack by one of Giuliani’s opponents to get the Republican nomination could use the similar attack used by Karl Rove against Sen. McCain in South Carolina. Who in the right minds would have thought of McCain fathering children out of wedlock would be such a big issue? But then again the mother had one ‘strike’ against her. The 2008 campaign is still two years from now, but someone could inflame the RR on his indiscretions and stand for women’s reproductive rights.

For all of the talk of McCain of being a centrist, he still tried to mend some bridges with the RR a few months ago when he went to give commencement speeches along the east coast.

One of the authors on the Moderate Voice had a recent entry about the possibility of POTUS Bush’s first veto to a Congressional bill. The bill is neither about the economy (earmarks, rising deficit, balancing this FY budget) nor national security (military, supposed leaks, spying, torture). The bill that may be vetoed is about stem-cell research. This is showing the dependency of the Republicans on the RR to keep them in office. This is also something either a centrist or non-religious conservative candidate will need to overcome – I am dubious right now of that happening. About three weeks ago, Ms. Peggy Noonan had written one of her editorial pieces equating conservative military folks not equal to the standards of social/religious conservatives.

As for a centrist coming out of the Republican Party and will somehow limit spending is also dubious. This current set of Congressmen is gluttons for spending money – they are self-professed fiscal champions and they are currently under numerous investigations for corruption. Mr. Wheeler published a book that goes into great length to show the hypocrisy of McCain and other fiscal champions in their fight to limit spending. This is the same set of Congressmen (Delay, Hassert, Boehner, Blunt, and others) who busted the previous administration’s ***** to get a balanced budget through.

If a centrist were to become POTUS, I would say the biggest area of improvement would be in foreign relations. The ‘cowboy’ image would be thrown away, as well as all of the pseudo-conservatives courtiers called neo-conservatives.

I hope you’re joking. Sick to your stomach? I know you are acquainted with some really good people who also happen to be homosexual. And don’t tell me that you didn’t think “The Birdcage” was funny!

Plus, as a gay Republican, I have to have some pride in seeing a fellow GOPer do drag and do it so well!

Work it, grrrrl! ;)

Having been in NY on 9/11 makes me, for one, a pushover for Rudy. I actually liked him as mayor before that — not just because he cleaned up the city and turned it into a nice clean amusement park for tourists, but because I watched the televised version of his radio show, where he was open to complaints and questions from the public — and the man was so hands-on, he was like a small-town mayor; no matter was too small for him to take an interest in. He obviously loved what he was doing.

And I wouldn’t discount the value of drag. Jack Lemon, Tony Curtis, Milton Berle, J. Egdar Hoover. The tradition goes way back.

Justin, I regard you publishing those photos now as a preemptive strike! Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of them in a primary fight.

Haha, oh…you can bet on it.

reader_i_am…thanks so much for the links. You’re a hell of a researcher!

But to the point of a Giuliani candidacy…one can only guess that 9/11 has left him nearly bulletproof for now. That’ll change, but he can ride this wave for a while. And if that gives him the authority to push through a more moderate social agenda, then so be it.

Again, I’d definitely consider voting for Rudy. He’s good people.

But I don’t think these statements should provoke much hope for Guiliani fans. (I should say that I would be quite open to voting for Guiliani, should he capture the nomination.) The Carpetbagger Report contrasts Robertson’s view with Jerry Falwell’s and links to an NYT article on fissures within the Evangelical bloc.

As to Amba’s question about how Robertson can like Guiliani but dislike McCain, Joe Carter of the evangelical outpost addresses this this precise issue in a May 2005 post that also offers some interesting insights into the thinking of many Christian conservatives associated with the religious right.

Justin, I regard you publishing those photos now as a preemptive strike! Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of them in a primary fight.

How much change do you expect from one administration to the other?

Well, if the POTUS changes parties, there will obviously be much more change. That’s just the nature of the beast.

However, a McCain or a Giuliani will definitely focus less on the religious-social issues, will bring back some much needed perspective on our laws regarding torture and start trimming the budget so we don’t fall further into massive debt. I know many don’t think the debt is a big deal, but it is if we keep our eye off the ball for long enough.

Does that answer your questions ES?

Could there be a second ‘South Carolina’ moment in the upcoming run for the presidency?

I have a question back to you, even with a new Republican candidate for the POTUS, do you feel it will be ‘do over’ for the country with a new leader? Granted POTUS Bush, VP Cheney, SecDef Rumsfeld, Amb. Bolton will be leaving government, what about all of the other political appointees waiting to get their ‘spoils’ with a new Republican leader. How much change do you expect from one administration to the other?