NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2006
McCain Vs. Giuliani: Tale Of The Tape
How The Top 2 GOP Contenders For The White House Stack Up
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Play CBS Video Video GOP Hopefuls Line Up For '08 Even though the next presidential election is still 103 weeks away, the race has already begun. Gloria Borger has a look at how the Republican field is shaping up.
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Video McCain Doubts General On Iraq CBS News RAW: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sounded a skeptical note to CENTCOM Commander Gen. John Abizaid's assertion that the U.S. has a sufficient number of troops to stabilize Iraq.
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Video Giuliani Eyes Presidential Run From America's mayor to America's president? On Nov. 13, Rudy Giuliani filed papers to create a presidential exploratory committee for the 2008 campaign. Bianca Solorzano reports.
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Rudy Giuliani, left, and John McCain (CBS/AP)
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Who's Who 2008 Republican Hopefuls McCain and Giuliani head up the Republican pack chasing the presidency.
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Who's Who 2008 Democratic Hopefuls Clinton, Obama and Edwards lead the chase for the Democratic nomination.
It's still 14 months before the Iowa caucuses, but already two heavyweight contenders have emerged in the 2008 Republican presidential battle: Sen. John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Recent polls by USA Today/Gallup and CNN put the pair far ahead of the Republican pack, with Giuliani holding a two-point lead over McCain. Polls also show the two men in a dead heat with the apparent Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.
Of course, there's a long, long way to go until the primaries and serious obstacles remain in both men's paths, chiefly their ability to appeal to the conservative wing of the GOP.
Also, there are plenty of other GOP wannabes out there, but none can match McCain and Giuliani when it comes to national name recognition, fundraising ability or star quality. And until one of those contenders emerges from the pack, it looks like a mano a mano between the "maverick" senator from Arizona and the New Yorker dubbed "America's mayor."
Here, then, a primer on the two early Republican frontrunners we'll no doubt be learning a lot more about in the months ahead:
John S. McCain III
Born: Aug. 29, 1936 in Panama Canal Zone, Panama
Rudolph W. "Rudy" Giuliani
Born: May 28, 1944, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Education:
Family:
Religion:
Political Experience:
Past campaign stumbles:
The Issues:
Strengths
Liabilities:
The Bush Factor:
Author credits:
Screen credits;
Television credits:
Played Them In The TV Movie:
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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- Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to WW II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. As a hypothetical, I can say, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed but maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country who can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front, being a big one. But now those traitors have apparently occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq. Why?... I'm waiting.
- Reply to this comment
- We don't need old politicians stuck in their ways.
We need new blood.
We need someone someone who is not only intelligent but also sharp.
We need someone who can speak clearly to the American people.
We need someone who is convincing to foreign leaders, charismatic.
I'm not saying he was the greatest but we need a personality like a JFK to get us back our reputation in the world that Bush trashed.
We need John Edwards! - Reply to this comment
- If Giuliani and McCain are the best that the Republicans have to offer, the GOP will be in deep doo-doo come 2008. But, it is just as well, as we need the Democrats to pull us out of all the messes that the U.S. is in. In 2012 the Repubs may have another chance if they can come up with better candidates and a more intelligent and honest agenda.
Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.
Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914), The Devil's Dictionary
Thanks Amb.
'Nuff said. - Reply to this comment
- Yep..I really AM a liberal Republican from Texas! Rarely seen or heard, we DO exist. Not always in favor of what 'W' says or does, we DO believe in FULL equality for ALL (race, religion, gender, sexual preference, etc) and NO preferential treatment for ANYONE (so-called Affirmative Action, minority/woman-owned contractors, etc.) nor giving ANY privileges to ILLEGAL immigrants, other than their right to be escorted to the porous border where they ILLEGALLY entered, along with a concentrated effort to seal the leak that let them in. I for one would not even extend to them the so-called "humanitarian" services we offer to CITIZENS and LEGAL immigrants; e.g., tax-supported emergency medical care, food, shelter, etc. Private charities may do as they wish, but without these giveaways, maybe we wouldn't NEED a controversial fence, or troops stationed at the borders. I support the recent ordinance passed by Farmers Branch, TX, with one exception: the mealy-mouthed politicians specifically EXCLUDED the original provision that made it a crime to EMPLOY illegals. That's a shameful cop-out! Withdrawal of this incentive for illegal border crossing is OBVIOUSLY the logical, most effective point to attack our illegal immigration problem. McCain vs Giuliani: let it be an INFORMED personal choice by ALL registered Republicans! I lean toward McCain, and AWAY from ANYTHING connected to NYC or the old-line power machines in the Northeast, but I might switch, if either Colin or Condi ran.
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- Yay! I'm completely braindead. Talk Show Host Guilini seems like the best candidate next to Captain Crunch MCCain!
I don't think they'll EVER find anyone TRULY qualified.
Better pick one of these two dirtbags NOW!! - Reply to this comment
- I am an independent but usually vote Democratic. Guiliani would make a terrific President! Take the time to read his biography http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/rwg/html/bio.html
Anyone who could clean up NYC after the disastrous years of Lindsay, Koch, Dinkins (remember when NYC went BROKE?), get rid of drug dealers in the parks, clean up the porn and *** theatres in Times Square, get people off of welfare (there were 1 in 7 people on welfare when he first took office). As US District Attorney in the 1980's he took on the mafia-controlled garbage haulers, wholesale foods industry and fish market industry. On 9/11 he showed the nation his ethics and leadership and as for me, I think he's got balls of steel. He's a moderate when this country needs a moderate, not some conservative re-tread like McCain. I am voting for him, and the election is still two years - Reply to this comment
- I am an independent but usually vote Democratic. Guiliani would make a terrific President! Take the time to read his biography http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/rwg/html/bio.html
Anyone who could clean up NYC after the disastrous years of Lindsay, Koch, Dinkins (remember when NYC went BROKE?), get rid of drug dealers in the parks, clean up the porn and *** theatres in Times Square, get people off of welfare (there were 1 in 7 people on welfare when he first took office). As US District Attorney in the 1980's he took on the mafia-controlled garbage haulers, wholesale foods industry and fish market industry. On 9/11 he showed the nation his ethics and leadership and as for me, I think he's got balls of steel. He's a moderate when this country needs a moderate, not some conservative re-tread like McCain. I am voting for him, and the election is still two years away. - Reply to this comment
- Giuliani represents everything that is wrong with America. He would still be a nobody without the tragedies of 2001. He uses, needs, and encourages terror on our people to further his power, like some other politicos we know. A vote for him is a vote for terror.
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- Wow. They are already selling us on our TWO Presidental 2008 Republinazi candidates.
Nope, we're not a FASCIST NATION with PURE PROPOGANDA for "NEWS". - Reply to this comment
- Here is my "skinny" on Presidential candidates.
In their megalomania they feel they are omnipotent and so in love with themselves are they, that they expect that people, the voting public, also feels that way about them. NOT.
What happens, is that many millions of dollars are spent by people hanging on to their coattails in hopes of hitting the big time.
But what really happens is that the voters (most), think that they are full of BS which is, of course, true.
The dangerous side of this is that sometimes they are actually get elected, i.e., Johnson, Reagan, Carter, Clinton, Ford, "W", and at a governatorial level, Schwartzenegger, Ventura, and many others too numerous to mention here.
As an old time pol with a lot of political experience said:
I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.
Charles De Gaulle (1890 - 1970)
Nice quote Charlie, thanks.
'Nuff said. - Reply to this comment
Author Thomas Friedman on Obama's Afghanistan plan and the war on terror.
