Giuliani Showing Some Gusto

National Review Online: Big Endorsement, Broad Platform Are Signs Of A Candidate On The Rise

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Larry Kudlow.

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While Hillary Clinton is slipping in the polls, Rudy Giuliani is on a roll. This is a big swing of momentum. Even the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC poll puts the two frontrunners in a dead heat.

Sen. Clinton was hurt badly by her flip-flopping performance in last month’s Democratic debate. America’s mayor, on the other hand, just got a hugely important endorsement from Reverend Pat Robertson. The message to social conservatives is clear: It’s now okay to vote for Rudy.

Why Rudy? Robertson named out-of-control federal spending, appointing conservative judges, reducing crime, and, perhaps most importantly, “the overriding issue [of] defending against [the] bloodlust of Islamic terrorists,” as issues that strongly favor Giuliani. On the other hand, he called abortion - something of a sticky subject for Giuliani - “only one issue” of importance.

The endorsement also suggests that evangelicals are divided on 2008. Indeed, there’s no monolithic movement in favor of any major candidate. This is critical. It means no third-party candidacy from the Christian right.

Recall that Bill and Hillary Clinton benefited enormously in 1992 when Ross Perot swiped 19 percent of the vote (most of those Republican) in the race against Papa Bush. And when Perot ran again in ’96, he undoubtedly drained votes from Sen. Bob Dole. (I note that Bill Clinton didn’t garner 50 percent of the vote in either of these elections.) But Robertson has very likely removed this dynamic. No third-party gifts for Hillary in 2008.

Robertson is a big score for Giuliani, right when he’s gaining ground on Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. That said, Romney is still up 15 points in New Hampshire, according to Scott Rasmussen’s poll, and 9.5 points as per the RealClearPolitics average. So you know what? Good for Romney.

To be very clear, I am not picking sides here. I do think Romney is running a strong campaign. And he’s gaining strength as a candidate. I also think John McCain is finding his sea legs on the campaign trail. Romney, McCain, and Giuliani are all strengthening what they say and how they say it. But at this writing, Giuliani appears to be at the top of his game.

When I interviewed him last week on CNBC, it marked the fourth time we had sat down together this year. But something was different. Giuliani was more in command of a wide breadth of issues, while there was a lot less talk about his considerable accomplishments as mayor of New York City.

For example, when I asked him what a President Giuliani would do to prop up the sagging dollar, he immediately reeled off a series of proposals: Cut spending and stop the earmarks. Deregulate wherever possible. Curb the stranglehold of Sarbanes-Oxley on the securities market. Make sure there’s no new "Sarbox" for home-loan mortgage credits. Keep the trial lawyers from launching class-action lawsuits against mortgage-security investors, which would only cripple housing credit in the future. Restore confidence in the economy by stopping Charlie Rangel’s mother-of-all-tax-hikes proposal.

That was some list. He also came out for cutting the corporate income tax - both as a pro-growth job creator and as a way to boost the sagging fortunes of the dollar. He’s right on both counts. In particular, he was emphatic about reducing the corporate tax so we can better compete with Europe (read the euro).

Grow the economy. Create more jobs. Strengthen worker wages. Giuliani was on fire. In fact, at the end of the interview, as we were walking off the set, he confided in me that he would suggest an immediate corporate-tax-cut proposal to President Bush. Giuliani wants results. And he knows he can win.

“I can beat her,” Giuliani said. “I can run in key states other Republicans can’t run in. That’s why Democrats are attacking me.”

I still believe that it’s a strong Republican field. And I still believe Hillary Clinton’s message of heavy spending, middle-class entitlements, and higher taxes is a Mondale-era loser. But there’s no doubt about it, America’s mayor is on a roll.

[adian1-2009]

Does anybody in this country still believes in Pat Robertson? If we do, then we deserve worse than we have, if there was a possibility to get it worse. Well, there is. His name is Giuliani. He will pardon Kirk and appoint him Secretary of State!

[imnho]

On a scale 0f 1-10, its about 12.

[roger_inkart]

IMNHO you beat me to it!

How friggin pathetic is the NRO? C''mon, scale of 1-10?

[roger_inkart]

HAHAHAHHAHAHA!!! Yeah, GREAT week for Rudy. Kerik is indicted, loony-toon right-wing freak show Robertson endorses him. Then I''d hate to see a BAD week then. Although, I''m fairly certain Rudy has plenty of those in his future.

[imnho]

If Rudy is there idea of a good week, I would hate to see bad week. If this is the best they can do then they better get use to the phrase "Madam President".

[perception5]

Mitt Romney is the most viable "moderate" conservative in the Presidential race and the best qualified to bring new leadership with his vision for America''s future.

Governor Romney has an impressive resume to showcase. When elected governor in 2002 he assumed a monstrous 3 billion dollar deficit and put the state of Massachusetts back in the black without raising taxes.

Mitt also brought HEALTH INSURANCE TO ALL THE citizens of Massachusetts in 2006 WITHOUT raising taxes. Does anyone out there care about health care? Mitt''s been there done that.

His success in public office mirrors his record in the private sector at Bain Capitol where he reorganized and made household names of companies such as Domino''s Pizza and Staples.

Mitt also bailed out the U.S. Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002, and turned a profit there for 100 million dollars. I have nicknamed Mitt, "the Rominator", for obvious reasons.

Candidate Romney graduated valedictorian in undergrad; then pursued a double degree at Harvard (M.B.A. and law) graduating in the top 5% of his class while doing so.

Romney has also taken a tough stance on terrorism and in an interview with the AP in June, Mitt indicated that he was "against" any permanent US bases in Iraq.

Romney currently leads all Republican candidates in New Hampshire, Iowa and Michigan, Nevada, and South Carolina.

That''s a couple of reasons why I''m voting for Mitt Romney.

[bill1fj]

Rudy wants to give over 20 million illegal aliens amnesty.
Do NOT vote for any professional politician of either party that wants to give amnesty to illegals.

[tejasdemo]

Lol. Go Hillary Go !!!!!!!

[terrapin78]

When the Dems start circulating the photos of Rudy in DRAG we''ll see how those Evangelicals vote.

While I don''t have a problem with regular folks cross-dressing, I don''t think I want a President that is too comfortable in women''s clothes (unless the person is a genetic woman).

[ksjeff-2009]

You''ve got to be kidding? If the Republicon heavyweights are throwing their support behind Rudy, then their party is in deep doo-doo. Guliani is "America''s Mayor"?? Who in the hell ordained him that? Himself? The media? He has never been MY mayor, and I am a born-in-America American. This op-ed is laughable.

[jeugenen]

GIULIANI ON TRIAL FOR TREASON

When did Giuliani''s Christian God give him the right to support Human sacrifice, women killing their own children?

When did his American Constitution give him the right to sacrifice the wealth and blood of the American People, on behalf of domestic and foreign lobbies?

If neither his Christian God, nor his American Constitution, are sacred to him; why would his promises to the American People be sacred to him?

[jeugenen]

GIULIANI ON TRIAL FOR TREASON

When did Giuliani''s Christian God give him the right to support Human sacrifice, women killing their own children?

When did his American Constitution give him the right to sacrifice the wealth and blood of the American People, on behalf of domestic and foreign lobbies?

If neither his Christian God, nor his American Constitution, are sacred to him; why would his promises to the American People be sacred to him?

[briannorwood]

And, he looks frightningly like Simon Bar Sinister (of the old Underdog cartoon)!

[rafterman1]

===For example, when I asked him what a President Giuliani would do to prop up the sagging dollar, he immediately reeled off a series of proposals: Cut spending and stop the earmarks.===

Which does nothing to help the dollar.

===Deregulate wherever possible. Curb the stranglehold of Sarbanes-Oxley on the securities market. Make sure there%u2019s no new "Sarbox" for home-loan mortgage credits.===

Another words, make the rich richer.

===Keep the trial lawyers from launching class-action lawsuits against mortgage-security investors, which would only cripple housing credit in the future.===

Annd while makingthe rich richer, make sure average people can''t do squat about companies running roughshod over them.

===Restore confidence in the economy by stopping Charlie Rangel%u2019s mother-of-all-tax-hikes proposal.===

The stop the war Rudy. Can''t have war and tax cuts at the same time - unless you want to collapse our economy.

[rafterman1]

Having Pat Robertson endorse you AND one of your boys just having to plead in court over corruption charges, in the same week and this is a GOOD week for Rudy, according to the NRO?

Uh, OK.

[clestes-2009]

Rudy is definately at the top of the MOST UNQUALIFIED candidate to ever dream of being president.

He is also at the top of the most OUT OF TOUCH candidate list as well.

Ah well, the great thing about America is the fact that anyone can run for president. Look at the doofus we have in the white house now. If not for his Dad, this loser would be on welfare.

But back to Rudy, he is a joke. Every other word out of his mouth is 9-11 and if not for that that, no one would even know his name.

He would be worse than shrub as president.