MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE - Rudy Giuliani

My ongoing fascination with the Rudy Giuliani candidacy continues (again) today. The biggest question mark in many people's minds as to how hard right conservatives could accept a social liberal like Rudy may actually have an answer, as Greg Sargent reports:

Giuliani is laying the groundwork to make the case to social conservatives that he isn't the social liberal he's been made out to be. Maybe he'll blame the liberal media for painting him as a liberal, or something.

Seriously, Rudy's impending effort to pull off a convincing ideological self-transformation is going to form one of the more interesting storylines to watch as we move into the Presidential race. As someone who's seen him up close undergoing previous political mutations over the years, I can tell you that he's way better at distancing himself from the reality of his own past -- and sounding awfully sincere in the process -- than many people might think. So: Will the big news orgs hold Giuliani accountable for his own past statements and positions on issues important to GOP primary voters, or will his designation by the media as an "independent" Republican who allegedly says what he thinks earn him the same kind of hands-off treatment the big pundits and commentators have tended to grant to fellow "straight-talker" John McCain?

So, a plan is apparently in place to whitewash years of executive decisions during his time as mayor of New York. Giuliani knows that his credentials as "America's Mayor" will only gain him so much goodwill with voters; the next phase of Extreme Makeover: President Rudy Edition begins soon.

THE PARTY OF FAMILY VALUES

For all their talk as the party of family values and the protectors of the sacred institution of marriage, it strikes me as sort of hypocritical that three of the top candidates for the Republican nomination in 2008 all just happen to be adulterers who have each been married at least twice. I speak of course of John McCain, Newt Gingrich and Rudy Giuliani. And obviously I'm not the only one who sees a problem with this as former GOP congressman Bob Dornan (R-CA) is so incensed with it that he's considering a run for president. Dornan is the lovely little man with a, *ahem* excuse the expression, hard-on against gays and has said such lovely things as, "Don't use the word 'gay' unless it's an acronym for 'Got Aids Yet?" and "Every lesbian spear chucker in this country is hoping I get defeated[,]" which he said to a Los Angeles television reporter in 1992.

While I personally find Dornan a repugnant human being, he does bring up a good point. One of these three men could be the torchbearer for their party, yet all carry with them an undeniable stench of hypocrisy as they go around courting the right wing of their party. It's just one more reason why I cannot wait for coming presidential election. This is going to be great to watch.

[h/t Americablog]


QUICK RUDY NOTE (via TPM Election Central):

It appears that CNN has created a new political label for "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani. In announcing John McCain's formation of an exploratory committee, the prerequisite step for announcing one's candidacy.

McCain's name recognition can only be matched by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to form a committee last week. The moderate conservative's performance in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks earned him praise and fame across the nation.

Moderate conservative? Whaaaa?!? Is that like telling my little daughter not to touch a recently turned-off oven because it's warm hot? As a reader to TPM noted:

So now they've invented a new classifaction just for their sweetheart. He gets to be both a moderate and a conservative. This way, the conservatives are re-assured, as are the general public.
Will they describe Hillary -- or any of the Democratic contenders -- as "moderate progressives"? Don't hold your breath.

So, CNN has taken it upon themselves to make up labels for a candidate they cannot stop tripping over themselves to pump up. You can call him whatever you want, and it won't make up for the fact that Rudy supports rights for gays and is an adulterer involved in a terribly messy divorce during his time as "America's Mayor". It's no stretch in punditry to suggest that there's no chance this type of resume will fly with primary voters. No matter what he's labeled.