In a scathing anti-endorsement that called Romney a "disquieting figure," the New Hampshire newspaper's editorial board said he looks and acts like a presidential contender but "surely must be stopped" because he lacks the core philosophical beliefs to be a trustworthy president.

In particular, the newspaper noted the former Massachusetts governor's change of heart on such issues as abortion rights, stem-cell research and access to emergency contraception, as well as on signing an anti-tax pledge.

"When New Hampshire partisans are asked to defend the state's first-in-the-nation primary, we talk about our ability to see the candidates up close, ask tough questions and see through the baloney. If a candidate is a phony, we assure ourselves and the rest of the world, we'll know it," the newspaper said. "Mitt Romney is such a candidate. New Hampshire Republicans and independents must vote no."

Hat tip: NewsMax

(...) Since he surged, Huckabee has been getting much tougher coverage, as any reader of this blog has seen. Romney's still getting hit from a lot of different directions - his dad and Martin Luther King, his immigration positions, the usual flip-flop charges, etc. If McCain wins New Hampshire, you'll see him get coverage that's much tougher. His foes will start reciting immigrationdeal-campaignfinancereform-gangof14-votedagainst Bushtaxcuts over and over again. You'll see every picture he's ever taken with Ted Kennedy dominating the airwaves. If Fred Thompson surges, he'll get knocked around, too. And there's still some possibility of the murder-suicide effect; if any candidate goes too negative on another, the mud splashes on both of them.

So it's possible that by the time we get to Florida, most of the other Big Five have won only one or two states and has higher negatives from several tough primary battles. Rudy can swoop in, win delegate-rich Florida, and then try to execute his big state Super Duper Tuesday strategy, and pound home, electability, electability, electability...

It's not a perfect path to the nomination, but right now, no one has one...

Jim Gerarthy, sul blog The Campaign Spot della National Review.

In a baseball game, you've got to play nine innings and whoever gets the most runs at the end of the nine innings wins. So here, you've got to play in 29 primaries. Nobody's going to win all of them, that's for sure.

Rudy Giuliani, 19 dicembre 2007

Una boccata d'ossigeno per Rudy nell'ultimo sondaggio Gallup per USA Today, dopo un paio di settimane davvero difficili. Giuliani in crescita (+2%) rispetto all'inizio di dicembre, ha il 27% dei consensi, con 11 punti percentuali di vantaggio su Mike Huckabee (16%). Alle loro spalle, appaiati al 14% ci sono Mitt Romney, John McCain e Fred Thompson. Lontanissimo, al 3%, Ron Paul.

Il video integrale del discorso di Rudy a Tampa.

Da The Page, il blog di Mark Halperin per The Time, pubblichiamo la versione integrale dello stump speech di Rudy ieri a Tampa (Florida).

Thank you. Tested. Ready. Now. America needs a leader. I am running for President of the United States because I believe that I can lead America into a new era with bold leadership, optimism, determination, and distinctly American solutions. If you’re looking for perfection, you’re not going to find it. Not in me, not in any candidate. But if you’re looking for a leader who has been tested in times of crisis; a leader who’s ready to lead right now; a leader who’s achieved results – results that some people thought were impossible –a leader who believes that there is no problem too difficult for American solutions and a free, American spirit. I believe I am that leader.

I’ve met adversity before. I’ve led in situations that seemed hopeless and dire, in need of a miracle. I don’t just pray for miracles. I don’t just hope for miracles. I expect miracles. Some people look at the challenges we face as a nation and they fear the future. I welcome it. I welcome the opportunity to keep America safe and secure. We will win the Terrorists’ War on Us.

I welcome the opportunity to restore fiscal discipline to Washington D.C. While we empower millions of people to move out of poverty and achieve the American dream. And I welcome the opportunity to win this election. Leading a revitalized, 50-state Republican Party into the White House.

But as I travel across our land, I’ve begun to hear a murmur that America somehow has lost the ability to achieve great goals. Some good people have come to believe that our country is on the wrong track. Middle Class families feel that the American Dream may be slipping away. They’re worried about the future. They’re worried that the future may not be as bright as the past. They’re worried that this may be the time where the next generation of Americans doesn’t do as well as the last generation. It doesn’t have to be that way. We — we, you and I — can decide America’s direction. We can determine America’s future. After all, that’s what an election is all about. So let’s decide for optimism, not pessimism; for hope, not despair; for strength, not weakness; for victory, not defeat.

We can’t afford a crisis of confidence at the time we need our confidence the most because our country does face real crisis right now. We’re at war. The American people want to see victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, not humiliation and defeat.

They want their children to live free from the fear of terrorism. They’re telling us, get it done. And we will.

Washington’s culture of wasteful spending is out of control. Everyone knows that. The American people want to see real fiscal discipline. They’re telling us, get it done. And we will.

Americans have heard presidents talk about energy independence for three decades. Now they’re paying more at the pump and they’re seeing their money go into the pockets of some of our enemies. They’re telling us, get it done. Get energy independence done. We will.

The American people are angry that the federal government has failed to protect and secure our borders. And they’re telling us, get it done. And we will.

What America needs in 2008 is a proven leader who will get things done. I’ve been tested. I’m ready. And the time is right now.

This is a time for leadership. A leader is someone who combines vision for the future with the ability to get things done. It’s a person who can dream about a better future and then help bring it into reality, actually make [is] it possible. So today, I’m going to share with you my vision for our future, for America’s future. This summer, we presented a bold agenda for the future. It was my 12 Commitments to the American people.

But today I want to explain it in a slightly different way. I want to explain it by describing my vision of the America that I want to hand over to my successor if you give me the honor of being your president. Because we all believe that everyone of us, no matter what our role or who we are in this country, all of us has an obligation, a responsibility to hand our nation to the next generation better than it was handed to us.

We’re about improving our country for the next generation. We’ve always been about that. This generation has to be about that.

So we’ll hand over an America where our schools are the best in the world – not 21st in Science, not 25th in Math like we are today. I’ve got a goal for America. How about being # 1?
We can reform education—primary and secondary education in this country and we can do it by creating and expanding school choice. We’ll empower parents – not government bureaucrats – let the parents choose where their child goes to school. Who knows better?

All children – rich and poor, middle class or otherwise – all children deserve a quality education: whether it’s public, private, parochial, charter or home-school. To me, this is the great civil rights issue of our time. Our children, all of our children, not just yours, not just mine, all of our children need a good education and if the parents are making the choice, if that’s the rule in this country and not the exception, I’m confident that the decisions will be made in their interest. They’re going to do it better than some bureaucrat who has never met their child, doesn’t know their child. So let’s give the power here, the main power to the parents.

We’ll hand over an America that embraces [is] the global economy. That needs fairness. Of course we need a level playing field, but we should be less concerned about how much we buy from overseas, except from the point of view of safety and security, that’s important. But on the economics of it, what we should really be focusing on is how much do we sell to overseas?
America is an entrepreneurial society. We should view the rise of China and India, the people moving out of poverty in China and India, we should view that as a great opportunity to find what America is always looking for: new customers. Right?

When they think of us as a country that’s militaristic, they’re wrong. The essential nature of Americans is not war. Americans only go to war when they have to and then of course we do it to win and to prevail and to be safe. So do it in a determined way. But here’s the essential nature of America and Americans. Here’s what we really want to do with you all around the world. We want to sell you something. Right?

Isn’t that what America’s all about. America is an entrepreneurial society. But we also need to keep our house in order here in the United States. We’ll hand over a country that’s more fiscally disciplined, with a government no larger than it has to be. It’ll be a country where taxes, regulations, abusive lawsuits don’t drive jobs and businesses out of the United States. And we’ll create—And we’ll create hundreds of thousands of jobs, millions of jobs, in the process. We’ll lower the income tax and the corporate tax rates. We’ll give the death tax the death penalty.

We’ll find many ways to bring tax relief to middle class families where that tax relief is needed the most. And you know what else we’re going to do? We’re going to develop a single page, one-page optional tax form. How about being able to do it all on one page? Wouldn’t that be great?
Ok. The print may be a little small.

But we’ll work real hard to get it on one page. The Democrats running for president seem to want a nanny state. They want to run your life from the cradle to the grave. We don’t want that kind of state. America’s like a country that puts reliance on individuals, on people, what they can do, what they can accomplish. America’s a country that works on initiative. And then we give people opportunity and help to have that initiative, but we don’t try to direct their lives from the day [their] they’re born until the day they die. We’ll hand off a country that doesn’t penalize success. We’ll reward success. We want a country where the “sky’s the limit”. People can reach for the stars and they can have a hope that they can get there. We don’t want to put a lid on their desires, on their ambitions. We want to encourage social mobility. What country has done it better than America in the history of the world? Move people out of poverty, create social mobility, have people in one generation go from the virtual bottom to the virtual top and all the places in between. We do that by being a country of initiative, a country that rewards success, not a country that penalizes success. So we want to encourage social mobility. That’s how we move people out of poverty. That’s how we strengthen the middle class and that’s how we bring the American dream within the reach of every willing person in this country.

Now if you keep doing that, I’m going to stop giving this speech. I’m going to go out and play football. We’ll hand over a country where decisions about your healthcare are made between you and your doctor, not between you and a Hillary-care custodian.

We can make health care more affordable, portable. We can do that through tax cuts, not tax hikes and government mandates. We can open the market, we can increase choice, we can empower individuals and all of that, all of that will drive down the cost so that people can afford health insurance and good health insurance, quality health insurance. That has to be our goal. We do it through an America, we do it through private decision-making and private markets not through socialized medicine.

We’ll hand over a country with 200 new federal judges – or 400, if you give me a second term. Well let’s work on the first one first. Ok. These judges will be responsible men and women, people who understand that their role is to interpret the Constitution, not social activists who legislate from the bench. To do anything less is to deny us the defense of liberty that comes from the separation of powers. We’ll hand over a country where we’ve ended illegal immigration where it has to be done – at the border.

And also a country who’s arms are wide open to people who come here, people who come here legally and openly. We want them, we need them, we will accept them, and what we want them to do, if they want to become citizens, is meet all the requirements and then be able to read English, write English, and speak English.

Ending illegal immigration won’t be easy. It requires changing human behavior – but it needs to be done for everyone’s good. I have the will. I have the way to do it, the plan to do it, and I have the track record to bring safety and order and fairness to a situation that is now [our] out of control. I’ve done it before, I can do it again.

We’ll hand over an America that is stronger, safer and more secure. We’ll make every community better prepared, more prepared for terrorist attacks and natural disasters something you know about here in Florida. The hurricanes of a few years ago where you had to deal with four all in one short season. The way you did it was a really good emergency response. The rest of the country needs to be at at least that level of preparation and we all need to be at a higher level of preparation. And as we do that, we’ll build a more resilient society – ready to withstand anything that comes our way and ready to help those in need, whenever and wherever they need it. We’re one country. We’re in this together. Natural disaster, terrorist attack, you learned here in Florida. I learned that in New York. We embrace each other.
We’ll hand over an America that is achieving energy independence. We can do it by increasing the diversity of our energy sources. And we can do it by having both a healthy environment and a healthy economy. The two things are not inconsistent with each other. The two things compliment each other if you do energy independence the right way and you move toward the right sources and you support it. And most the most important thing is we’ll approach this goal with the same single-mindedness that America used to put a man on the moon. Remember? Well, some of you don’t remember. You’re too young.

You remember. I remember. You don’t remember. But you’re going to read about this in history, because it’s one of our great historical moments. The Apollo Mission, the mission to put a man on the moon, it was started by President Eisenhower, a Republican. It was advanced greatly by President Kennedy, a Democrat. It was brought almost to its final stages by President Johnson, another Democrat, and it was completed under President Nixon, another Republican. This wasn’t a Republican success. This wasn’t a Democratic success. This was an American achievement.

That’s when we’re at our best. That’s when we’re at our best, when we’re thinking like Americans. We were at our best to put a man on the moon, we were at our best to deal with the horror and the shock and the pain and the suffering of September 11th, weren’t we? No Republicans, no Democrats just Americans. That’s what we need to achieve energy independence and then maybe we can take that sprit and we can apply it to some of these other big problems that we face. What we really need is to reaffirm and we need a new era, not of Republican success or Democratic success, how about we look for things where we can have American success.

Finally, and this is the big challenge of our generation, we’ll hand over a country that is safer, that is more secure from the Terrorists who are at war with us and around the world. We’ll do it the same way that Ronald Reagan accelerated the end of Cold War. President Reagan used to be asked in the early days of his presidency, when the Cold War was in some ways you know very intense, they’d say to him “You know this Cold War’s been going on for a long time is it ever going to end, how is it going to end? People couldn’t see an ending to it, it’d been going on for so long. Will it ever end, can it end? Ronald Reagan listened to them, paused the way he used to, put a little smile on his face and when they were asking him how would it end, he just had that little smile on his face and he said: “They Lose. We Win.”

That’s the same approach that we need to defeat these enemies that we have. We need to stay on offense in this Terrorist War against Us, achieving peace through strength, that’s the only way you achieve peace, through great strength, by being on offense, by being strong, by being confident, by having a military that we expand, not contract. We have to rebuild our military.
I have a goal in Iraq it’s not the Democrats goal, they tried to legislate loss in Iraq, they’re still trying to legislate loss in Iraq. I have a different goal. It will be a very clear decision for the American people. Here’s my goal for Iraq, victory, success for America and for our troops. Let’s achieve the goal that we went there to achieve, a stable Iraq that will act as an ally for us in the ongoing Islamic Terrorist war against us. That is a victory for us and a defeat for them.

Our men and women there believe they can achieve that. They’ve shown us unexpected progress; many people even opponents of that war have been surprised at how exceptional the progress has been. So let’s help them and support them. And let’s do the same thing in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Let’s make sure we finish the job and we eliminate Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

We will hand over an America that has stopped Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
And when we stop them we won’t just be moderately confidant but we’ll be totally sure.
But we also need to win the war of ideas and the war of ideals. Strengthening our ties with the Middle East, embracing those people in the Middle East, in the Arab world, in the Islamic world. The overwhelming majority of people who want peace, who below the cultural differences share the same values that we have. We’ve got reach out to them; we’ve got to get to know them better. We’ve got to get them to know us better. We’ve got to do more business with them. That part of the world is filled with people with the same entrepreneurial spirit that we have. The same love for their children that we have, the same desire for a safe and secure life for themselves that we have. There are a few people and more than a few but by no means anything close to a substantial proportion of people, that have perverted the thinking and turned it into a political ideology now of hatred and anger and viciousness and aggression. But that shouldn’t stop us from reaching out to all of the rest of those people who have the same desires that we have. We should actually be having more contact with, doing more business with, having more cultural relationships with the Middle East now than we have ever had before. It is another way to win the Terrorist War against all of Us. And I will do that and I will make sure that we open up in the same way that we will be strong and on offense, we will also have a very big open arm for all those people who want to work with us. We’ll embrace them, they’ll embrace us, it’s not the first time America has done that, it won’t be the last and it will work. I guarantee you it will work.

So all of this is saying that America needs bold leadership to meet these very very big challenges that we have. But I know we have the strength to hand our nation to the next generation stronger than it’s been handed to us. We have the capacity to improve things the way our fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers, mothers, fathers, people all over have done for us. I have faith in the Genius of America: the power of free people to solve whatever problems they face. That’s why my solutions all begin with a simple thought, a simple philosophy: Give people more power.

America’s not unique because of its central government. America is great because of self-government. We unleash the genius of America when we increase freedom. The freedom to pursue success, prosperity, happiness, fulfillment, in the way that you choose, not the way that the government dictates to you. The genius of America is you. The individual American. When you decide how to spend your money, you’ll spend it more productively than any government ever will.

When you’re the one deciding what school your child should can go to, you’ll make a much better decision than some government bureaucrat can make for a child they never met or never known. And when you decide what kind of healthcare you should have, you will make a much better decision than some government custodian can make for you.

It’s really simple. I believe in the strength and wisdom of the American people. Look at our history and you’ll see why. Because no matter when or how your ancestors came to this country, we are all the proud descendants of pioneers and patriots. They created this for us, their optimistic American spirit, the defiant determination to do what some other people thought was impossible, that is our greatest inheritance. Each generation of Americans has been called to overcome great challenges. Previous generations fought for our independence, signed the constitution, ended slavery, healed the wounds of a Civil War, settled the West, overcame the Great Depression and secured civil rights. So when we see all of that, are our challenges any greater than theirs? They won the Second World War against Nazism and fascism and the Cold War against communism. That’s the same strength that’s in each of us. We inherited it, we have it. We’ve got to believe that we do. And now it is our generation’s turn to make history in this new century. I know that this generation can overcome any challenge. I’ve seen your strength, I’ve been sustained by it.

I saw it on the morning of September 11th, 2001. There were points that day, that morning in particular where I wondered, I wondered whether we had the strength to deal with this[,] worst attack in our history, unprecedented, horrific, memories and images that will live with me until the day that I die. But immediately as a I saw the courage and the strength of our citizens and our first responders, when I saw the picture of the firefighters who put the flag up at Ground Zero, just like the Marines at Iwo Jima, many years before, looked just the same didn’t it? You know what I said to myself and this gave me great strength to get through everything. I said to myself this generation, this current generation, our generation, we’ve got the same strength, the same determination, the same patriotism because it comes from our fathers and grandfathers who won the Second World War and did all of these things. Maybe sometimes, maybe sometimes it happens when we’re put under stress and we’re put in a moment of terror and horror and it just comes out. But you know throughout history, people who live in freedom have much more strength than people who live in oppression. That’s been the story of the Old Testament, its been the story of the ancient world and the modern world. It was the story of the 20thth century taught us, if nothing else, that you have to stand up to tyrants, to bullies, to terrorists. It’s in strength that you’ll be able to achieve peace and vindicate freedom. century, people who live in freedom overcome oppression. We are on the right side of this. We have the strength, we have the ability.

With bold leadership, America will meet and exceed any challenge we face. With bold leadership, America will face the future with confidence and reclaim our right to live in freedom from fear. With bold leadership, America will rise to new heights in this still very new century. This is a time for leadership. This is a time for strength. This is a time to roll up our sleeves, not wring our hands. I’ve been Tested in crisis. I’m Ready to lead. And the time is right Now. Thank you.

(...) Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will deliver a speech Saturday aimed at laying out a broad governing vision for the country, an address his campaign is touting as a turning point in his bid for the Republican nomination. "This will be a closing statement of why he wants to be president," said a senior Giuliani adviser familiar with the speech. The broad goal, according to the adviser, is to define "what will America be like after a Giuliani presidency." For much of the campaign to date, Giuliani has talked almost exclusively about his record as mayor of New York as opposed to what he would do as president. Saturday's speech will change that, his advisers argue, with a speech that will carry the tagline: "Tested. Ready. Now."

The locale and timing of the speech send a signal of their own. Giuliani will deliver the speech in Tampa, Florida, a not so subtle symbol of the importance of the state to Giuliani's path the to the nomination. The Sunshine State and its Jan. 29 presidential primary has long been seen as Giuliani's firewall as poll after poll shows him with wide leads over all of his potential rivals. As for the timing, the Giuliani campaign believes the speech falls on perhaps on the last day before the Christmas rush begins in earnest -- wiping out the ability to firmly communicate a message to voters.

Chris Cilizza, The Fix (blog del Washington Post).

(...) ... In '98 when I had a tough election campaign here in Massachusetts, uh, he came up the final night -- the day before the election --We went to the North end of Boston -- the Italian section. We kind of had a little, uh, parade for the North end. We ended up at, uh, uh, an Italian restaurant having "pizzer" and beer. And then we went and had a couple of cigars. That's a very fond memory of Rudy helping me out when I needed some help. And he was there for me, and I'm very proud to be there for him.".

L'ex governatore Massachusetts, Paul Cellucci, intervistato da Matt Lewis per Townhall.

Guarda il video sul blog di Giulia NY.

(...) The question that has dominated the GOP contest is, "Should we nominate someone as liberal as Rudy on social issues?" The answer among the stalwarts is obviously no. As long as the social conservatives are divided among four candidates, Rudy has a shot. But when they rally behind one man (probably Huckabee) conservatives outnumber moderates in Republican primaries, particularly if the independents are drawn into the Democratic primary by Hillary's new vulnerability.
But by losing, Rudy shifts the focus. Republicans will ask, "Is America ready to elect a Mormon?" (unfortunately not) and, "Are we ready to go with Romney or Huckabee who have no experience in foreign or military affairs?" Once again, Rudy will profit from the shift in focus his defeat in the early contests will trigger.

(...) Remember how Gary Hart beat Mondale in New Hampshire in 1984 and Mondale came back to win? And how Paul Tsongas beat Clinton there in 1992 and Clinton eventually won? And how McCain defeated Bush in New Hampshire in 2000 but how Bush came back to win? Different year. New candidates. Same deal.

Dick Morrisu, Real Clear Politics.

clipped from news.newsmax.com Hillary Behind Giuliani Billing Disclosures? Political insiders are speculating that the hidden hand of Hillary Clinton was behind recent disclosures about Rudy Giuliani’s questionable billing practices as New York City mayor. The Politico.com disclosed on Wednesday that Mayor Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security costs during the time he was starting an extramarital affair with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons on Long Island, where she had a condo. The speculation by insiders is that the information about Giuliani’s billing practices was unearthed by Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign researchers while she was running for the U.S. Senate in the 2000 election. The thinking is that Hillary is convinced that she’ll win the nomination, and is seeking to knock off Rudy early because Clinton and her backers believe Giuliani is the only GOP candidate who could beat her in the general election.

Secondo The Fix, il blog di politica del Washington Post, Mike Huckabee potrebbe avere una chance in Iowa o, perlomeno, avere un ottimo risultato. Buone notizie per Rudy Giuliani, IMHO: Mitt Romney sta investendo molto in Iowa e sarebbe il candidato maggiormente danneggiato da un'affermazione di Huckabee.

Why (and How) Huckabee Can Win Iowa -

clipped from www.newsmax.com All five of the leading Republican presidential candidates � including John McCain � would beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head match-up, according to a surprising new poll from Zogby International. The national poll of nearly 10,000 people � about equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, with about one-quarter independents � is more bad news for longtime front-runner Clinton. It shows that she�s slipping not only in Iowa and several other early caucus or primary states, but across the country as well. Asked whom they would choose in a race between Giuliani and Clinton, 43 percent of respondents said Giuliani and 39.4 percent chose Clinton, with 14.6 percent opting for �someone else� and 3 percent selecting �will not vote/not sure.�

Appuntamento, per tutti i sostenitori italiani di Rudolph Giuliani, martedì 27 novembre alle 19.00, a Roma, presso la Sala Lettura dell’Hotel Aleph (via San Basilio n. 48).

"Se fossimo americani voteremmo Rudolph Giuliani" ha dichiatato uno degli organizzatori dell'iniziativa, Benedetto Della Vedova, presidente dei Riformatori Liberali e deputato di Forza Italia. "Giuliani è un paladino dei valori dell’Occidente, un difensore dell’ordine e della sicurezza e quindi, in concreto, della libertà dei cittadini, un autentico liberista nemico del tassa e spendi e un efficientissimo uomo di governo, come ha dimostrato da sindaco di New York. Accanto a tutto questo (e senza alcuna contraddizione) sui temi eticamente sensibili Giuliani ha anche una visione che in Italia definiremmo libertaria, aperta all’innovazione e al pieno riconoscimento dei diritti individuali. E’ una esperienza che riteniamo di grande interesse e significato, anche al di fuori dei confini statunitensi".

All'iniziativa hanno già aderito all’iniziativa diversi politici e parlamentari tra cui l'ex ministro della Difesa, Antonio Martino, Antonio Salvatore Ferrigno (eletto nella circoscrizione America del Nord), Antonio Martusciello, Gustavo Selva, Nino Paravia, Chiara Moroni, Daniele Capezzone, Marco Taradash e Peppino Calderisi, oltre ad esponenti del mondo economico ed imprenditoriale, dell’informazione, del giornalismo, della blogosfera. Tra cui, aggiungiamo orgogliosamente, anche Italian Bloggers for Giuliani 2008.

Diamo dunque appuntamento a tutti i nostri iscritti a Roma, martedì 27 novembre, a Roma, presso la Sala Lettura dell’Hotel Aleph di via San Basilio 48.

CEOs tend to be students of leadership and strategy, and so it comes as no surprise to Pew Research President Andy Kohut that CEOs are attracted to Rudy Giuliani's "strong leadership image." CEOs have wealth, power and influence, but also are part of a demographic too small to have been analyzed like soccer moms and NASCAR dads. But what little research there is, including an unscientific survey of 154 CEOs by USA TODAY, suggests that they are not monolithic. Two in five vote Democratic. But the typical CEO would vote for Giuliani, which supports the long-held belief that executives worry less about social positions on abortion and gun control and more about fiscal issues such as the economy and federal deficits. CEOs are also pragmatic and see Giuliani as the best hope for a Republican victory a year from now. (...)

Del Jones, USA Today.

Rudy Giuliani Campaign Manager Mike DuHaime and Senior Strategist Brent Seaborn held a conference call with reporters earlier today to outline their strategy heading into the primary season. The strategy, which focuses on more on the states coming into play on February 5th than on the early contests, is well known, but with the release of the official delegate apportionment by the Republican National Committee last week, DuHaime and Seaborn laid out the case in concrete terms (...)

La strategia di Rudy, passo dopo passo: Tom Bevan su Real Clear Politics.

Rudy prende il volo anche nelle rilevazioni statistiche di Rasmussen Reports, uno dei pochi istituti di ricerca che lo ha sempre visto in affanno rispetto ai concorrenti in campo repubblicano. Nell'ultimo sondaggio, Rasmussen assegna a Giuliani il 27% dei consensi. Alle sue spalle: Fred Thompson e Mitt Romney appaiati al 14%, John McCain al 13%, Mike Huckabee al 10% e Ron Paul al 6%.

Interessante anche l'ultimo sondaggio condotto da Rasmussen in Connecticut, che vede Rudy (46%) condurre su Hillary Clinton (43%) in uno degli "stati blu" per eccellenza. Nessun altro repubblicano, in Connecticut, riesce a raggiungere il 40% in un ipotetico match-up con Hillary.

Rather than a break with Bush, Giuliani represents stylistic continuity. The cross-dressing, nonchurch-going, pro-choice New Yorker has more in common with the brush-clearing, evangelical, pro-life West Texan than any of the other Republican candidates. He's an urban cowboy, who tamed New York City with his no-nonsense commitment to law and order (...)

Rich Lowry sulla National Review.

Pat Robertson, una delle più influenti figure del mondo evangelico statunitense e del movimento social conservative, ha annunciato pubblicamente il proprio endorsement a favore di Rudolph Giuliani. (...)

Continua su The Right Nation.

Rudy consolida la sua leadership nell'ultimo sondaggio USA Today/Gallup. Giuliani, in lieve crescita, raggiunge il 34% dei consensi in campo repubblicano. E questa volta, alle sue spalle, a condurre il gruppo degli inseguitori non c'è più Fred Thompson (17%) ma un redivivo John McCain (18%), che ormai da qualche settimana sembra essere riuscito ad invertire il trend negativo degli ultimi mesi. Seguono Mitt Romney (14%) e Mike Huckabee (6%).

Allungo di Rudy nell'ultimo sondaggio di Rasmussen Reports. Rasmussen, utilizzando uno screening degli elettori repubblicani più restrittivo rispetto agli altri istituti di ricerca, tende sempre a "sottorappresentare" Giuliani. Ma l'America's Mayor sembra ormai volare, a livello nazionale, a prescindere dal sistema di campionamento. Ad inseguire Giuliani (24%), il solito Fred Thompson (18%). Ma la vera novità è che in terza posizione si affaccia Mike Huckabee (14%), dopo aver scavalcato sia John McCain (13%) che Mitt Romney (11%).

Intanto, in campo democratico, Hillary Clinton (40%) è al livello più basso degli ultimi mesi, ma né Barack Obama (21%) né John Edwards (13%) sembrano essere in grado di produrre lo sprint necessario ad insidiarne la vittoria alle primarie.

Rudy stabile al 28% nell'ultimo sondaggio CNN/Opinion Research. Alle sue spalle, si accalcano Fred Thompson (19%), John McCain (16%), Mitt Romney (11%) e Mike Huckabee in lieve crescita (10%).

House Republicans see a 2008 ticket topped by former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani making congressional races in Democratic strongholds of the Northeast more competitive, improving the party's odds for picking up the 16 seats to win back the majority. The popularity of the former mayor — polls in the region show Mr. Giuliani neck and neck with Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York — promises to put in play congressional races in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania — districts that typically vote Democrat (...)

S.A. Miller, sul Washington Times.

Rudy sempre in testa nell'ultimo sondaggio di FOX News sulle primarie repubblicane. Giuliani (31%) guadagna un punto percentuale su Fred Thompson (17%), mentre alle spalle del duo di testa resiste John McCain (12%) e crolla Mitt Romney (7%). Stabile Mike Huckabee al 5%.

Rudolph Giuliani, l’ex sindaco di New York, oggi candidato alle primarie del partito Repubblicano per la corsa alla Casa bianca, sarà in Sicilia fra la fine del prossimo novembre e l’inizio di dicembre. (continua su StarSailor)

Rudy consolida il suo vantaggio nei confronti di Fred Thompson nell'ultimo sondaggio condotto da Quinnipiac in Florida. Giuliani (30%, +3%) ha 16 punti percentuali di vantaggio su Thompson (14%, -5%) e McCain (14%, +6%). Più staccati Romney (12%, -5%) e Huckabee (8%, +4%). In campo democratico, Hillary Clinton (43%, -8%) continua a dominare su Barack Obama (18%, +1%), anche se per la prima volta negli ultimi mesi il suo vantaggio è il calo.

Interessante la tabella dei match-ups che pubblichiamo integralmente qui sotto. Sembra proprio che soltanto un candidato del GOP abbia la forza necessaria per dare filo da torcere ai democratici. Indovinate chi è?

General Election Match Ups

Clinton 43 - Giuliani 46
Clinton 44 - McCain 43
Clinton 46 - Thompson 41
Clinton 47 - Romney 39

Obama 40 - Giuliani 47
Obama 42 - McCain 42
Obama 43 - Thompson 39
Obama 44 - Romney 37

Edwards 41 - Giuliani 44
Edwards 42 - McCain 40
Edwards 47 - Thompson 36
Edwards 48 - Romney 34

Titolo del Los Angeles Times: "Giuliani non convince i repubblicani". Sondaggio del Los Angeles Times: Giuliani 32%, Thompson 15%, McCain 13%, Romney 11%, Huckabee 7%. E meno male che non sono convinti...

UPDATE. Le ultime quote dai bookmaker di InTrade: Giuliani 44.0%, Romney 23.6%, Thompson 11.7%, McCain 7.0%, Paul 6.5%, Huckabee 5.0%.

crossposted @ The Right Nation

Curt Pringle, the conservative mayor of Anaheim and onetime speaker of the California Assembly, is a pro-life Republican who endorsed pro-choice Rudy Giuliani for president last March and since then has been actively engaged in his campaign. After conversations with Giuliani, Pringle takes at face value the former New York mayor's pledge to nominate Supreme Court justices in the mold of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. That reassurance on abortion makes it possible for Pringle and many other prominent California Republicans to pursue an ambitious political design.

Pringle and the state's other Giuliani supporters want to bring California back to relevance in selecting the Republican nominee and electing the president. They resent that the nation's most populous state is presumed to follow Iowa's and New Hampshire's lead in picking presidents. They resent California being consigned as a general election backwater, conceded to the Democrats. Giuliani is seen by Pringle resurrecting California as a significant player for both the nomination and election.

What seemed fanciful in March looks more realistic in October. Giuliani has maintained double-digit California leads over other Republicans all year. With the state primary moved up to Feb. 5 and voting beginning a month earlier, its results could negate the outcome in early small state primaries. Giuliani's popularity here with political leaders such as Pringle is based on the belief he is the only Republican who can challenge Hillary Clinton in blue states -- New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as California. (...)

Robert Novak, Chicago Sun-Times.

Hillary Clinton è riuscita a ritagliarsi il ruolo di candidato “inevitabile” del Partito democratico, dimostrando di essere capace di guidare una formidabile macchina politica, e ora si appresta a stravincere le primarie del suo partito. Eppure, al momento, la più sensazionale performance politica di questo ciclo elettorale non è la sua, ma quella di Rudy Giuliani, l’ex sindaco di New York che guida il gruppo di candidati del Partito repubblicano, malgrado sui temi sociali (aborto, diritti gay, porto d’armi) le sue posizioni siano ai margini dell’ortodossia conservatrice. Il mondo politico e giornalistico da mesi aspetta il crollo della sua candidatura, convinto che mai e poi mai la base socialconservatrice e religiosa del partito accetterebbe di votare per Giuliani, ma più passano le settimane più l’ex sindaco appare sempre più al comando della gara (...)

Le minacce della destra religiosa di presentare un candidato indipendente alle elezioni presidenziali, qualora Giuliani vincesse le primarie repubblicane, sembrano rientrate, anche perché i leader cristiano-conservatori cominciano a rendersi conto che la loro opposizione all’ex sindaco non è condivisa dalla base. La maggioranza dei repubblicani che frequenta almeno una volta la settimana la chiesa, infatti, in un recente sondaggio ha scelto in maggioranza Giuliani come proprio candidato, malgrado sia l’unico dei big di destra e di sinistra ad avere il coraggio di dire che non va regolarmente a messa (...)

Mitt Romney e Fred Thompson mettono in dubbio il pedigree conservatore di Giuliani, ma gli elettori repubblicani vedono il suo passato da numero tre del Dipartimento di Giustizia di Ronald Reagan, da procuratore antimafia e da sindaco che ha ripulito New York. Soprattutto ascoltano proposte di politica economica e di sicurezza di stampo reaganiano e vedono una squadra di consiglieri di politica estera di intellettuali neoconservatori, da Norman Podhoretz a David Frum, da Daniel Pipes a Michael Rubin, fino probabilmente al più interessante di tutti: Peter Berkowitz, saggista, professore di legge, analista della Hoover Institution, studioso di Leo Strauss e senior advisor della campagna sui temi della libertà e dei diritti umani (...)

Christian Rocca, su Il Foglio e Camillo.

Mentre l'Italia si eccita con le primarie false, negli Stati Uniti continua la campagna elettorale per le primarie vere. E ormai, soprattutto in campo repubblicano, si potrebbe essere vicini ad un punto di svolta.

Continua su The Right Nation.

(...) Rudy is ready e ieri lo ha dimostrato. E’ stato un bel dibattito. Un esempio di competenza che conforta per il solo fatto che i politici che fanno i compiti prima di andare davanti alle telecamere esistono davvero. Erano loro preparati, non le domande ed è per questo che questi dibattiti elettorali hanno un senso e sono politicamente rilevanti. Sono interessanti per chiunque, non solo per chi è appassionato di politica e per chi la segue per professione. Rudy è stato bravo, direi presidenziale (...)

Maria Luisa Rossi Hawkins su Stelle a Strisce.

Pubblicati oggi tre nuovi sondaggi della Quinnipiac University sugli swing-states di Florida, Ohio e Pennsylvania. In campo repubblicano, Rudy conferma il suo vantaggio sulla concorrenza. Ecco i risultati in sintesi.

FLORIDA. Giuliani 27% Thompson 19% Romney 17% McCain 8%
OHIO. Giuliani 29% Thompson 17% McCain 10% Romney 8%
PENNSYLVANIA. Giuliani 32% McCain 13% Thompson 13% Romney 8%

Alla vigilia del dibattito televisivo tra i candidati repubbicani che si svolgerà stasera a Dearborn, in Michigan (e che per la prima volta vedrà la partecipazione di Fred Thompson), Gallup ha pubblicato i risultati del suo ultimo sondaggio sulle primarie GOP.

Tutti i dettagli su The Right Nation.

Rudy Giuliani has found his groove in attacking Hillary Clinton. Whether his barbs will help him beat her in the general election, we don’t know yet. But they will help him to win the Republican primary. The major reason for anyone to vote for Rudy Giuliani is that he has the best chance — we would say the only chance — to defeat Hillary Clinton. And beating Hillary is very, very, very important!

Dick Morris su Real Clear Politics.

E' ufficiale: i media clintoniani sono terrorizzati dalla prospettiva di uno scontro Hillary-Rudy per la Casa Bianca. (continua su The Right Nation)

Of all the candidates in the Republican field, no one has a right to be happier with the way things have worked out thus far than Rudy Giuliani. Here's a quick look at where things stand:

- After nine months of campaigning, Giuliani remains atop the national polls (to the astonishment of many pundits); he has closed the gap with Mitt Romney to under 4 points in New Hampshire; and he is leading the field in South Carolina and Florida.

- Yesterday Giuliani reported raising $11 million in Q3, putting him atop the Republican money race for the second consecutive quarter. Furthermore, Giuliani has $16 million cash on hand - including more than $11 million available for the primary - which is more than $2 million more than what his nearest competitor has in the bank.

Tom Bevan su Real Clear Politics.

Il Washington Post cerca di minimizzare la situazione, nascondendola sotto un titolo ambiguo, ma l'ultimo sondaggio condotto in collaborazione con ABC News, vede Rudolph Giuliani (34%)nettamente in testa nella corsa alla candidatura repubblicana, con il doppio dei consensi rispetto a Fred Thompson (17%). Più staccati John McCain (12%), Mitt Romney (11%) e Mike Huckabee (8%). Rispetto al sondaggio ABC/WP di un mese fa, Rudy guadagna il 6%, Thompson e McCain perdono, rispettivamente, il 2% e il 6%, mentre Romney e Huckabee guadagnano l'1% e il 3%.

Su JoinRudy2008, la versione integrale del memo scritto dal "capo-stratega" di Rudy, Brent Seaborn, per inquadrare la sfida in campo repubblicano alla vigilia del quarto quadrimestre di questa lunghissima campagna elettorale. Lettura obbligatoria.

(...) With predictions of his impending fall still unrealized and the first contests of the Republican presidential primary inching closer, Rudy Giuliani enjoyed perhaps his best month yet of the campaign in September. And increasingly, he and his team believe they can position themselves as the inevitable Republican to take on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton next year.

Jonathan Martin su The Politico.

Cresce il vantaggio di Rudy in Florida. Nell'ultimo sondaggio di Strategic Vision, Giuliani (34%) ha 11 punti percentuali di vantaggio su Fred Thompson (23%). Molto staccati Mitt Romney (9%), John McCain (6%) e Mike Huckabee (5%).

Secondo l'ultimo sondaggio commissionato da CNN alla New Hampshire University, Rudolph Giuliani ha praticamente recuperato tutto lo svantaggio accumulato nel Granite State in questi mesi nei confronti di Mitt Romney. Il sondaggio vede Romney al 25% e Giuliani al 24%. I due front-runner sono inseguiti da John McCain al 18% e da Fred Thompson al 13%. A luglio, il vantaggio di Romney era di 14 punti percentuali.

cross-posted @ The Right Nation

She Changed



www.JoinRudy2008.com

(...) Another bit of conventional wisdom is that social conservatives are willing to swallow Giuliani because his tough stand on terrorism trumps his moderate social stance. Yes, but what eludes the commentariat is that social conservatives' outlook might just be more nuanced than the stereotypes hold.

Giuliani promises to appoint strict-constructionist jurists to the U.S. Supreme Court. Even more than the tax cuts, the high court appointments of John Roberts and Samuel Alito are the crowning domestic achievements of the George W. Bush presidency. The next president surely will get to make one or more high court nominations, and conservatives would like a GOP president to consolidate Bush's transformation of the court.

Steve Huntley su Chicago Sun-Times

(...) The latest FOX News poll shows that if the United States were hit with a terrorist attack, by a 50 percent to 36 percent margin, Americans would rather have Giuliani in charge than Clinton, including 28 percent of Democrats and an overwhelming 80 percent of Republicans. Independents split in Giuliani’s favor 47 percent to Clinton’s 28 percent.

I dettagli su FOX News e Weekly Standard.

(...) 1) Spesa pubblica: Rudy Giuliani da sindaco ha risanato le casse di New York, eliminando programmi inutili. Ha ridotto del 20 per cento la burocrazia cittadina, ma non ha toccato il numero di insegnanti e poliziotti.

2) Tasse: Giuliani ha tagliato 23 volte le tasse cittadine. I contribuenti hanno risparmiato oltre 9 miliardi di dollari. Anche oggi Rudy Giuliani è l'unico campione della reaganomics, «perché l'ha attuata e ha visto che funziona».

3) Guerra al terrorismo: la pensa proprio come Bush, si deve insistere e andare avanti perché «la libertà vincerà questa guerra di idee, l'America vincerà la guerra contro il terrorismo».

4) Irak: proprio per questo, Giuliani pensa che «fissare un calendario artificioso per il ritiro dall'Irak sarebbe un errore gravissimo, perché incoraggerebbe i nostri nemici. L'Irak è solo un fronte del più ampio conflitto contro il terrorismo. Un fallimento in Irak condurrebbe a una guerra regionale ancora più estesa e più sanguinosa».

5) Sicurezza: siamo al punto che tanto piace ad Amato, come se potesse essere estrapolato, sradicato da tutto il resto. Quando nel novembre del 1993 Giuliani è stato eletto sindaco, a New York c'erano 2000 omicidi all'anno. Mandando molti poliziotti nelle strade, sottratti a lavori d'ufficio, scorte neanche a parlarne, e molti più delinquenti in carcere, Rudy ha dimezzato i crimini e ridotto di due terzi i morti. I vagabondi che nelle amministrazioni democratiche precedenti si piazzavano gratis nei dormitori e mangiavano a sbafo con i food-stamps, i buoni gratuiti della City, sono stati invitati ad andare a lavorare, a pulire parchi e strade, oppure a trovarsi un altro posto. Scomparsi. (...)

6) Educazione: come sindaco, Giuliani ha riformato il più grande sistema scolastico pubblico del Paese, più di un milione di studenti. Lo ha fatto sostenendo la libertà di scelta nell'educazione, pubblica e privata sullo stesso piano, perché è uno dei più importanti diritti civili contemporanei. (...)

Ottimo articolo di Maria Giovanna Maglie su Il Giornale.

(...) Heading into the post-Labor Day sprint to the primaries, Rudy Giuliani has utterly defied the pundits who predicted that Republican voters would never accept a twice divorced, pro-choice New Yorker.

Rather than wilt, Mr. Giuliani has cemented his lead in national polls and in South Carolina—one of the most conservative states in the country. The latest Diageo/Hotline poll shows that he not only leads his closest competitor Fred Thompson by 10 points, but also leads among Evangelicals by the same margin and is up by six points among voters who believe abortion should be banned entirely.

Why did the pundits and many conservative critics get it so wrong, and why is Mr. Giuliani scoring so well with died hard conservatives?

Perché Rudy piace ai conservatori (secondo il New York Observer).

Secondo Rasmussen Reports, l'unico istituto di ricerca statunitense che nelle scorse settimane vedeva Fred Thompson in vantaggio su Rudy Giuliani, l'ex sindaco di New York ha scavalcato il rivale nella corsa alla candidatura repubblicana per la Casa Bianca e oggi conduce con 4 punti percentuali di vantaggio (26% contro 22%). Dietro la coppia di testa, inseguono Mitt Romney (14%) e un John McCain sempre più in difficoltà (9%).

Forse abbiamo le traveggole. Nell'ultimo sondaggio dell'American Research Group, Rudolph Giuliani è in testa (per un soffio) sia in Iowa che in New Hampshire.

(continua su The Right Nation)

Anche in America non si fanno mancare nulla: come da noi esistono Leghe pro-Islam, come le nostre più o meno sotterranemente rifornite di soldi dagli stessi che foraggiano Hamas. Laggiù si chiama CAIR - Center on American Islamic Relations. Recentemente 'sti qui hanno messo il bollino nero addosso a Rudy Giuliani, reo di aver ripetutamente usato la madre di tutte le frase proibite: "Terrorismo Islamico". (Continua su Ne quid nimis)

(...) He leads among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents because they believe he's their most electable candidate. (Coincidentally, Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents also think Giuliani's the GOP's best hope.) And he offers what Republicans polled said they prize most in a candidate: strong leadership, something they apparently associate with his role in New York in reducing crime and handling the city's post-9/11 trauma.

(...) Giuliani has been, without question, the surprise of the race. He's managed this with a smart and energetic campaign that has let him put a discreet distance between himself and Bush while burnishing his own anti-terrorism credentials. As he insisted to Republicans in Manchester, N.H., "Democrats don't understand the full nature and scope of the terrorist war against us." A Democratic president, he said, would "wave the white flag ... put us back on defense." W could not have said it better.

John Farmer, sul Newark Star-Ledger.

I will move America toward energy independence. It will require setting goals, sticking to them and energizing the American people to achieve them. It will require expanding our reliance on a much more diverse range of energy sources that America can control.

Rudy Giuliani, su Real Clear Politics.

Ogni volta che la sua candidatura viene data per morta, Rudy Giuliani trova sempre il modo di smentire gli uccelli del malaugurio...
(continua su The Right Nation)

As President, I will nominate strict constructionist judges with respect for the rule of law and a proven fidelity to the Constitution – judges in the mold of Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito and Chief Justice Roberts.

Rudy Giuliani, in persona, in esclusiva su Pajamas Media.

In my lifetime, only two politicians have really and truly delivered: Ronald Reagan and Rudy Giuliani. Reagan saved the entire world. And then Rudy did something even harder. He saved New York.” (Josh Gilder)

Based on his heroic image, his obvious executive ability, his making New York City a livable, governable place and his proven track record as a winner on overwhelmingly Democratic turf, Giuliani would be an extremely dangerous opponent for Democrats. In his 1997 re-election, Rudy ran 38 points ahead of Republican registration. He won nearly half of all Democrats and more than two-thirds of white Democrats. Not even Ronald Reagan was able to do that. (...)

Patrick Reddy, The Buffalo News.

In the 2004 presidential campaign, a Northeastern, blue-state, former Catholic altar boy was unable to comfortably explain his pro-choice position on abortion and his have-it-both-ways approach to same-sex relationships—a difficulty that contributed to his defeat in November. Today a Northeastern, blue-state, former Catholic school boy running for president is struggling to comfortably explain his pro-choice position on abortion and have-it-both-ways positions on same-sex relationships. This time, however, the candidate seems to have a plan. And it might work.(...)

David Domke, Real Clear Politics.

Date un'occhiata alle tabelle pubblicate alla fine di questo articolo di Tom Bevan su Real Clear Politics, in cui viene analizzato il presunto (molto presunto) fenomeno dei "Republicans for Obama". E scoprirete perché...

(...) when you look at this data, combined with the various scenarios that play out on the electoral map, you can see why Rudy Giuliani, if he can possibly make it through the Republican nomination process, poses real problems for Democrats and probably gives the GOP its best shot at hanging on to the White House.

Ci sono due modi di presentarsi agli elettori come candidati alla guida di un Paese. Uno è questo, e i risultati, dopo poco, sono questi. L'altro è il modo serio. Rudolph Giuliani, candidato alle primarie del partito repubblicano americano, ha scelto il secondo.Il suo programma si articola in dodici punti, appena presentati. Dodici impegni ("commitments") dinanzi agli elettori: chiari, semplici, concreti. (...)

Continua su A Conservative Mind.

“Giuliani leads among Evangelicals; Clinton leads among Catholics.” (Baptist Standard, 30 aprile). La sintetica sintesi, confermata dai dati di poll institute come Quinnipiac, fa innanzitutto giustizia di un sacco di luoghi comuni, sopratutto europoidi. Con buona pace del mainstream media, emerge che Giuliani non pare essere quello che "i Social Conservative non voteranno mai"; d'altro canto molti nella sinistra europea non gradiranno scoprire che la "loro" Hillary piace ai papisti americani (pedofili)! Oibò, che la Clinton somigli più a Rutelli che a Zapatero? Infine ce n'è anche per i Cattolici, non potranno più dire che Giuliani non va votato per via dell'aborto: è apprezzato da cristiani rigidi sul tema almeno quanto loro e molto più praticanti nella media. Aldilà dei luoghi comuni sfatati, approfondire l'apparente paradosso sull'allineamento politico delle comunità cristiane in America è interessante e può portare lontano (...).

Continua su Neo Quid Nimis (grande Abr!).

Il dibattito televisivo ha mostrato un Giuliani in grande forma, molto più presidenziale, preparato e concentrato rispetto alle due precedenti occasioni. Ha voluto dare l’impressione del “problem solver”, di quello che risolve i problemi, che fornisce la dritta giusta, del politico capace, efficiente, senza paura.

(...) McCain e Giuliani, addirittura, non prendono in considerazione il ritiro dall’Iraq nemmeno se a settembre la relazione di Petraeus sullo stato della missione fosse negativa. Giuliani, infine, ha prontamente risposto “assolutamente sì”, alla domanda se ancora oggi ritiene che invadere l’Iraq sia stata la scelta giusta. “Siamo in una guerra vera”, ha ribadito Giuliani, l’unico ad attaccare direttamente i democratici e Hillary in particolare perché, ha detto, “non sono stati nemmeno capaci di pronunciare le parole ‘terrorismo islamico’ nel loro dibattito di domenica”. In generale, la differenza più grande è proprio questa: i repubblicani dicono che l’America è in guerra, i democratici no.

Christian Rocca, sul Foglio (e su Camillo), racconta il dibattito televisivo tra i candidati repubblicani in New Hapmpshire. Aspettando Fred Thompson, ha vinto (ancora) Rudy.

Giuliani ancora in testa negli ultimi due sondaggi sulle primarie repubblicane. Secondo Washington Post e ABC News, l'ex sindaco di New York avrebbe il 32% dei consensi nell'elettorato del GOP con 13 punti percentuali di vantaggio su John McCain (19%). Più staccati: Fred Thompson (11%), Newt Gingrich (9%) e Mitt Romney (9%). Anche secondo l'ultimo sondaggio Gallup/USA Today, Rudy (32%) avrebbe il 13% di vantaggio su McCain (19%). In questo caso, però, il terzo classificato sarebbe Romney (12%) seguito da Thompson (11%) e Gingrich (8%).

L'ex direttore dell'FBI, Louis Freeh, sosterrà ufficialmente la candidatura di Rudy Giuliani alla Casa Bianca. Freeh, che quando era all'FBI (dal 1993 al 2001) ebbe una serie di durissimi scontri con l'amministrazione Clinton, sarà il Senior Homeland Security Advisor di Giuliani e il responsabile della sua campagna in Delaware. "Conosco e ammiro Rudy da oltre 25 anni per la sua leadership e le sue capacità di innovazione nel campo del law enforcement - ha dichiarato Freeh alla stampa - per la sua devozione verso la sicurezza dei cittadini e il rispetto della legge, che hanno trasformato una delle città più pericolose degli Stati Uniti in un modello di law and order".

(...) Realism about the next decade is very much alive within large numbers of Americans, and it is what secures Rudy's position at the top of the national polls and which presents the greatest challenge to Romney and eventually Thompson --they have to persuade the security-conscious voter that they are at least as reliable as Rudy in a crisis. If the country is struck a blow even greater than 9/11 --and many of us think such an event is inevitable-- will Romney or Thompson be able to meet or exceed Rudy's almost certain-to-be ferocious response to our enemy abroad and vigorous repair of the damage at home?

Hugh Hewitt, un altro conservatore al 100%, spiega perché Thompson e Romney (McCain, secondo Hewitt, è fuori gioco) dovranno faticare parecchio per prendere il post di Rudy nei cuori dell'elettorato repubblicano.

Rudy Giuliani (...) is so far winning the contest for the support of social conservatives, according to a new analysis of recent polls. Widespread perceptions that Giuliani is the most electable Republican in this year's field are driving his support among social conservatives, according to the analysis by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

(...) Giuliani is winning 30 percent of the social conservative bloc, compared to 22 percent for McCain. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney captured just 8 percent -- a figure that puts Romney in fourth place, behind former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is currently not a declared candidate.

Nota per tutti quelli che i-conservatori-non-voteranno-mai-Giuliani: informarsi prima di sparare cazzate.

In una delle ultime puntate di Hannity & Colmes, talk show politico in onda su Fox News, l'ex consigliere di Bill Clinton, Dick Morris, ha risposto senza peli sulla lingua ad una domanda di Sean Hannity su Rudy Giuliani. Dalla trascrizione integrale della trasmissione, pubblicata da Real Clear Politics, proviamo a tradurre:

Hannity. (...) Oggi sono stati pubblicati articoli molto critici (hit pieces) nei confronti di Rudy Giuliani. (...) Non mi sembra che la stampa adoperi lo stesso metro di giudizio. Hillary sostiene il partial-birth abortion. Ma non senti mai nessuno farle domande sull'argomento. Questo sarà il contributo più grande alla campagna elettorale dei democratici.

Morris. Quello che abbiamo sotto gli occhi è uno sforzo coordinato tra i media liberal e l'establishment democratico per scongiurare la possibilità che Rudy Giuliani diventi il candidato repubblicano alle elezioni presidenziali.

Hannity. Perché?

Morris. Perché sono perfettamente consapevoli che Rudy è l'unico che può battere Hillary e vincere le elezioni.

Dick Morris prosegue raccontando gli attacchi di New York Times e MSNBC contro l'ex sindaco di New York. E conclude il suo intervento consigliando a Giuliani di "spendere" il capitale politico accumulato nei giorni successivi all'11 settembre fin dai primi dibattiti in vista delle primarie repubblicane. Strategie di comunicazione a parte, però, il punto che ci interessa sottolineare è proprio questo: i democratici e i loro alleati dei mainstream media - a differenza di molti analisti e giornalisti schierati sul fronte opposto (o presunti neutrali) - hanno perfettamente compreso tutte le potenzialità della candidatura di Giuliani alle presidenziali del 2008.

Di più: la candidatura di Rudy è strutturalmente letale soprattutto nel caso di uno scontro con Hillary Rodham Clinton, come dimostra la stragrande maggioranza dei sondaggi condotti negli ultimi mesi. L'ex first lady vincerebbe di misura contro John McCain e a mani basse contro Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich o qualsiasi altro candidato repubblicano (a parte Fred Thompson, che è ancora un'incognita). L'unico candidato del GOP che, almeno oggi, partirebbe favorito contro Hillary è proprio Giuliani.

Non a caso, l'American Mayor è saldamente in testa a tutti i sondaggi condotti in campo repubblicano. Malgrado l'enorme quantità di articoli negativi usciti sulla stampa nazionale (e non solo) negli ultimi mesi, malgrado la ritrosia dei social conservatives, malgrado la parodia - spesso scorretta - che è stata fatta delle sue posizioni in materia di diritti civili, malgrado le "teorie cospiratorie" che iniziano a circolare sul suo comportamento post-9/11, Rudy Giuliani è ancora il front-runner del partito repubblicano per le prossime elezioni presidenziali. I democratici - e i loro amici - sono perfettamente consapevoli che, con ogni probabilità, si tratta dell'ultimo ostacolo che si trovano di fronte nella corsa alla Casa Bianca. E proprio per questo (come si era intuito da tempo) stanno cercando di fare a pezzi la sua candidatura. Speriamo soltanto che non trovino troppi utili idioti anche a destra.

Cross-posted @ The Right Nation

Su The Right Nation, il round-up del dibattito organizzato in South Carolina tra i candidati del GOP alle primarie. Con Rudy che è tornato a ruggire.

In New York City, Rudy Giuliani governed a locality dominated by liberal Democrats; public-sector labor unions; social-welfare activists; and a powerful local news media actively hostile to a limited-government philosophy. In the face of such tremendous headwind, Giuliani’s economic accomplishments are remarkable.

Da leggere assolutamente, il paper elaborato dal think-tank liberista Club for Growth sulla politica economica di Rudolph Giuliani durante il suo mandato come sindaco di New York. Il presidente del Club for Growth, Pat Tooney, ne parla anche sulla National Review.

Rudolph Giuliani ancora in testa tra i candidati del GOP in vista delle primarie 2008. L'ex sindaco di New York, secondo l'ultimo sondaggio Harris, raccoglierebbe il 38% dei consensi tra i votanti repubblicani. Alle sue spalle, perfettamente appaiati al 18%, John McCain e Fred Thompson. Più distante, Newt Gingrich (che proprio oggi ha parlato di una sua possibile candidatura) al 9%. Mitt Romney, rispetto ad aprile, è invece crollato dal 14% all'8%.

Rudy Giuliani has had a rough couple of months in the conservative media, but speaking to a Heritage Foundation audience in Washington on Monday night, he demonstrated the qualities that have made him the early Republican frontrunner. using on his strong points -- national security and economic policy -- Giuliani peppered his speech with humor and backed up his policy prescriptions for America with examples and anecdotes from his experiences as mayor of Gotham.

(...) Moving on to tax policy, he called for the abolition of the death tax and mocked the current law that would have the tax expire for just one year in 2010. "That's called a tax incentive to die," he quipped, drawing laughter from the audience. "Do not go on a respirator in 2010."The primary argument for Giuliani's candidacy, of course, rests on the perception that he would make a strong wartime leader. "I don't care what the polls say, I believe deep down Americans know what's at stake," Giuliani said, with his fist to his heart. "We have to deal with the reality of the threat we face. We cannot allow our country to go into denial about the Islamic terrorist threat, the extreme radical threat against America".

(...) Giuliani entered and exited the stage to standing ovations, and his speech was interrupted by applause throughout as he stuck to the common ground he has with conservatives and steered clear of social issues. (...) Clearly, Giuliani will continue to be dogged by questions about abortion and other social issues, and ultimately his deviations on those issues may sink his candidacy. But in past election cycles, we wouldn't even be talking about the prospect of a pro-choice candidate winning the Republican nomination. Rudy's strong performance on Monday night is indicative of why we are.

Rudy conquista la Heritage Foundation. Ma non era il candidato disprezzato dai conservatori? Philip Klein su The American Spectator.

Secondo l'ultimo sondaggio Gallup per USA Today, Rudolph Giuliani continua a mantenere un solido vantaggio sugli altri candidati repubblicani in vista della primarie. Giuliani raccoglie il 34% dei consensi, contro il 20% di John McCain e il 13% di Fred Thompson. Più staccati Newt Gingrich (8%) e Mitt Romney (7%), mentre gli altri wannabe seguono a distanza siderale, tutti intorno all'1% (Tommy Thompson, George Pataki, Chuck Hagel, Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Jim Gilmore, Tom Tancredo e Ron Paul).

Giuliani è anche il candidato preferito di entrambi i partiti, secondo l'opinione pubblica, con il 61% di opinioni favorevoli (e il 24% di opinioni sfavorevoli). Dietro di lui, in questa particolare classifica: Barack Obama (50-24); John McCain (50-30); John Edwards (49-31); Al Gore (49-43) e Hillary Clinton (50-47).

Tutta la verità su Rudy, da Nequidnimis.

Questa città non è per tutti, proprio come il suo ex sindaco. Rudy Giuliani e New York sono l'uno l'estensione dell'altra e per questo rappresentano un binomio indissolubile. Giuliani è indomito, insofferente, imperioso ma vulnerabile proprio come questa città. Ha governato New York come un imperatore in preda ad una visione e in pochi anni l'ha trasformata. Certo l'ha pulita, l'ha resa sicura, percorribile, quasi ordinata, ma il punto è che l'ha resa godibile al resto del paese che ancora non la capisce ne l'ha mai amata troppo, Lo ha fatto americanizzandola un po', e strappandola all'immaginario degli europei che hanno sempre considerato New York una loro estensione.

L'ultimo post di Maria Luisa Rossi Hawkins su Stelle a Strisce (uno degli ultimi blog approdati a TocqueVille) è uno straordinario atto d'amore verso Rudy e verso New York. Da leggere assolutamente.

Rudy Giuliani was the man - a 100% thumbs up. He was consistent, spontaneous, and genuine. I did not get the feeling he was scripted as several others came across as. Rudy understands the war on terror. His knowledge of Islam and terrorists is impeachable. Rudy was the most articulate and eloquent during the debate - doing what Rudy does - lead.

Secondo Layla Gonzales di The Hill Chronicles, Rudy ha dominato il dibattito di ieri tra i candidati repubblicani alla Casa Bianca. Su Pajamas Media, un round-up approfondito delle reazioni nella blogosfera.

Mr. Giuliani’s Republican competitors aren’t anywhere near as imposing — to the point that the former Mayor’s ideological heresy might actually be outweighed by their flaws and shortcomings. Mr. McCain’s White House ship is rapidly taking on water. Influential segments of the party’s interest-group establishment still haven’t forgiven his crusade to put them out of business with campaign-finance restrictions, just as the media that once adoringly celebrated his maverick streak has now fully turned on him for his unbending support of the war and his tendency to say whatever conservative interest groups want to hear. (...)

Then there’s Mitt Romney, the former one-term governor of Massachusetts,
who has alternately described himself to conservatives as an avowed foe of abortion, a champion of “traditional marriage” and a “lifelong hunter”—the perfect recipe, it would seem, to eat into Mr. Giuliani’s soft support from the right. Except that Mr. Romney spent his entire political career (until three years ago) defining himself in flatly opposite terms. The chameleon act has worked on some Republicans, but Mr. Romney’s peerless opportunism creates profound vulnerabilities across the ideological spectrum.

Given these alternatives, it’s not at all clear that conservatives who are drawn to Mr. Giuliani’s 9/11 credentials will abandon him, especially since he’s done all he can (short of resorting to Mr. Romney’s blatant flip-flopping) to convince them that he won’t actually promote gay rights, abortion rights and gun control as President.

"Giuliani Beats Up on the Little Guys": il titolo dell'articolo scritto da Steve Kornacki per The New York Observer è tutto un programma. Da leggere.

Rudolph Giuliani continua a dominare il campo repubblicano nei sondaggi in vista delle primarie per le presidenziali 2008. Nell'ultima rilevazione statistica pubblicata da Rasmussen Reports, Giuliani raccoglie il 30% dei consensi (+2% rispetto a una settimana fa). Dietro a lui, staccatissimi, gli altri contendenti alla nomination per il GOP: John McCain (-1%) e Fred Thompson (+2%) al 14%; Mitt Romney (-1%) all'11% e Newt Gingrich all'8%.

Rudy è il candidato più popolare (62%) di entrambi i partiti, mentre la popolarità di McCain (49%) ha raggiunto i livelli più bassi mai registrati dal senatore repubblicano dell'Arizona.

Republican Rudolph Giuliani is favored over Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton for the US presidency in three key electoral states (...) a new poll showed Thursday. The Quinnipiac University poll showed that former New York mayor Giuliani, who is leading the race for the Republican presidential nomination, would beat Democrat Senator Clinton solidly in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The three populous states are seen as crucial swing states in any election, with their voters never clearly in the Republican or Democrat camp. In Florida, Giuliani topped Clinton -- the wife of former president Bill Clinton 49-41 percent; in Ohio 46-41 percent, and in Pennsylvania 47-43 percent.

Rudy davanti a Hillary in Florida (+8%), Ohio (+5%) e Pennsylvania (+4%). C'è qualche altro candidato repubblicano in giro che può vantare numeri così importanti?

Se si votasse oggi non ci sarebbe storia, Rudy Giuliani verrebbe eletto 44.mo presidente degli Stati Uniti. Da quando ha annunciato la sua candidatura, il “Sindaco d’America” non ha mai perso, nei sondaggi, la testa della classifica. Il distacco rispetto ai suoi diretti inseguitori del partito Repubblicano sembra al momento incolmabile. (...) Vale la pena, tuttavia, di approfondire le tematiche sulle quali il candidato del Grand Old Party sta puntando per conquistare la Casa Bianca. In una campagna elettorale in cui Internet guadagna sempre più spazio, un buon pro memoria ce lo fornisce il sito web JoinRudy2008.com, che alla voce issues indica un vero e proprio decalogo di temi forti. Risulta subito evidente che, per arrivare a Pennsylvania Avenue, Giuliani attinge al capitale politico e di popolarità acquisito durante l’amministrazione di New York. Ma vediamo il Giuliani-pensiero punto per punto.

Da leggere, tutto d'un fiato, l'ottimo articolo su Rudolph Giuliani scritto da Alessandro M. Gisotti per L'Occidentale.

L'ultimo sondaggio di Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg sulla corsa per la candidatura repubblicana alle presidenziali del 2008 vede, per la prima volta, Fred Thompson scavalcare John McCain e diventare l'avversario più pericoloso di Rudy Giuliani in vista delle primarie. Secondo il sondaggio pubblicato dal quotidiano californiano, Giuliani (29%) avrebbe 14 punti percentuali di vantaggio su Thompson (15%) e 17 su McCain (12%). Più staccati Mitt Romney (8%) e Newt Gingrich (7%).

E' ancora troppo presto, però, malgrado le oggettive difficoltà di McCain, per considerare fuori dal gioco il senatore dell'Arizona, che resta in seconda posizione tra i possibili candidati del GOP secondo Time (Giuliani 35%; McCain 20%; Gingrich 11%; Thompson 10%; Romney 10%), Rasmussen Reports (Giuliani 26%; McCain 16%; Thompson 14%; Romney 12%; Gingrich 8%); Gallup (Giuliani 38%; McCain 16%; Romney 12%; Gingrich 10%; Thompson 10%), Cook/RT Strategies (Giuliani 34%; McCain 17%; Thompson 10%; Gingrich 9%; Romney 6%) e Fox News (Giuliani 36%; McCain 20%; Thompson 9%; Gingrich 6%; Romney 6%).