Redstate

Posted at 8:45pm on Jan. 21, 2008 Principled GOP Pragmatism: In Which I Endorse Giuliani For POTUS

Rudy is the man of the times for this Republican Party

By haystack

Things have moved on. The early primary returns send a clear message about the will of the Republican (and in some cases Democrat and Independent) voter; beating the Democrats is paramount...now is not the time to lose more elections quibbling over ideology and philosophy.

Under a Bush Administration America has seen a steady and persistent drift to the middle. It's happened before, so there's no reason to fear it or run in panic from it now just because the field of likely GOP nominees to replace him share similar traits and tendencies. Hell, we were more Conservative in Congress under Clinton than we have been since, save for the tax cuts and the SCOTUS fights (Miers notwithstanding).

To the "middle" merely indicates the Governed is hoping the Governing will tone it down a bit, and get to work doing a little more Governing and a little less mud slinging and caterwauling. Add a heaping helping of "shut the hell up and do your job" and that just about sums up where we are headed with the next Presidency and Congressional session(s).

We've fairly well debated and in some cases vilified each other bloody over the status of "Conservatism" in the GOP this cycle, and all the hot air that's going to be blown has been blown and has since dissipated. We've talked about it HERE, and HERE, and HERE, and as a parental bitchslap, talked about it HERE as well. The MSM is swimming in lamb's blood over the death of Conservatism, and the Democrats have been suggesting its demise will offer a whole generation renewed hope and the possibility of realizing all their dreams if only those evil Conservatives would go away and die somewhere. I get it.

What we're left with are a few uncomplicated realities all of which have led me (and I suggest everyone ELSE who is focused on beating the Democrats back from the White House doors) to decide Rudy Giuliani MUST receive the Republican nomination for the White House and be supported in the subsequent general election in November.

Rudy is not all things to all Republicans. Rudy is not a Conservative. Rudy has never apologized for being something different than he is, and (here's one of the clinchers for me) he has never tried to convince us that he is something he is not.

Scream at me below the fold over where I get this wrong...

Posted in 2008 | electability | GOP | independents | Moderate Republicans | you gotta win to play — Comments (275)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:50am on Jan. 20, 2008 McCain's "Electability": Will It Survive Contact With The General Election?

By Martin A. Knight

Let me first of all say that I would vote for McCain in November if he is the candidate of the GOP. I will also advise everyone here, even if you would not vote for McCain, Huckabee or Romney, not to stay home and allow the remaining Republicans on the ballot to go down to defeat because you're not too happy about the guy at the top. The Presidency is just one office. There are many thousands more that also matter.

Posted in Archived | bipartisanship | electability | independents | John McCain | moderates | press corps — Comments (26) / Email this page » / Read More »