Rudy Right Enough

In the Washington Post, David Greenberg writes that Rudy is a confirmed right-winger:

On issues such as free speech and religion, secrecy and due process, civil rights and civil liberties, pornography and democracy, this moralist and self-styled lawman has exhibited all the key hallmarks of Bush-era conservatism.

[. . .]

The case for Giuliani's moderation rests mainly on three overblown issues -- guns, gay rights and abortion -- and even in those cases, his deviation from conservative orthodoxy is far milder than is usually suggested.

The "social" and "cultural" issues that divide Americans encompass much more than guns, gay rights and abortion. They include state support of religion; the legitimacy of dissenting speech; the president's right to keep information secret; the place of fair procedures in dispensing justice. The Bush administration's hard-line stands on these matters have polarized the nation as much as the Iraq war has. And on these issues, Giuliani is just as hard-line as the man he'd like to succeed.

Greenberg relies upon Rudy's attempt to censor an art exhibit featuring a painting of the Virgin Mary that used clumps of elephant dung; his plan to fund parochial schools with city money; His directive that police confiscate the cars of people charged with drunken driving; and his efforts to remain mayor beyond his term.

Greenberg claims that Rudy's positions on guns, gay rights and abortion don't render Giuliani a liberal or a moderate, but merely an occasional dissenter from the GOP line. This claim seems to be supported by the fact that despite the many blog posts, YouTube videos, and newspaper articles rehashing Rudy's "liberal" or "moderate" positions, Rudy still remains the front runner. On the other hand, the beauty contest polling at this stage isn't a reliable indicator. Just ask Howard Dean.

Nevertheless, for more and more of the Republican-leaning voters I talk with, Rudy may not the confirmed right-winger Greenberg sees, but Rudy is right enough. What is more important, is those voters perceive Rudy as mainstream.

Comments

[Mike Volpe]

There are several things that I want to say here. First, whenever people that I refer to as outsiders (those outside the party and ideology) do any analysis it is almost always the worst kind of analysis. Thus, this piece is not unsurprising in its misanalysis, and besides it is really just a hit piece looking to pretend to be analysis.

Second, I don't think that you or really anyone on the blogosphere is grasping the reason for Rudy's popularity. I don't think that the proper question is "is he right enough". People aren't voting for him because they have decided he is "right enough". The reason people are voting for Rudy is because they have found traits in him that they like and admire that allow them to overlook or frankly not care much about some of the positions that put him at odds with the party.

It was never about is he right enough. He is right enough on everything but the social issues. The question was always if Rudy could show enough other traits to grab enough SoCons to overcome his abortion stance. He has. People appreciate his leadership and effectiveness and lots of Reps are willing to get over some of his left stances because they see that those two traits are the most important.

I am amused by some of the attacks from the right on Rudy, because for every attack by a Conservative I see, there are twice as many by liberals. Every time I see a Conservative claim he is too liberal, there are two liberals claiming he is too conservative. I called it being stuck in the middle. It is amazing how many groups he turns off and yet manages to win all the time. Here is how I saw his campaign.

http://proprietornation.blogspot.com/2007/10/stuck-in-middle-rudy-giuliani-paradigm.html