red states rule
Senior Member
- May 30, 2006
- 16,011
- 573
- 48
Another reason why the left is worried about Rudy
snip
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.
The leadership issue is obvious: does any Democrat have anything to compare with 9/11 and Americas Mayor?
Second, against Obama or Clinton, Rudy would likely reap an ethnic bonus from urban Catholics and Jews. Most Italian- Americans, even registered Democrats, will be sorely tempted to cross over to support one of their own. Rudy also polls well with other urban white Catholics, Jews, Asians, Hispanics and moderate-to-liberal secular middle-class whites.
Given his crime-fighting image, he clearly will have appeal to suburban voters who feel they were driven out of their old cities by urban chaos. Thats a probable gain of 3 million to 4 million votes nationally, and its hard to imagine too many Bush 2004 voters going for either Clinton or Obama.
Third is that Rudy is much closer to the center (fiscally conservative and tough on bad guys, but also tolerant on social issues) than the Democratic field, and moderate independents also like him. Rudy is the one Republican who can offer both continuity for Republicans (leadership in the war on terror) and change (hes not beholden to the religious right, nor is he associated with the scandal-ridden congressional Republicans and can call for a phased withdrawal from Iraq if necessary) to Democrats and Independents.
The danger for Clinton is that shell get isolated on the left and hold onto only inner-city minorities and white liberals much like Michael Dukakis in 1988.
http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/115275.html
snip
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.
The leadership issue is obvious: does any Democrat have anything to compare with 9/11 and Americas Mayor?
Second, against Obama or Clinton, Rudy would likely reap an ethnic bonus from urban Catholics and Jews. Most Italian- Americans, even registered Democrats, will be sorely tempted to cross over to support one of their own. Rudy also polls well with other urban white Catholics, Jews, Asians, Hispanics and moderate-to-liberal secular middle-class whites.
Given his crime-fighting image, he clearly will have appeal to suburban voters who feel they were driven out of their old cities by urban chaos. Thats a probable gain of 3 million to 4 million votes nationally, and its hard to imagine too many Bush 2004 voters going for either Clinton or Obama.
Third is that Rudy is much closer to the center (fiscally conservative and tough on bad guys, but also tolerant on social issues) than the Democratic field, and moderate independents also like him. Rudy is the one Republican who can offer both continuity for Republicans (leadership in the war on terror) and change (hes not beholden to the religious right, nor is he associated with the scandal-ridden congressional Republicans and can call for a phased withdrawal from Iraq if necessary) to Democrats and Independents.
The danger for Clinton is that shell get isolated on the left and hold onto only inner-city minorities and white liberals much like Michael Dukakis in 1988.
http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/115275.html
