We seem to be exactly on the same page on this one. I felt Rudy had no chance except as McCain’s VP, now I am wondering if it is the other way around. I am really starting to believe that Rudy has a chance. I am also fearful he will do something to remind people of his negative side.
Here is hoping he can take the nomination and bring the Republicans back towards the center.
Jim
I would have thought the conservative wingnuts (izzat redundant?) were ready to embrace McCain after he played nice-nice with Falwell and urged the repeal of Roe v. Wade. The fact that the freepers don’t think McCain is sufficiently conservative is a sign of just how far off the deep end they are.
Yeah I know, but I still feel like He’d be slightly more pragmatic about it. The point is that I see him paying no attention to the religious far right. I obviously don’t want him to win, but I’d prefer him to McCain who really seems more than ready to go for the lowest common denominator. Although Rudy definitely isn’t a saint, and would probably be worse in some aspects, I don’t see it as a total loss. I’d still prefer Obama though. And I do see him focusing on problems that seem somewhat related to what we really need. I know his policy about the “broken windows” approach to crime seemed a bit strange in the beginning, but I think it was pretty inspired.
I am just desperate to get someone in office that doesn’t pollute the goddamned airwaves with meaningless garbage about values, which is only designed to seperate the country on lines that nobody knew they actually cared about. I mean, how much further can we go with this approach? I can see the wingnut strategists:
“Hmm, we need something to get people going. Well, we know that most of our base doesn’t really think about gay issues, but they COULD if we presented it as if it were hostile to their way of life! Let’s take a latent prejudice and exploit it to the hilt!”
This worked with minorities too until people got around to realizing it was wrong. We can also see it with immigration too.
And remember, he can do all that and still lose! 
Well if McCain wants to be his VP then he’ll have to wait until he’s 80 to run for prez!
Going over McCain’s political views, I would guess it has something to do with his occasional support for gay rights, support for a guestworker program for illegals (a failing they are willing to forgive in W, for some reason), his opposition to W’s tax cuts and his emphasis on deficit reduction, and his insistence on humane treatment for extrajudicial detainees.
But there may be other, even stranger reasons. See this post from pkbites, in this thread from last year.
Yes he can, and even in losing he could pull the party back towards the center, so still a well worthwhile goal.
Thanks for the links.
Jim
Lieberman is a pretty solid liberal, isn’t he? Doesn’t mean a lot of Democrats trust him.
Is Lieberman a Liberal? I always thought he was a moderate Democrat. What makes him a Liberal?
However a good analogy otherwise. He is a solid Democrat but most Liberals do not trust him and probably should not trust him.
Jim
Not really, no. In particular, I refuse to accord that honorable distinction to any supporter of NAFTA or CAFTA. And that’s paltry stuff compared to his support for the war and for Gonzalez’ torture memo.
Well, McCain has now finally officially announced his candidacy for POTUS.
It’s the same thing, really. You don’t consider Lieberman a liberal because he breaks with liberal orthodoxy on NAFTA and the war, some conservatives don’t consider McCain a conservative because he breaks with conservative orthodoxy on Campaign Finance.
Why, exactly, do you attack me [in this thread which I had yet to even post in] by saying my reasons for opposing JM are “strange?”
I was asked in that other thread why I don’t like him and I answered honestly. Whats so strange about opposing him on those issues? And on top of that, what’s so strange about just not liking nor trusting the guy?
I don’t like nor trust him, and I oppose him on several issues. Therefore, I stand by my previous vows: Mccain will become President without my vote, as will Rudy. The only thing that would change that is if they asked me to run as their VP. 
I was not so much attacking you specifically (which you would have deserved, and richly, and much more than richly) as using you as a convenient example (for you have no other conceivable value) to point out the challenge McCain will face among the psychotic Pub-base voters for whom even a right-wing insufficiently-psychotic candidate such as McCain is not conservative enough. Which is a strange thing, a very strange thing, and no denying of the factual.
And, honestly, is there any seriously electable Pub candidate, at this point, whom you would find acceptable?! Because if not, your vote does not matter at all, at all, for the next two to four years. Nor any who think like you, and so much the better for America.
I thought that the debate and my explination for disaproval of John McCain seemed to be civil up until this point. What, exactly, have I posted on this and the linked thread to prompt such hostility and insult from you?
If you are so incensed by my stance on the issues, and/or my dislike for McCain, then by all means take it to the Pit and let’er rip!
But unprovoked rudeness in this particular forum makes you appear shallow and demeans us both.
I apologize for that. It was a lapse.
Everything I said about the political spectrum stands. If there are American voters for whom McCain is not conservative enough, those voters will cease to matter electorally.
Voters for whom the current Dem frontrunners are not liberal enough, OTOH . . . I think you will find our electoral power is on the rise, slowly, very slowly, but steadily.
Fair enough. Accepted
I need to point out that it’s not only his perceived lace of conservative stances.
A lot of us just don’t like nor trust him. That sounds shallow but that’s the way it is.
I don’t like any of the Republican candidates, none that have a shot anyway. And I can’t see any of them defeating the Democrat nominee who I believe will be John
Edwards in 2008.
It doesn’t really sound shallow, it’s quite understandable. But I just wish more voters would pay more attention to a candidates’ politics than his/her “character.” It is better to be well-governed by sinners (such as Clinton) than to be misgoverned by saints (such as . . . nobody since Carter comes to mind).
It really deeply disturbed me, back in '92, when Colin Powell was being touted as a potential presidential candidate based on his military record, when nobody seemed to have the first idea about his politics.
Besides, if it’s character and trustworthiness you want, you really should be backing Saint Dennis Kucinich. Nobody else in the race even comes close!
Yeah…he’s a character alright! 