There was a recent internet poll of the candidates in which it was asked who among the contenders you would most like to vacation with. Rudy Giuliani came out on top, Hillary took up the rear. No pun intended. Now I actually vacationed with Rudy, well, almost, if not by design by chance. Last summer I was in Bridgehampton, L.I., on vacation, having lunch with my wife, son and grand-daughter at The Candy Kitchen, the venerable luncheonette in the Hamptons, when I saw Rudy and Judi emerge from the back room, stand in the middle of the diner and kiss. It was their vacation kiss. They looked tan and fit, and the kiss seemed genuine, a nice lip-smacker, just noisy enough to grab the attention of any potential voter without interfering with my digesting a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. She's an attractive woman, and he's well - let's say he looks something like the Joker, if Batman was unable to prevent that smiling evil-doer from taking over Gotham City. And here we were - all of us on vacation - if not exactly together - at least in the same place. It's a stretch, I know, but no more than believing that Rudy Giuliani is a good guy, someone who will keep us safe, and preside over a country with fairness and competence and a respect for its laws.
I've nothing against a man who kisses his wife in public - and I have little interest in Giuliani's private life, which thanks to his multiple marriages and his alienation from his children is quite public. Well, if truth be told I have a little interest. I think that any father so alienated from his children has some serious explaining to do. I happen to believe that his Presidency will be a continuation of the downward slide taking us further and further away from democracy, the slide that began during the Bush years. Hell, more than a continuation, the culmination of something that may not look exactly like fascism, might not smell like it, but sure carries some of the earmarks of fascism, the manipulation of fear, the "them against us" rhetoric, the use of torture and denial of civil liberties, the contempt for the law, the invasion of another country under false pretexts, the immoderate feasting off the public trough, and finally, the manipulation of a fearful electorate to continue in power. Hitler had his Jews; the Republican candidates now have the "illegals" to blame for all this countries ills.
Now I know it is forbidden to speak of the Bush years in terms of Hitler analogies. Like impeachment, we are advised by our betters that Hitler is off the table. The Holocaust makes any use of Hitler's name verboten. Nobody, least of all this writer would wish to trivialize that world horror by applying it to other cases. But fascism is not off my table. I think it's time we all looked at how close we have come to a native grown fascism under Bush/Cheney, and to look hard at the top Republican candidate, Giuliani, who if the past is any guide to the future, would do a dandy job of finishing off our democracy. This is the Rudy who wanted to postpone the Mayoralty election after 9/11 to prolong his power. This is the Rudy who is shameless in exploiting the fear of terrorism. This is the Rudy who may say he's for choice and gay rights, but promises to place on the court justices who would work to overturn or prevent civil rights for minorities. This is the Rudy who wanted to close down an art exhibition in a public museum because it offended his so called morality. This is the Rudy who had a contentious, yes, hateful relationship with the African-American community in New York, and they are not even his ex wives or children. And this is the Rudy who gave us the problematic Bernie Kerik, our would-be Homeland Security czar, his former driver and shady business associate. And this is the Rudy who doesn't want to come clean about his clients, and what financial interests he would represent should he make it to the White House. This is the Rudy who beguiles our Tim-witted pundits who throw soft ball questions at him - hoping to gain favor with the guy they see as our future President.
I suspect that anyone who votes for Rudy would be exhibiting the battered wife syndrome - having become so accustomed to abuse under Bush that one can excuse and condone it - because after all, "he doesn't mean harm...he's got a good heart...and he only meant to protect me" until of course, he leads us into total destruction. And how he must love us because he kisses her in public. Happy Thanksgiving. And if Rudy is your kind of turkey, he's gonna give you a terrible case of indigestion. Or take you water-boarding on your next vacation.