Rudy, the Tough Guy Pitch
This has been a good week for Rudy. He's got the cover of the NY Times Sunday magazine featuring a steely-eyed, strong-willed "Crusader." It was in black-and-white perhaps reinforcing Rudy's bifurcated world view. This was followed by the NY Times/CBS poll showing that 82% of GOP primary voters think Rudy has strong leadership qualities. Then there's the 911 anniversary reminding all about "America's Mayor." And don't forget the announced fundraiser from Robert Duvall, conferring an endorsement from the Godfather's unflinching consigliore and Lonesome Dove's macho trail boss. Yep, pretty good. All of it supports Rudy's apparent core theme in his primary run: he's the tough guy who will clean up the world the way he cleaned up New York city. Tough, hard-nosed, determined and resolute. Of course, one person's determined and resolute could be another's stubborn and inflexible which may remind some about the current White House tenant.
Ordinarily, the combination of a speech impediment, a downturned frown mouth and comb-over night be seen as obstacles to an effective delivery by some. Thank goodness he finally accepted his baldness and now combs his side-hair straight back, giving him a sleek aerodynamic look. But Rudy makes it all work. If he were a video game, he has morphed his physical presentation from Super Mario to Mortal Kombat.
Besides his outward style, there are his words, his pitch, which re-enforces the straight shooting, tough guy persona. You may disagree with him -- 31% of GOP primary voters say they do not like his stand on social issues -- but he projects a forthright talking style, no BS, thus perhaps co-opting John McCain's 2000 straight-talk appeal. He's also not afraid to show his emotions from time-to-time, which makes him appear more accessible rather than the flat, seemingly dispassionate Dick Cheney approach.
This may explain why, in spite of his party's base disagreeing with him on many things, he continues to lead his more conservative primarians. It's what a Stanford University professor has called the 93%, meaning that 93% of our assessment of a person is in the demeanor, leaving only 7% for the wonderfully crafted words. As the old Fats Waller song says, "It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it." For the time being, Rudy's 93% is carrying the day. To round out his hard nose style though, he might benefit with some softer campaign moments to give contrast and depth to his pitch. Remember tough-guy Nicolas Cage in Con Air protecting his daughter's fluffy bunny? Same idea. Rudy recently worked an Iowa cornfield in a starched shirt and tie, suggesting a Nixon walk-on-the-beach in wing-tips moment. He's got to watch that. Tough guys need to lighten up once-and-a-while. But so far, Rudy is on his game. The question is now, is it the game Americans want to play after George W's eight-year Texas version of the "bring it on" tough guy?
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RUDY PICK-UP LINES
"Remember "A Few Good Men"? The Tom Cruise character was based on me."
"If you don't sleep with me, the terrorists win."
"I'm kind of Kennedyesq
"I can introduce you to Joe Torre."
"You're making Mr America stand up."
"In the right kind of light, I look like Nicholson.
"let's strike a blow for freedom."
Finally, someone on PuffHo with the common sense to see just how formidable Rudy will be if he gets the nomination.
ESPECIALLY if Billary is his opponent.
The repub 527 machine will swiftboat Billary incessantly - and the dem 527's won't (and can't) respond with the same level of tar and feathers.
Where Billary tries to play the competence card ("I'm ready for the job TODAY), she has no real executive experience - and Rudy has tons.
Where Billary tries to portray herself as tough enough to be our "watcher on the wall", Rudy's reputation is Churchillian compared to hers - whether you think it's deserved or not.
Rudy's moderate social issues positions will have a lot of indys willing to consider him, where they would reject repubs pandering to the religious right.
And at the same time, the specter of Billary 2.0 will bring out the repub base in force - just like Rove always loved to do.
Against Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Dodd, Biden - all these factors simply wouldn't converge in the same way in the event of a Rudy candidacy. Against Billary, they surely will.
Rudy vs Billary really is the dems worst nightmare right now - the most risk prone combination when it comes to winning or losing the White House in '08.
Why the dem leaders can't - or won't - see this is simply beyond my understanding.
Remind Rudy it is the responsibility of FREE MEN to question the people in power so the can remain free men.
The Evolution of the Republican Presidential Contenders.
"When the Truth came knocking"
The moderator says to the assembled Republican Presidential contenders, "This is an open question for the candidates
Evolution theory holds that man is a direct genetic descendant of hairy, arm swinging, tree climbing African apes who apparently survived despite having only crude rudimentary mental processing skills. The scientific process of carbon dating confirms the dates for such evolution and shows that man in this sense predates the Bible's time line by hundreds of thousands of years at a bare minimum. What is your opinion on the validity of carbon dating?
Romney: People will say there was a time that I embraced carbon dating but in my maturing process I have opened my eyes to how destructive liberal ideation can be to man's ascent. Junk science should not be employed to accelerate the decline of our moral virtues.
McCain: I am a firm believer that the age of the earth is a matter of state's rights.
Thompson: The media's obsession with my wife's youth has reached a new low. They're saying that she is in effect 'carbon dating' which I find offensive.
Brownie and Huckee (in unison): "Attacks on religious values are a staple of our opposition. Brothers and sisters, let us pray for God's hand to smite the ballot boxes of the heathen."
Giuliani: "Believing in evolution is weakness in the face of the enemy. It allows terrorist scum and their nine eleven democratic party appeasers amongst us to encircle our homes and maim our children. Science in pursuit of planetary wide war is to be exalted but to use it to appease Islamofascist aggression is treason. As I've previously said, nine or eleven times, I will only appoint judges that know the ramifications of using science in pursuit of weak kneed terrorist lovers.
"If you're not afraid, you're a coward." Giuliani GOP slogan.
Craig Johnson / cognitorex
The media's love for Rudy shows that it remains deeply committed to the neocon cause.
How about a breath of fresh air? Ron Paul.
Yeah, but we *do* need a tough guy desperately. Too bad John Wayne has left us. Rudy and Fred wouldn't be able to shine his boots.
Il Duce Giuliani's a phony "tough guy" who avoided military service during Vietnam. He's a warmongering neocon, the kind who's willing to fight to the last drop of YOUR blood.
As the so-called "America's Mayor," he was the hero of every press clip and photo op in town.
Dr. Ron Paul for President.
don't worry about Giuliani. he will easily be crushed, and the 9/11 myth will go down in flames with him with the help of the responders and the firefighters.
I hope to God he gets the GOP nomination (unless Ron Paul does).
More like the Great Santini, soon down in flames.
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