Talk:Giuliani-Brownback proposal

This is not an appropriate use of SW and recommend deletion of this political statement. Artificial Intelligence 09:29, 2 Jan 2006 (EST) - I agree, and am moving the article text (below) to this discussion page. If the article is not extensively revised so as to be appropriate to SourceWatch, it will be deleted. Diane Farsetta 11:14, 2 Jan 2006 (EST) - One of the arguments that is often advanced in opposition to a Giuliani candidacy is that, were Rudy to win the GOP nomination in 2008, scores of conservatives would go out golfing, giving the country to the Clintons and/or yielding GOP losses down-ticket.

As I and others have pointed out here and elsewhere, Rudy is already a good fiscal and GWOT conservative, he's only liberal on a few big cultural matters. If Rudy were to win the nod, it would be only after triangulating on social issues, likely taking a federalist stance on the issues that he is personally liberal on. The last candidate to make such a transformation was Bush 41, who went from pro-choice New Englander to social conservative in less than 8 years. Like Bush 41, Rudy would need a running mate to emphasize his alliance with social conservatives. Luckily, the perfect running mate for the good Mayor does exist.

I submit to you a Giuliani/Brownback ticket for 2008.

By selecting Brownback, Rudy would be accomplishing the following:


 * 1. He would be picking a running mate who is with him on fiscal and foreign policy matters, and who would only serve to reinforce Giuliani's own fiscal and GWOT conservatism.


 * 2. He would be selecting a fellow Catholic to create a ticket that would appeal to the heavily Catholic swing regions of the country, the northern midwest and the southwest.


 * 3. He would be balancing the ticket on social issues. Brownback could assure social conservatives that he trusts Rudy on judges.  Both Giuliani and Brownback could emphasize "big-tent" with this ticket, pointing out how they and their respective states disagree on abortion and gay marriage and what have you, but that they both agree that the federal government shouldn't be deciding these issues for the states, and that as such, judges that come out of their administration will be champions of judicial restraint, not judicial activists.


 * 4. He would be giving strategic social conservatives one more reason to vote for him: to make Brownback heir-apparent for the GOP nod in 2016. Naturally, the Left would start a "Vote Rudy; Get Brownback" campaign.  Perfect.  Nothing could be better to make sure the pro-life movement shows up at the polls while doing nothing to turn off states like MI and PA to the ticket, which are filled with culturally conservative Catholics.


 * 5. Republicans would be getting a president who has proven his ability to grow the economy, cut spending, reform government, make the state work more efficiently, and decimate the bad guys.


 * 6. Guiliani would get a controversial vice president who may be able to 'balance' the ticket, but I would say it would be more likely that Brownback would confuse the ticket with two contrasting messages on social issues.


 * 7. Guiliani would be blasted for playing pure politics with the selection of his Vice President solely to garner the support of the 'religious right.'


 * 8. It would leave Republicans with a very controversial Presidential candidate in either 2012 and 2016. Many consider that Brownback is unelectable, I'm undecided there, but I do know that if he continues to make comments that relate abortion to the holocaust, then he can only hurt a Presidential ticket.


 * 9. I'm not sure if Brownback fits the Vice Presidential mold. He's been taking on too many controversial issues to merely play second fiddle.  Again, I feel that Brownback would confuse the ticket by sending contrasting messages, especially when Rudy tries to explain his 'federalism' approach.


 * 10. Brownback hasn't exactly proven himself fiscally, and I doubt it will be his fiscal issues that will be played if he runs for President and/or if he's nominated Vice President.