The American Spectator

The average person has good reason to be upset by all the niggling regulations Giuliani imposed on NYC. They’ve spread like a plague to places like Seattle where I live. Seattle has bought his graffiti-is-the-cause-of-crime mindset with a vengeance. No, they don’t try to catch the criminals, even though surveillance cameras to do so are dirt cheap today. They fine property owners for not quickly concealing the crimes they don’t punish. We can all thank Giuliani for that.

And that’s not getting into guns or unborn babies. Pundits may make much of his willingness not to call the NRA or pro-lifers by nasty names. Whoopiedo (not). People who live in the vast stretches of the nations where that sort of uncouth, boorish behavior is never done aren’t going to be impressed that he’s simply less nasty in his rhetoric than Hillary. It’ll win him no more points than he’d get by simply remaining clothed in public.

If the Republicans want to go belly up in 2008, all they need do is nominate Giuliani. No one who’s for abortion and gun control is going to flip Republican to vote for him. A lot of us who’re against both are likely to sit out a race that will be close. In my case, it’ll be the first Presidential race I’ve stood aside for since I first voted in 1972.

p>Yes, you’re probably tired of Bush’s awkwardness and inarticulateness and want someone smooth like Giuliani. We all are. We all wish Reagan wasn’t in a better place. But all the paint in the world isn’t going to turn Giuliani into someone he isn’t. He’s remains an East Coast liberal in everything that matters. br> — Mike Perry br> Seattle, Washington br> Author of Chesterton on War (soon out) /p>

It’s difficult to say a bad word about Rudy Giuliani, but let’s face it, he’s not a conservative. He’s on the wrong side of the fence on nearly every important social issue. I like the guy, respect him, but will campaign AGAINST him in the run-up to ‘08 — The Republican Party is the party of life, not the abortion party.

p>It would be nice to see AM attempt to encourage a true conservative like Rick Santorum to run, instead of this doomed effort to re-invent Mr Giuliani. br> — Jim