News > Politics > It's Up to You, New York, New York

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 7 2006 4:00 PM

It's Up to You, New York, New York

Submitted by legionnaire

Edited by legionnaire

Tags: Giuliani, Clinton, 2008, presidential candidate

Presidential election cycles are apparently getting longer and longer. It seems like Bush had just been inaugurated into his second term when people were already throwing around their lists of potential 2008 contenders, and fundraising for those candidates is certainly well underway. Maybe it's just wishful thinking that if everyone focuses on the next president we can safely ignore the dangerous, bumbling idiot who we're stuck with for another year and a half. Whatever the reason, candidacy for the 2008 election has generated more interest, earlier than in previous presidential elections. And according to a recent CNN poll, the leading Republican and Democratic candidates are both from New York.

Republicans favor former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, while Democrats are looking toward Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York for their nominee, according to a CNN poll released Thursday.

Thirty-one percent of the 432 poll respondents who identified themselves as Republicans chose Giuliani from a list of potential 2008 nominees, according to the survey conducted by Opinion Research Corp. on behalf of CNN.

The next closest choices were Sen. John McCain of Arizona, with 20 percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with 12 percent.

No other Republican broke out of the single digits, and 14 percent of respondents said they were unsure about their choice.

Among the 517 identifying themselves as Democrats, 37 percent chose Clinton, and 20 percent favored former Vice President Al Gore.

The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Kerry's running mate, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, trailed with 11 percent each.

All other Democrats fielded 3 percent or less in the survey, while 8 percent of the respondents said they were unsure about their choice.

Interesting choices. I wouldn't bet on either one to successfully snag the presidency though.

People seem to forget that before 9/11, Rudy Giuliani was a controversial figure even in New York city, where his lax attitude on police brutality and penchant for artistic censorship earned him a less than stellar reputation amongst those interested in civil and political liberties. Coupled with his Catholic, Italian heritage (which is still an issue for many, particularly in the Republican party,) the fact that he's a divorcee, making a "family values" style campaign unlikely, and his New York city origins (which don't exactly play in Peoria) and his mild, broad appeal seems better suited for a general election than the intensely partisan Republican primary we're bound to see this year.

And then of course, there's HIllary Clinton. It's unclear whether her polling numbers are a result of her actual popularity or the dearth of appealing Democratic candidates at this point in time. Al Gore has made more of a name for himself since his failed attempt in 2000 than he had before, but he already has so much baggage, he's likely to still be getting (erroneously) accused of "inventing the internet" if he chooses to run. But if Hillary is the front-runner then the Democrats are in serious trouble. While many Democrats (myself included) think the US is long overdue for a female commander-in-chief, Hillary remains one of the most divisive figures in American politics. Her Democratic credentials seem impeccable given her marriage to party darling Bill, but her voting record is much closer to the center than the left, and her criticism of the Iraq war has been a case of too litte, too late. All of which tempers enthusiasm for her amongst more liberal Democratic voters, particularly given the enthusiasm with which they tossed Joe Lieberman, another famous "moderate" to the curb in Connecticut. On the right side of the aisle her name alone is sufficient to turn Republicans into red-faced ranters calling her "Hitlery" amongst other unsavory titles and fantastizing about rooting out her "lesbian conspiracy." And Clinton is also the junior senator from New York, which is bound to bring the standard "northeastern liberal" accusation from pundits that still seems to work.

While Hillary might survive the Democratic primaries due mostly to the sheer, brute force of her campaign (she's raised an enormous amount of money already) it seems like a stretch to believe that even given the current derision for all things Bush, that she could win a national election. Particularly if paired off against candidates like John McCain or Rudy Giuliani.

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Comments

emotedcreations

Germany

July 2006

SEP 07, 2006 04:32 PM

I think we need to keep the heat on good 'ole Bushie for a little bit longer before we start getting in too serious of a discussion on the next election. It's good to look ahead, but we shouldn't be obsessing at this point. Who knows? Maybe someone will step forward that is a much better candidate than any of the aforementioned.

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA

July 2004

SEP 07, 2006 04:40 PM

All the Primaries do is give all the wannabe candidates a soapbox to convince the voters what a piece of shit their opponents are. Then when the General election comes around, all I can remember about the candidates is what a piece of shit their own party comrades made sure I knew they were from the Primaries. With no Presidential incumbent in '08, I get to look forward to Primary debates for both parties so full of shit-slinging that they'll guarantee I'll want to vote independent.

Coliwali

I'm lost

February 2003

SEP 07, 2006 04:44 PM

Personally I'm starting to hope Feingold does well in the primary. He's pretty damn lefty, he's a bit of a maverick and he has a track record of winning in a swing state. All good stuff I think.

RandomNerd

I'm lost

January 2005

SEP 07, 2006 06:18 PM

Despite his flaws, like his awful handling of the Diallo shooting, Giuliani's a RINO, which is a good thing.

Teddy Roosevelt would be classified as a RINO today... didn't follow the party line to a friggin' Tee, actually changed his worldview over time. Hell, he wouldn't make governer today! Funny how he's considered such a famous president. Even the people that didn't like him kinda liked him.

The more the GOP leadership hates Rudy, the better he'd do in the General election, so it's a shame he'd never make it through the primary.

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA

July 2004

SEP 07, 2006 06:49 PM

RandomNerd said:
...Giuliani's a RINO

Republican In Name Only?

RandomNerd

I'm lost

January 2005

SEP 07, 2006 07:15 PM

ThisIsWhoWeAre said:

RandomNerd said:
...Giuliani's a RINO

Republican In Name Only?

Yep, I fear that's how the GOP views him. They don't trust him.

This is why Rudy is trying for a phony show of piety. He wants to impress the rubes in the GOP.

turin

Denver, CO

October 2003

SEP 07, 2006 07:27 PM

oh god, don't nominate hillary. it's not that I think she'd make a terrible president, it's just that I really hate watching the democratic party shoot itself in the head. over, and over, and over again.

come on, howard. you used to be cool!

turin

Denver, CO

October 2003

SEP 07, 2006 07:42 PM

oyaji said:

turin said:
oh god, don't nominate hillary. it's not that I think she'd make a terrible president, it's just that I really hate watching the democratic party shoot itself in the head. over, and over, and over again.

come on, howard. you used to be cool!

Howard Dean? He'd be a worser catastrophe than Hillary.

well he certainly got some bad press, but I think if the average republican voter actually got to know him and his positions, he wouldn't be controversial at all. sort of like how a lot of democrats secretly admire john mccain simply because he's not full of shit right up to the top of his skull.

but I mostly meant "come on, howard. you're the chairman of the DNC now, use your powers of influence for good instead of stupid."

RandomNerd

I'm lost

January 2005

SEP 07, 2006 07:51 PM

oyaji said:

RandomNerd said:

ThisIsWhoWeAre said:

RandomNerd said:
...Giuliani's a RINO

Republican In Name Only?

Yep, I fear that's how the GOP views him. They don't trust him.

This is why Rudy is trying for a phony show of piety. He wants to impress the rubes in the GOP.

He can not get the nomination. He's too ethnic and catholic to play in the stix.

George Bush does not care about Italian People!

Well, we're in agreement, Giuliani's "Unelectable".

Maybe he'll do something that flash cartoonists can make fun of, like Dean's "Yeeeeargh!"? Then it won't be a total loss.

RandomNerd

I'm lost

January 2005

SEP 07, 2006 08:02 PM

turin said:

oyaji said:

Howard Dean? He'd be a worser catastrophe than Hillary.

He probably won't run again, besides, as Chairman of the DNC, he's got longer shelf-life, and he gets to play the kingmaker.

Holden_Caulfield

Ann Arbor, MI

April 2004

SEP 07, 2006 09:26 PM

Personally, I think Gore deserves it after having been screwed by the Supreme Court the first time around. I doubt that he'll run, though. If he did, though, you know his V.P. choice won't be Lieberman.

What ever happened to Russ Feingold, anyway?