Texas Governor bucks principles; endorses Giuliani

[Publius]

Texas governor Rick Perry endorses Giuliani | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

Guns, gays and abortion notwithstanding, Gov. Rick Perry endorsed Rudy Guiliani on Wednesday and signed on as a national co-chairman of his presidential campaign.

The endorsement of Mr. Perry, one of the most socially conservative governors in the nation, was met with obvious delight by Mr. Guiliani, whose pro-abortion rights, pro-gay civil unions and pro-gun control stances have kept the family values Republicans away.

Mr. Perry said he decided to support the former New York City mayor after months of studying the race from the sidelines. The overwhelming reasons, he said, were that Mr. Guiliani could win and that he has pledged to appoint "strict constructionist" Supreme Court justices, such as John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Antonin Scalia.

He said the prospect of a Hilary Clinton administration also motivated him to get involved.

She would likely appoint Supreme Court justices, "that would cause people to wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat," Mr. Perry said.

"The mayor knows how to lead. He knows how to get results. And he knows how to win," Mr. Perry said.

The move also gives a shot in the arm to Mr. Perry's national standing.

Asked if the Texas governor might be considered as a vice presidential running mate, Mr. Guiliani said, "He's on the top of everybody's list. Mine and everybody elses."

Once again, as he has repeatedly over the past year, Mr. Perry downplayed the possibility.

"I won't consider that," he said.

The two men were traveling together to Iowa to campaign later in the afternoon.

And from the DMN political blog ( Trail Blazers: Rick to Giuliani: Love Ya 'Blue ):

Now that Gov. Rick Perry has endorsed Rudy Giuliani for president, people are going to ask -- what happened to all those red-meat assurances the Texas governor gave to the California GOP the other day denouncing Republicans who aren't conservative enough.

Rudy's pro-choice, pro-gay rights and pro-gun control. But the Texas governor today endorsed his bid for the White House. Perry's jumping on the bandwagon just as it looks like the former New York City mayor looks more and more like the Republican nominee.

Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson -- who is Fred Thompson's man in Texas -- is none too happy. "How quickly we forsake our principles for political expediency," Patterson said today.

Here's his full statement: "I’m confused. One of the most, if not the most conservative governor in Texas history endorses a pro choice, rabidly anti 2nd amendment, former NY mayor who as governor endorsed Democrat Mario Cuomo over Republican George Pataki for governor of NY. What ever happened to conservative principles as the first measure of who to support for any office?"

At a news conference in Washington, Perry said he's satisfied Giuliani would appoint judges who view the issue conservatively.

I have to agree with Patterson here... Perry is jumping onto Giuliani's bandwagon despite the two of them having widely differing principles, even though Perry has stated he wouldn't support a GOP candidate that was not conservative. Giuliani is definitely NOT conservative, he's a Democrat in all respects but party affiliation.

Just another idiotic move by one of the worst Texas governors in recent memory. I can only hope, if Giuliani decides to reward him by offering him the VP spot, that Perry will do the opposite of GWB and be a good leader at the national level after being a poor leader at the state level (Bush was actually a pretty decent governor, but has been a trainwreck of a president).

[AVengeance]

ho


ly


shit


He says it, though. The only reason is because Mr 911 might be able to beat Hillary. Not that it would make any difference.

[WickedLou9]

the GOP really is in trouble this election season. Bush's strategy of pandering to his base and using wedge issues to bring out the conservative voters has sort of back fired and he has divided his own party. Fiscal conservatives one one side and social conservatives on the other.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

the GOP really is in trouble this election season. Bush's strategy of pandering to his base and using wedge issues to bring out the conservative voters has sort of back fired and he has divided his own party. Fiscal conservatives one one side and social conservatives on the other.

hence why i think, as much as i would hate to see him win, Giuliani could have a good shot if he ran with a social conservative like Perry as his VP. He's JUST conservative enough fiscally not to piss off the fiscals TOO terribly much, and given the alternative of Spendery Clinton he looks great, and a staunch social conservative like Perry would help shore up the socials.

[Phantom]

This seems more like a self-serving statement than an endorsement of a candidate for his positions on issues.

[RMNIXON]

Is this going to be another Kennedy/Johnson affair?

Use the more Conservative Texan to pull in votes of those who do not trust Northeast liberal thinker?

Like it has never been done before and worked?

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

the GOP really is in trouble this election season. Bush's strategy of pandering to his base and using wedge issues to bring out the conservative voters has sort of back fired and he has divided his own party. Fiscal conservatives one one side and social conservatives on the other.

You know I keep hearing this over and over again.....

From you liberals!


Keep on wishing:


Giuliani Connects With
'Morals' Voters on Security

Hard-Line Stances
Play Well With Base
Of Republican Party
By JAY SOLOMON
October 17, 2007; Page A9


WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani is finding that tough foreign-policy stands are helping him connect with social and religious conservatives, constituencies where the former New York City mayor's support has been seen as weakest.

Those conservatives, a bedrock of the party's base in recent elections, are unhappy with Mr. Giuliani's positions in support of abortion and gay rights, as well as his two divorces. But Mr. Giuliani's positioning himself as a tough leader in the fight against Islamist extremism and threats from Iran, and his staunch support for Israel, have kept many social conservatives in his corner despite their misgivings about his stands on domestic issues.

"I think that a lot of evangelical voters see abortion as a moral issue, but a lot of them also see defending Western civilization against this enemy as a moral issue," says Gary Bauer, a religious-conservative activist and 2000 Republican presidential hopeful. "Where the jury is out is once the voters understand where [Giuliani] is on both of those things, will the war still trump those social issues?"

Strong backing of Israel, in particular, is important to some religious conservatives, who have developed their own close bonds to the Jewish state and its oversight of Biblical lands.

This support was on display yesterday, when the candidate told a Republican Jewish Coalition gathering here that as president he would be deeply suspicious of land-for-peace talks with the Palestinians. He said neither Americans nor Israelis should negotiate with militant Islamic leaders and organizations that he believes are committed to destroying Western society.

He drew applause while recounting a 1995 episode when he ordered that the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat be ejected from a concert for world leaders at Lincoln Center. "The reason I did it was that I knew from my own investigations of Arafat that he was a murderer and a terrorist," Mr. Giuliani said. "This whole idea of holding him on a morally equivalent plane to the prime minister of Israel...was a terrible, terrible mistake."

Recent polls suggest that Mr. Giuliani's hard-line positions are helping him make inroads with social and religious conservatives. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted late last month found that 39% of people who identified themselves as evangelical Christians had a "somewhat positive" impression of Mr. Giuliani.

Giuliani Connects With 'Morals' Voters on Security - WSJ.com

[garbagemanlb]

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

You know I keep hearing this over and over again.....

From you liberals!


Keep on wishing:


Giuliani Connects With
'Morals' Voters on Security

Hard-Line Stances
Play Well With Base
Of Republican Party
By JAY SOLOMON
October 17, 2007; Page A9


WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani is finding that tough foreign-policy stands are helping him connect with social and religious conservatives, constituencies where the former New York City mayor's support has been seen as weakest.

Those conservatives, a bedrock of the party's base in recent elections, are unhappy with Mr. Giuliani's positions in support of abortion and gay rights, as well as his two divorces. But Mr. Giuliani's positioning himself as a tough leader in the fight against Islamist extremism and threats from Iran, and his staunch support for Israel, have kept many social conservatives in his corner despite their misgivings about his stands on domestic issues.

"I think that a lot of evangelical voters see abortion as a moral issue, but a lot of them also see defending Western civilization against this enemy as a moral issue," says Gary Bauer, a religious-conservative activist and 2000 Republican presidential hopeful. "Where the jury is out is once the voters understand where [Giuliani] is on both of those things, will the war still trump those social issues?"

Strong backing of Israel, in particular, is important to some religious conservatives, who have developed their own close bonds to the Jewish state and its oversight of Biblical lands.

This support was on display yesterday, when the candidate told a Republican Jewish Coalition gathering here that as president he would be deeply suspicious of land-for-peace talks with the Palestinians. He said neither Americans nor Israelis should negotiate with militant Islamic leaders and organizations that he believes are committed to destroying Western society.

He drew applause while recounting a 1995 episode when he ordered that the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat be ejected from a concert for world leaders at Lincoln Center. "The reason I did it was that I knew from my own investigations of Arafat that he was a murderer and a terrorist," Mr. Giuliani said. "This whole idea of holding him on a morally equivalent plane to the prime minister of Israel...was a terrible, terrible mistake."

Recent polls suggest that Mr. Giuliani's hard-line positions are helping him make inroads with social and religious conservatives. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted late last month found that 39% of people who identified themselves as evangelical Christians had a "somewhat positive" impression of Mr. Giuliani.

Giuliani Connects With 'Morals' Voters on Security - WSJ.com

It will be interesting to see how Dobson and the other social conservative leaders influence the election. At least they have a grounded (if flawed) sense of morality, unlike those social conservatives who are willing to vote for Giuliani.

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

You know I keep hearing this over and over again.....

From you liberals!


Keep on wishing:

I think you need to pay better attention to reality.
Dobson Admits Third Party Might Help Clinton | Christianpost.com

Conservative evangelical leader Dr. James Dobson admits that a third-party plan supported by pro-family leaders might unintentionally help elect democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
The influential pro-family advocate still contends, however, that he would rather vote following his values than compromise and be forced to choose between two pro-choice candidates

[garbagemanlb]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

I think you need to pay better attention to reality.
Dobson Admits Third Party Might Help Clinton | Christianpost.com

Someone who actually adheres to his beliefs.

[AVengeance]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

I think you need to pay better attention to reality.
Dobson Admits Third Party Might Help Clinton | Christianpost.com

Which is exactly why the conservatives need to stick to their CONSERVATIVE guns and flush Mr 911 and McLiberal, and endorce Dr Paul.

[SoFlaJDM]

that's pathetic