Giuliani Throws Down Gauntlet For California Dems

by Lucas O'Connor [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Rudy Giuliani made a swing through Southern California this week to scoop up money and speak to supporters in Del Mar Wednesday evening.  While trying to overcome some concerns from Republican primary voters that he's not conservative enough, he said that he "can be competitive in every single state," that he can take California.

A bold statement for a candidate who supports the continued Occupation of Iraq and rarely has criticism for President Bush.  But California Democrats have been put on notice: Rudy Giuliani plans to take California.
What justification does he offer?  He starts by assuring folks that no other Republican would even TRY to compete in California.  But then also explains why he thinks Californians would prefer his vision for the future: "I do not believe in giving our enemies a timetable for our retreat in a time of war the way Hillary Clinton and John Edwards and Barack Obama do," presumably meaning that he's working on some sort of surprise withdrawal or waiting until a time of peace to give "enemies" a timetable.

This apparently is a selling point here on the left coast despite the Field Poll from last week finding that 72% of Californians and a plurality of Republicans disapprove of Bush's handling of Iraq.  This also despite the same Field Poll finding that two-thirds of Californians and 40% of Republicans want some or all troops withdrawn from Iraq.  Rudy Giuliani is in your head California.

He went on to tout his executive experience, noting that former Chula Vista Mayor and current County Supervisor Greg Cox has more executive experience than the current Democratic frontrunners:

"The three leading Democratic candidates, they've never run a city. They've never run a state. I don't think they've ever run a business of any size," Giuliani said. "This is the chief executive office of the United States. It's the most difficult executive position in the world. You would think that to run for it you would have to have some executive experience."

Giuliani of course has never run a state or a business, but that's beside the point.  He seems to think that a state who has twice elected a former actor with no political experience of any kind, nominated by the party he is trying to woo, is concerned about a lack of political experience in its executives.  And I don't even mean Reagan.  Rudy Giuliani knows you better than you know yourself California.

Giuliani's relatively moderate (relative to the Republican party that is) stances on abortion, gun control, and other issues mean he can probably get in the door in California.  The success of a pseudo-moderate like Schwarzenegger means the possibility exists for traction.  I guess he thinks that's enough for voters to overlook supporting the Occupation of Iraq, not reading the 9/11 Commission Report, getting booted from the Iraq Study Group, the opposition to free speech that earned him a "Lifetime Muzzle Award," the lying and attempts to take false credit for 9/11 response, the shabby treatment of first responders, the corrupt appointees, and the generally lukewarm (generously) opinions within New York City about his performance as mayor, the Kerik debacle, the attempt to extend his mayoral term past the legal limit, the racial profiling, the support for waterboarding, and on and on.

I wouldn't think that California would not be much interested in such a guy, but I could be wrong.  He leads the California race for the Republican nomination as of last week though with 35% (Field Poll), miles ahead of Romney and Thompson at 14% and 13% respectively.  And he thinks that after all of this, he can take California.  Nevermind polling that shows Clinton, Obama and Edwards each beating every Republican frontrunner by comfortable margins.  He's ready to bring it.  Because he fits with California.  So don't forget your anti-Giuliani narrative in between all the other politics of the next 14 months.