Quote:
Originally posted by spence
McCain would have gone a long way. I'm not sure Rudy could really do it. Rudy has a mystique about him and he's a good speaker, but 9/11 aside he really doesn't offer much substance.
-spence
|
I think you're off base there. Rudy was a temendous mayor who brought major changes to NYC. He instituted welfare reform and brought about effective policing that reduced the crime rate to the extent that NY is now the safest big city in the US. Above all else, he was a hands-on guy who directed the course of the city rather than a guy who "managed" by consensus. The mayor of NYC probably has more power than any other elected official in the country, and he used that power to make positive changes.
As President, having to play nice with the other kids, maybe his "my way or the highway" philosophy would be a shortcoming, but to say he has no substance is wrong. Someone who has been the mayor of a city of 7 million people---more than the population of most US states---is certainly more qualified than, say, a member of Congress or the governor of a small, rural state to be President.
He also has crossover appeal. He'd appeal to Republicans on foreign policy and defense issues, he'd be a fiscal conservative, but he's very liberal on social issues--pro-choice and pro-gay rights.
Threaded Mode