The Economist -
A year before polling day (and only two months before the first primary) the Republican nomination is wide open. Can Rudy Giuliani maintain his lead?
…
…
But many Republicans fall into a third category—they are simply unaware that Mr Giuliani is socially liberal. A recent Gallup poll found that only 37% knew he was pro-choice and only 18% knew he favoured civil unions for gays.

This makes the race for the Republican nomination extremely hard to predict. As the primaries draw near, will voters learn more about Mr Giuliani and reject him?

MB4 on November 2, 2007 at 3:01 PM

Right. Like they did with, say, Ginsberg?

Slublog on November 2, 2007 at 3:24 PM

Well if they have learned absolutely nothing from that mistake, then there is no hope for them anyway, none at all.

MB4 on November 2, 2007 at 3:31 PM

Hillary=Hitlery=Totalitarian State that is governed by the United Nations.

sonnyspats1 on November 2, 2007 at 3:10 PM

OK then:
Rudolf=II Duce=Mafia like State that is run by control freak Rudy and his cronies serving only their capo.
*

Giuliani’s seemingly insatiable appetite for authority was evident, first and foremost, in the way he ran his administration. Obsessed, as always, with loyalty, he demanded that power be centralized in his hands and that he receive credit for any of the administration’s achievements. Even the Department of Environmental Protection’s daily reports on the water level in the reservoir had to be cleared through Giuliani’s press office before being released. He also replaced Dinkins-era officials with loyalists, some of whom had little preparation for their jobs. Tony Carbonetti, the grandson of Harold Giuliani’s friend, was put in charge of the Office of Appointments, even though his previous experience consisted mostly of running a bar in Boston. According to Kirtzman, “one agency estimated that, of patronage hires, 60 percent were qualified, 20 percent had no experience, and 20 percent were ‘dirtbags.’ ” Among these hires was Carbonetti’s father, who was named director of the Community Assistance Unit. He was forced to resign after admitting that he had two driver’s licenses and had failed to pay $156,000 in liens and judgments against one of his businesses.

The most important casualty of this process was Bratton, who, besides Giuliani himself, was most responsible for the administration’s early success. Whenever the press gave too much credit to Bratton, the police chief and his spokesman John Miller would be called into city hall to be bawled out by Giuliani loyalists. Miller was finally forced to quit. After Time put Bratton on its cover in January 1996, an enraged Giuliani had City Hall attorneys begin investigating his personal expenses. That was enough for Bratton. He quit two months later.

MB4 on November 2, 2007 at 3:42 PM

Entelechy on November 2, 2007 at 3:57 PM

Entelechy,
You are a diamond in a bin of coal.
- Somebody or other

MB4 on November 2, 2007 at 4:01 PM

Voting third party to get the Republicans to pay attention to you is like divorcing your wife to get more ‘business time.’

No, thanks.

Voting third party to get the Republicans to pay attention to you is like divorcing your wife that witch Hillary to get even more ‘business time. sack time with some more hot babes!

Yes, thanks, I’ll have another.

- Bill Clinton

MB4 on November 2, 2007 at 4:16 PM

I also wouldn’t be too sure the Dems will hold Congress.

Buy Danish on November 2, 2007 at 4:17 PM

In 2008, the Republicans have almost twice as many seats up in the Senate as do the democrats, plus the Republicans have a number of retirements. There is almost no way that the democrats will not make further gains in the Senate, which they already have a majority in. Very best plausable case for Republicans is that the democrats only gain a couple of seats and the Republicans correspondingly only lose a couple. That is the very best, bar an “Act of God”.

MB4 on November 2, 2007 at 4:47 PM