Right On The Right

Now that Rudy has endorsed McCain, I think it's pertinent that we take a look back at what Rudy has said about McCain. Take a look at this video and transcript from the race:

Rudy: I think, and with all due respect, there's a difference between being, you know, one of 100, being a voice, and then actually being the decision maker that day in and day out is actually on the line for making those decisions. So, you can see the consequences of those decisions. And that may be why Americans more often turn to people with executive experience. You know, people who have been governors. In my case, mayor of the city that's as large or larger than most states.

If you had to judge this video, you'd say Rudy was somewhat praising Romney and Huckabee and bashing McCain. Sure, it was because it was politically expedient to bash the other guy competing for national security hawk votes, but his words stand, Governors are better candidates.

It's pretty clear what went wrong in the Giuliani campaign, and it's that most people from watching the news didn't see the presence of the former Mayor. The Florida strategy failed. Jonathan Martin has more on that. The big news, is that Rudy is going to be dropping out and supporting Maverick:

But, sources told ABC News, once there, instead of participating in the Republican debate, he will drop out of the presidential race and endorse Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

While Giuliani did not announce that plan, his postelection speech to a modest crowd of supporters at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando delivered the message that his campaign was over fairly clearly.

An interesting tidbit out of Florida was that exit polling showed Rudy's supporters breaking for Romney as their second choice over McCain, by a fairly modest margin of three points. As we approach Super Tuesday, this support may be critical in places like Illinois, California, and Minnesota. We'll see. Rudy will endorse Maverick though, and it's just another endorsement to ignore.

Rudy Giuliani has released an ambitious and extensive plan to cut taxes and create opportunities for business. In the words of Fred Thompson, it sounded a lot like the one he released months ago. Still, it's a good plan. Mitt Romney praised Rudy's record of cutting taxes, and now it's being used in a new Rudy ad:

First off, this is a great ad that shows how well-received Giuliani's plan has been. The kicker is Mitt Romney's quote at the end. Will this get Mitt supporters to vote for Rudy instead? Absolutely not. Mitt is simply praising another Republican who did something positive, just as he has praised McCain's service record and Huckabee's improvements in Arkansas. He has also contrasted himself to Rudy's sanctuary city tendencies and Huckabee's tax raising. It's almost as if candidates now should avoid saying something good about their fellow Republicans, just because it may end up in an opposition ad.

Rudy Giuliani is not a pro-life candidate. Rudy Giuliani is not a pro-marriage candidate. Rudy Giuliani is becoming the choice of some prominent Christians however, mainly because of his stance on the War on Terror. While I agree with him staunchly on the issue, there are folks like Mitt Romney that are just as strong on terrorism, and pro-life and pro-family. Rudy has received an endorsement from another Christian voice:

WASHINGTON — Evangelical Christian leader Pat Robertson on Wednesday endorsed former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has struggled to bridge with conservatives some of his socially moderate policy positions on abortion and gay rights.

The endorsement is a coup for the Giuliani campaign, especially after opponent Mitt Romney recently racked up two major endorsements from social conservatives.

Robertson on Wednesday said Giuliani is the best candidate to handle the War on Terror. He said Giuliani understands the need for a conservative judiciary, and that he is a "true fiscal conservative" who is tough on crime.

I hate to have to correct SuperPat when he makes a statement, but the truth is, Rudy does not understand the importance of a Conservative judiciary. While mayor of New York, Rudy nominated judges that lean left. He has a record opposing fiscal measures like the line-item veto, and law enforcement measures like fighting sanctuary cities. Rudy is not a Conservative, he's a Republican, and an (R) next to his name is not enough.