Bringing Back Rudy

This David Frum article on the veepstakes starts off kind of slow and earnest, but it closes with a great punchline:

I have my own personal nomination for vice president for McCain. It's Rudy Giuliani, precisely because he shares the vision of a practical, reforming, war-winning Republican Party that inspires John McCain, plus the stronger-than-usual grounds for hoping that he might be the rare candidate who can make a difference in an essential state--in this case, New Jersey.

Because more warmongering and corrupt associates is exactly what John McCain needs! At a minimum, I think this choice would be good news for liberal bloggers. Tim Pawlenty seems much less mockable.

Photo courtesy of Victory NH used under a Creative Commons license

Comments

Giuliani looks a lot like Guy Smiley, of Sesame Street fame.

"Well, my name's Guy Smiley, and they call me that because I changed it from Bernie Liederkrantz."

Posted by edsbowlingshoe | June 16, 2008 12:22 PM

I am torn on this.

On the one hand, I think Giuliani's transparent lack of belief in anything other than himself and his belligerence, his thuggish and seedy small-bore corruption, and his dislike of accountability and limits on his own power make him a hilarious political train wreck and a fat target.

On the other hand, these same qualities fill me with trepidation at the idea of him actually holding a constitutionally-empowered position.

Ultimately I think the small chance but extremely bad outcome of a successful McCain/Giuliani ticket outweighs the large chance and delightful outcome of an awful, embarrassing McCain/Giuliani loss.

Posted by SDM | June 16, 2008 12:29 PM

Why, exactly, would Giuliani be a plus in New Jersey? His mob connections?

Posted by Glenn | June 16, 2008 12:31 PM

What in the hell is up with this? How do so many people not know that New Jersey signed the National Popular Vote Act? Winning New Jersey doesn't matter, their electoral votes are going to whoever wins the popular vote.

If you ever needed any proof as to what a dog and pony show punditry really is...

Posted by Brien | June 16, 2008 12:31 PM

Why, exactly, would Giuliani be a plus in New Jersey? His mob connections?

Posted by Glenn | June 16, 2008 12:32 PM

Why, exactly, would Giuliani be a plus in New Jersey? His mob connections?

Posted by Glenn | June 16, 2008 12:34 PM

McCain's best bet just MIGHT be Rudy.....

Not the mayor, the Notre Dame football guy from the movie.

Posted by stevie314159 | June 16, 2008 12:35 PM

Because one guy with anger management issues (oh, and humiliating the first wife issues) on the ticket isn't enough?

Posted by BA | June 16, 2008 12:40 PM

How do so many people not know that New Jersey signed the National Popular Vote Act? Winning New Jersey doesn't matter, their electoral votes are going to whoever wins the popular vote.

not until the states which sign amount to a majority of the total electoral votes.

http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/pages/explanation.php

Posted by cleek | June 16, 2008 12:43 PM

Given Frummagem's recent history of prognostication, I hope this comes true. Because, even if the American electorate loses its collective marbles and votes for Useless Warmongers, Inc.,

New Joisey is the oasis for GOP election strategists that always turns out to be a mirage. I think that's because a lot of batshit wingnuts live there, in awful gated communities and cul-de-sacs, and keep telling their wingnut friends how bizarre it is that the state votes for Democrats.

Posted by pseudonymous in nc | June 16, 2008 12:44 PM

Brien, that law only goes into effect if states totalling 270 electoral votes pass it. Since that's not the case, NJ is awarding its electoral votes the traditional winner-takes-all way this year.

Posted by Joffré | June 16, 2008 12:44 PM

Rudy is such a bad decision...the guy has no idea how to campaign at all. He's not popular enough to bring any state any longer, and there is so much baggage. If McCain is smart (which I sometimes wonder,) he'll pick Pawlenty or maybe the corporation hating Crist.

Posted by Sean | June 16, 2008 12:46 PM

David Frum and the market he serves are a good example of how the GOP is determined to make it impossible for McCain to win (they don't think of it that way, but they are delusional).

By the way, this is a true but very sad line: "Richard Nixon left a more enduring mark on Republicanism than Dwight Eisenhower ever did."

Posted by DTM | June 16, 2008 12:48 PM

Rudy is such a bad decision...the guy has no idea how to campaign at all. He's not popular enough to bring any state any longer, and there is so much baggage. If McCain is smart (which I sometimes wonder,) he'll pick Pawlenty or maybe the corporation hating Crist.

Posted by Sean | June 16, 2008 12:49 PM

Because more warmongering and corrupt associates is exactly what John McCain needs!

Rudy is a pro-choice, corrupt, warmonger. Just the kind of combination to bring the GOP together.

Posted by Christopher Colaninno | June 16, 2008 12:50 PM

Rudy is a pro-choice, corrupt, warmonger. Just the kind of combination to bring the GOP together.

Don't forget to add "bats**t crazy" to that list.

Posted by LFC | June 16, 2008 12:55 PM

Rudy will help the GOP in NY (city) and (south) FL. A bunch of people will say "well, I was a little concerned about voting for the GOP 'cause of the religious right, but now, since they have two 'mavericks' running ... one of whom is even pro-choice ... I can vote GOP with confidence ... and I will because they promise to bomb Iran if it looks even somewhat askance at Israel".

Of course, the wingnuts will still vote GOP because they know that even if "pro-choice" St. Rudy was the Presidential nominee, he'd still deliver them the judicial nominations they want. And the courts are the ultimate arbiters of the law -- who has the courts, has the law. And the wingnuts are smart enough to know this, while the NY/FL crowd, which thinks they are so smart because they've bought into the stereotypes that people have of them, is actually pretty dense as being convinced you're too smart is the quickest route to being 100% dense.

Posted by DAS | June 16, 2008 1:13 PM

This is excellent news.... for Rudy!

/atrios

Posted by lfv | June 16, 2008 1:16 PM

Rudy has only to campaign and let people get to know him to see all his support slip away--see Florida--so I fully endorse this idea. (As an Obama supporter.)

Posted by Deborah | June 16, 2008 1:40 PM

Rudy will help the GOP in NY (city) and (south) FL.

No offense DAS, but I find your political analysis to be downright Petey-esque.

Posted by WillIieStyle | June 16, 2008 1:47 PM

Guilinni as Veep?

Anyone still remember Spiro Agnew, Nixon's impeachment protection? He had to be proven to be a criminal and take a plea before anyone dared remove Nixon. A delay function sort of like a surge protector for the President.

Rudy would no doubt serve the same function.

Posted by Rick B | June 16, 2008 1:59 PM

Hmmm... Rudy's HOMEWRECKING WHORE is a bigger HOMEWRECKING WHORE than McCain's HOMEWRECKING WHORE. So you'd have two Viagra-stoked dirty old men and their TROPHY WHORES...

It's a dream ticket for the Family Values Party.

Posted by MoeLarryAndJesus | June 16, 2008 2:07 PM

Of course Rudy would be an electoral disaster for the McCain08 ticket. Frum and other Repub Bigshots know this. They also know that unless an asteroid lands on Barracks head the Repubs are going to lose the WhiteHouse, they're going to almost disappear from the House and they'll be damn lucky to have 40 Senators in 09.

The 'contenders' who are being promoted are not being pushed because they're likely to contribute to a winning campaign in Nov08. They're being promoted to be the chief national Repub figure when the disaster of 08 is finished.

If you look at who represents whom as the main question, the VP-stakes is interesting. Gingrich hearts Jindal; weird, I'd place Jindal with the Religious Right. Frum hearts Rudy; no surprise--the Corporate, non-Populist, moderate-immigration, non-religious-based Repubs are from the NorthEast so whats not to like about Mayor Rudy?

That's what's going on with the Repub VP 'contenders.'

Posted by JohnMcC | June 16, 2008 2:25 PM

Fear not, Tim Pawlenty is also emminently mockable on his own "I never raised taxes, I just raised 'fees'--and caused local property taxes to skyrocket" turf. Not to mention actively cheerleading the defunding of Minnesota infrastructure that directly lead to the 35W bridge collapse.

Whichever way McCain jumps, it will reflect badly on him.

Posted by Mark Anderson | June 16, 2008 2:37 PM

No offense DAS, but I find your political analysis to be downright Petey-esque. - WillIieStyle

I stand by my analysis even if it is too Petey-esque even for my (as an Obama-bot) own comfort: my wife's shul has a listserv and I cannot count how many times someone or other has raised "concerns" about whether Obama would be good for Israel and about his "relationship with Rev. Wright". If McCain nominates St. Rudy "he'll keep us safe from 'those people'" Giuliani, a bunch of these people will vote GOP as opposed to voting Dem or sitting the race out.

I'm not saying a Giuliani nod would be fatal for the Dems., but no matter what, we do need to fight for this election -- it won't be a cake-walk. OTOH, a Giuliani nod won't turn away any GOoPers, 'cause they see the big picture -- and that is the courts.

How do we get Dems. to see that big picture? If we can do that, then we've got the election made.

Posted by DAS | June 16, 2008 3:45 PM

Dracula Mussolini at Mr. Magoo's side. That's a dream ticket. Jagged upper molars, blind senility, and brown shirts with ravioli stains. Beautiful.

Posted by Trevor | June 16, 2008 6:33 PM

Tim Pawlenty seems much less mockable.

I don't know, his 2006 acceptance speech, in which he blasted the "big-spendin', tax-raisin', abortion-promotin', gay-marriage embracin', more-welfare-without-accountability-lovin', school-reform-resistin', illegal-immigration-supportin' Democrats [...] who think Hillary Clinton should be President of the United States." was pretty hilariously over-the-top.

Posted by Jeff Fecke | June 17, 2008 2:11 AM

I've got two frames of mind on this.

The first is that Giuliani would be a threat, not with broad factions of the population with small but very influential groups that could make the difference in a close race in certain states. I'm not worried about Giuliani flipping any states in the Northeast. If Obama is in danger of losing New Jersey or New York, the rest of the swing states are already gone, and McCain will definitely the next president. No, I'm worried about some groups finding Giuliani's posturing on the war helping him with a few thousand voters that could flip Florida from Obama to McCain. Some have mentioned that some Jewish voters are skeptical of Obama, and while I don't expect anything close to a collapse in support, it's not really necessary for many Jewish people to support a potential McCain/Giuliani ticket for them to make a difference.

The second is that he wouldn't make a difference in any situation. To continue with the small groups example, even if Giuliani is successful in attracting certain voters, it's possible that Obama will win by such a margin that it won't affect the outcome. And of course, there's no guarantee that Obama's alleged problems with certain groups will continue. Besides that, Giuliani did run an embarrassing, pathetic, and inefficient campaign that finally broke most of his 9/11 halo. The man positively reeks of corruption. Aside from arsonists, outright rapists, and murderers, which sort of law-breaking or ethically-challenged individual has the man failed to be associated with over the years? Quasi-Facist leanings aside, he's likely to piss off a lot of the Republican base, much of which is already angry that they have McCain has their nominee. Basically, a few months back, someone said that Newt Gingrich is a dream candidate for the Democrats, because there aren't that many Republicans who would could cause the Democrats to win a minimum of 35 states. I think Giuliani is right up there with him.

Posted by Brian | June 17, 2008 12:45 PM