Of course his loss could have nothing to do with the fact that he banked on Florida and basically didn’t put forth an effort in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan or South Carolina. It simply must be that 9/11 is just not an important topic. Why isn’t it important? “Giuliani’s failure reflects a broader shift in the American landscape, in which Sept. 11 has so diminished as an emotional touchstone that neither The Gallup Organization nor The Pew Research Center has even polled Americans about the attacks for a half year.” That’s right, the polls don’t want it to be important, because if they did poll it, the Democrats would be in trouble.
Ed:
Those of us who have followed the campaign know the reasons behind the failure had nothing to do with 9/11 — because the campaign itself mostly avoided referencing it. The campaign lost its footing when the press began hyperventilating about a “scandal” from six years ago that even the New York Times later admitted was old news and represented no illegal conduct. It followed that with a poor decision to stop competing in the early states and allow the media to focus so much on his rivals that Giuliani became the Forgotten Man.
While reporters Smith and Kuhn might be a little too harsh in their analysis, they are correct that Rudy Giuliani’s “9/11 Message” fell on deaf ears. Whether that’s because of “9/11 fatigue,” we should remember that Rudy fell back on 9/11 heavily after he started dropping in the polls. Before that, Rudy ran on his record of mayor pre-9/11, but with 9/11 of course always near to that message. Whatever the case, the rise and fall of Rudy will be analyzed for years to come.
Comments From Left Field has a must read
Memeorandum has more blog reaction
You know, it would be great to elect another President that the press hated.
Wouldn’t it be a great United States if everyone thought like most of us here? I mean it, seriously. The MSM would either be forced to be honest, and report the news, or shrivel up and blow away.
Most political advertising would go away, since we don’t form our opinions and vote on the basis of sound bytes, lying ads, or push polling results.
The push poll frauders also would be out of work, since we don’t give a damn what their propagandized polling results are.
Most BS, propgaganda, and nonsense would go away because we have common sense and use logic and reason.
And that’s just for starters. I know, it’s just a dream. But if only more people thought like most of us here, 95% of our problems would go away.
We would be left with one big problem: What to do with all the displaced grifters, frauders, BS artists, tax suckers, and other useless parasites who would no longer be able to ply their usual trade.
Poor Rudy.
It’s not looking like a good presidential race for conservatives this year.
You have a flip-flopping liberal governor and…John McCain – the Rights worst enemy.
Not very good choices for your team, I’d say.
We on the Left are being INSPIRED by Obama and, shudder, even Clinton. Who inspires YOU this election?
Who compels you to jump out of your seat and actually have “Hope” again for your country?
Well Robert and PCD. I think the proper response to your posts in what SFL writes in #3. Obama, 9/11 forgotten but don’t mind voting for a muslim. A seriously troubling thought.
San Fran. If you are inspired by this guy whose inexperience alone should rule him out as a candidate shows without a doubt your naivete in how our country is run. Do you really want anarchy in the U.S? Do you really want Islamofascists to dictate our lives? Do you really think there should be no societal values, traditions, and cultures our country has produced? HOnestly, your kind amazes me. I try to give the benefit of doubt by calling you naive but sometimes you sound just plain stupid.
Shift? I agree.
The shft iusn’t abiout Iraq being an unimportant topic, however it has shifted to beig the second most important topic:
America surviving her politicians. John McCain and Mitt Romney, two socialist in conservative clothing, are stark representations of this.
The other side of the isle is worse, so there is no good choices. I am going to vote for the politicians that can do the most damage to the pocket book of the American citizen, as this is the onmly way to get their attention.
I am voting for Hillary Clinton.
It is the only chance we have to bring back a conservative renaissance. If Romney, Obama or McCain get into office, it spells the doom of America.
Shift? I agree.
The shift isn’t about Iraq being an unimportant topic, however it has shifted to being the second most important topic:
America surviving her politicians. John McCain and Mitt Romney, two socialist in conservative clothing, are stark representations of this.
The other side of the isle is worse, so there is no good choices. I am going to vote for the politicians that can do the most damage to the pocket book of the American citizen, as this is the only way to get their attention.
I am voting for Hillary Clinton.
It is the only chance we have to bring back a conservative renaissance. If Romney, Obama or McCain get into office, it spells the doom of America.
Shift? I agree.
The shift isn’t about Iraq being an unimportant topic, however it has shifted to being the second most important topic:
America surviving her politicians. John McCain and Mitt Romney, two social-ist in conservative clothing, are stark representations of this.
The other side of the isle is worse, so there is no good choices. I am going to vote for the politicians that can do the most damage to the pocket book of the American citizen, as this is the only way to get their attention.
I am voting for Hillary Clinton.
It is the only chance we have to bring back a conservative renaissance. If Romney, Obama or McCain get into office, it spells the doom of America.
I think you should vote for Obama Ted if you wish to vote for someone who will do the most damage. Obama is a muslim who will proceed to install sharia law into our government.
“Do you really want anarchy in the U.S? Do you really want Islamofascists to dictate our lives? Do you really think there should be no societal values, traditions, and cultures our country has produced?”
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LOL…do you ACTUALLY believe that crap?!? How can you call me naive or stupid in the same post where you write that kind of mindless drivel?
Crazy.
“Obama is a muslim who will proceed to install sharia law into our government.”
————–
I’m sure you’re a nice lady and all and I don’t mean to offend you personally, but that REALLY IS fucking retarded of you if you actually think that.
Sorry, but…
That’d be like me saying (and actually believing) that George W. Bush will overthrow the Constitutiona and install an Evangelical Christian Theocracy here in the states.
Please.
It’s only mindless to you SFL. We have proven over and over here at RV that your type of government (i.e. liberalism) would bring this country to ruin. If you don’t believe that can happen think again. Right here in Maryland the democrats have ruined our state. They have ruled for 40 years and each year Maryland has slipped in every standard imaginable. Taxes are high and businesses have fled. This country will be next if someone doesn’t stop it.
As I’ve said before and as Pam has posted. Check out Europe.
11, BonBon, SFL is just trying to tell us how to pick up the clean end of the turd.
=))
Oh PCD you are so funny. =))
13,14, Robert and BonBon, SFL makes it so easy to be funny at his expense since he works so hard at being stupid.
“We on the Left are being INSPIRED by Obama and, shudder, even Clinton. Who inspires YOU this election?”
That’s like being inspired by those work posters with the nifty little sayings and pretty pictures. It’s pretty much mindless.
If you are inspired by Clinton and/or Obama, then frankly your brain pan leaves much to be desired.
Oh, the Republicans have the same shallow based inspiration as you do SFL- that is whoever wins the election that has that “R” or “D” after their names.
I know plenty of Liberals who are highly educated, including some in my own family. I only have a Bachelor’s degree; I am the least “educated” in my family.
But I have something they don’t: a PhD from the virtual school of reality, earned through many years of experience functioning as the type of American the Founders expected.
Liberalism isn’t a function of intelligence. It is a form of mental illness, ranging from mild and innocuous to hopeless and terminal. That explains how you can have highly-educated people taking positions my 12 yr old can see through.
The 9/11 message isn’t dead, Rudy, like Fred have just helped to write a text book on how not to run a campaign.
Who would have thought that it was possible for two popular politicians to squander their leads by virtue of a lousy strategy?
McCain stuck to the textbook and has done well….
21- you uneducated rube
5- The left is being inspired? Really SFL? It looks like a bloodbath on the left leaning blogs..it’s divisive and it will only get worse..it’s called politics..The left is being seen for the racial divide amongst them…they should have remembered the old saying..”every time you point at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you” =))
I’m waiting for the Klinton Smear Machine to unleash the dogs on Obama. That’s why I am dissapointed in the Florida results; I was hoping for a big Obama victory so Hitlary would push the Nuclear button…
“If you are inspired by Clinton and/or Obama, then frankly your brain pan leaves much to be desired.”
——————-
Not at all Ted.
Obama (not clinton) inspires countless Americans, and gives them hope for a new kind of politician.
Caroline Kennedy, went as far as to say that Obama so inspires her that he is the closest thing to her father (JKF) in over 40 years.
So…you’re saying Caroline Kennedy has something wrong with her “brain pan”?
You obviously just don’t get it.
I feel sorry for you, kind of. You don’t have anybody like I do to look up to and feel hopeful for our country’s future.
“The left is being inspired? Really SFL? It looks like a bloodbath on the left leaning blogs…”
—————————–
Yes. 100% inspired.
Maybe if you pulled your head out of your computer for a day, and looked at something other than a fucking “blog” for information Pam…you might learn a thing or two.
This is a primary. There are two perfectly fine candidates for the Left to choose from. What you are seeing is normal. Whoever gets the nomination, Clinton or Obama, will have the full support of the Left.
We’re all feeling REAL confidant now about the election. If McCain is who you got…then…I tfeel pretty damn good.
Robert, you having a BA is more than half the people here can say I bet.
Good for you.
Thanks. Just for accuracy sake, it is a B.S.E.E. And btw I do not mean my summary of Liberalism in the last paragraph of post #21 as a personal attack against you.
I think it is most likely you put “Liberal” in your screen name to put a burr under the saddles of the regular visitors here. It’s entertainment; I can understand that.
At least you have the guts to stick around and argue with us; many others have not.
Please see: Maybe The Writers Strike Caused Caroline Kennedy To Reuse Her 2000 Endorsement Of Gore For Her 2008 Endorsement of Obama?!?!
26-
You mean like the MSM SFL? The MSM is following the lead of the blogs, ..that is where the news comes from these days..The left is a mess..I’d clean it up before you start talking about winning anything..
As I have said before, Obama seems like a nice enough guy, but like Jimmy Carter, he’s simply not qualified for the job.
Of the four remaining top tier candidates, I’d opt for Romney despite his stance on gun control which troubles me greatly. He’s the only one with executive experience and business savvy. He has knowledge of how an economy works. Something none of the other candidates have.
McCain is a lying, open borders, screw the American taxpayers, liberal RINO.
Clinton is a lying, conniving, socialism for everyone else bitch.
and
Obama is simply unequipped for the job. Nice guy but unfit for the job. Other than his socialist agenda, I’d consider voting for him over McCain. If the country is going in the hopper, I’d rather have it do so under the Democrats than a RINO Republican and Obama would be less likely to cause as much damage as Clinton. BTW if Caroline Kennedy thinks Obama is as inspiring as her father, does she realize that JFK was a patriotic war hero, CUT tax rates substantially AND got us involved in the war in Vietnam? All of which would have him thrown OUT of the Democratic party today. I would bet her father would kick the S#$t out of Obama for refusing to stand for the National Anthem, or say the Pledge of Allegiance.
As I have said before, I’ve seen the effects of a liberal Dem president when the economy is shaky to start with. I’ve seen the military budget gutted, our intelligence gathering ability destroyed, double digit inflation rates, double digit interest rates (those two are SUPPOSED to be mutually exclusive) and double digit unemployment rates. Hillary Clinton is so smart that she’s taking economic advise from Granholme, the governor of the only state in the union actually suffering from a recession. A state with the highest business tax rates in the country, that’s headed by a woman who is too stupid to not understand why her ads to attract businesses to her state are failing.
“Obama (not clinton) inspires countless Americans, and gives them hope for a new kind of politician.”
Yeah, countless Americans are also inspired by Clinton too.
But we aren’t talking about the Clinton rubes, but the Obama Rubes.
“new kind of politician” is such humorous misnomer- one that can quietly pick the pockets of Americans in the name of such buzz words as “bi-partisanship” and “co-operation”.
No- it is just a different way of separating Americans from their hard earned money and gain for power. He is really no different than McCain, Clinton or any other politician. He is just a relative newcomer, so the disappointment isn’t as stark…yet.
But when he loses and is in Congress a few more years, then it will be much easier to recognize. Of course this doesn’t apply to the willingly or ignorantly lead partisans that proudly yet blindly cast the ballot for “their” party.
“Caroline Kennedy, went as far as to say that Obama so inspires her that he is the closest thing to her father (JKF) in over 40 years.
So:you’re saying Caroline Kennedy has something wrong with her “brain panâ€?”
Yes, I am. Part of the same political machine as the Clinton and Obama, obviously.
See, she was freaking SIX YEARS OLD when her father died, so how the HELL could she know if Obama “is the closest thing to her father (JKF) in over 40 years”, especially politically.
The very notion reeks of stupidy and having a “dead brain pan”. And you, being the political rube that you are in the name of the Democratic party, fall for such pandering bullshit.
“You obviously just don’t get it.”
Oh no, I get it completely. You, and most everyone on this thread is a partisan hack. Character means absolutely nothing as long as they live up to the deception of the letter that falls after their name that “D” or that “R”.
“I feel sorry for you, kind of. You don’t have anybody like I do to look up to and feel hopeful for our country’s future.”
You should only pity the ignorant. Put down the partisan pom-poms for a second and look into the mirror. If you are really objective and honest about this, you will see that the current field of politicians have absolutely no hope to offer. You’d realize that unless a person with unabsolvable integrity steps up to lead that this maybe or the next generation of Americans is experiencing the pinnacle of America’s existence.
Don’t feel sorry for me. Pity the people that I do- my children, and my grandchildren.
That’s who I feel sorry for and anything short of that is just plain criminal.
Ted, I understand your position and there are many times I feel that way as well however I think you are missing a very basic point. A president alone cannot change things. Society has to police itself as well and we as Americans have taken so many things for granted over the years that we’ve lost sight of some basic rules of behavior.
The younger generation is more interested in what wacky thing is on youtube than the running of our government. Unless we teach values, structure, limits on behavior, and respect for our freedoms we will succumb to anarchy.
33, I agree with you totally FAO.
SFL is an idiot who has to live in delusional places like SF in order to survive. SFL gets all hyper when I talk about cutting SF off from Federal subsidies because SFL lives on them and is barely smart enough to know that without those subsidies, SFL will actually have to work to survive. No more hedonistic fun for SFL.
35- Exactly Bon Bon…As silly as the example may seem..let’s look at the Choate graduation fiasco..Choate, an exclusive boarding school, the alma mater of JFK and many influential people over the years. Headmaster invites Rove, a government figure to speak at graduation..some kids are mad and want Stephen Colbert to give a counter speech? Colbert, not a Russert or a Gibson, but Colbert..what they get instead is headmaster at graduation and Rove in February..but it gets back to the fact that we have a generation that thinks that Stewart and Colbert are the news, there is no respect for elders, somehow, the younger generation thinks that there are no boundries. There are no reprocussions for free speech etc…
“SFL gets all hyper when I talk about cutting SF off from Federal subsidies”
————–
No, actually I don’t.
You can say all these fun little things to make you feel good or whatever, but I know, with 200% assuredness, that funds will never be taken from SF as punishment. Especially by a Democratic Congress.
What you don’t understand is that you only make yourself look dumb when you say stupid shit like that, stuff that will just never happen.
It makes you look…kind of unstable.
Take your meds, guy.
“At least you have the guts to stick around and argue with us; many others have not.”
————————-
Right on, man.
We’re all political junkies here, and it’s important for each of us to not take too seriously these things.
I’m sure we all get a kick out of playing around here on RV…
And like I’ve said here before, as much as we nit and pick at each other, I understand and appriciate that we are all Americans here, we all love our country (yes, it IS true) and we all want what we consider better things for it.
I don’t care to read/listen to Liberal websites or talk radio…I prefer to constantly challenge my beliefs and opinions. I also grew up in a 100% Republican family, and as the only Liberal, I have found it easy to argue politics with conservatives.
“If you are really objective and honest about this, you will see that the current field of politicians have absolutely no hope to offer.”
————————
You’re wrong – Obama offers that hope for change.
Like you said, he’s young, inexperienced and fresh.
And that’s EXACTLY what millions of Americans are THIRSTY for with their leaders. Especially the usually apathetic youth.
And I do feel sorry for people who have no hope, or for those whose hopes rest on old, tired and used politicians.
It’s like being born again, finding a politician who actually gives you hope for the future.
You wish others could feel it…
“Like you said, he’s young, inexperienced and fresh.”
I never said that, pay attention rube.
I have to admit that Obama has a lot of appeal. I often think that the best thing for DC politics is to break the lock of the old school, old guard politics as usual crowd. Every 4 years they trot out another set of lackeys we are supposed to choose from. They decide in advance what our range of possible choices are, and finally what our only two choices are.
I don’t agree with Obama on almost anything but he is not part of that network (from what I can see) and the thought of stirring up the pot, of sending a message to the hacks that we are fed up and are not going to keep rubberstamping their clones is very appealing.
I’m not saying I will vote for him but he has a lot of appeal and it is tempting of the above reasons.
“And I do feel sorry for people who have no hope, or for those whose hopes rest on old, tired and used politicians.”
So, if you are truthful with yourself you must dole yourself a huge helping of self pity.
There are two kinds of shills- the onces who knowingly follow and the ones who pursue in ignorance. It appears you are the latter. As a standard bearer for the Democrat party Obama represent establishment beliefs. It is the only way to gain the national teir for representing either party- you gotta be a player and do as they say.
Ask the young “Democrat” Iraqi war vet that tried to run in Cincinnati for the House. As soon as he dissented and critisized the Dems he was promptly removed be the powers in the Dem party.
41
“You wish others could feel it:”
That’s constipation, sheeple.
“Society has to police itself as well and we as Americans have taken so many things for granted over the years that we’ve lost sight of some basic rules of behavior.”
Why do you think I have such disdain for the partisan hacks who have allowed their parties to become such power hungery anti-patriotic machines of malcontent?
I am only pointing out the easily seen absolutely FATAL flaws of the candidates placed in front of the electorate this year. The are nothing more than a symptom of the problem.
The problem is the American citizen. The complacency is stiffling. It mind numbing.
It is kill MY country.
The only hope I see hurting them so bad personally that they shake out of it.
That is why I am voting for Clinton. She can do damage, and lots of it. Hopefully enough to hurt the average citizens pocket book so bad that they can no longer afford to be complacent.
I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK, DAMNIT!
38, SFL, once again you show your ignorance of how this country is run. Congress proposes, but the Executive disposes. That means if the President sequesters the funds, SF will get nothing no matter how big a tantrum Pelosi throws or how big a tantrum you throw.
If you want your country back Ted then you shouldn’t vote for the person you think will do the most damage. Once something is gone you almost never get it back. Think back to times in your life when the government has taken something. I can think of things. I worked for the State government and in 1989 a democratic governor took away our 35 1/2 work week. Studies later showed it was not cost effective and saved no one anything but rather cost state employees more in child care and elder care costs. It also cost the Universities as they had to operate at full capacity rather than dimming the lights and turning down the heat/air at night.
We never got the work week back. Fair enough but I hope my example demonstrates that you never, EVER, give up without a fight.
“If you want your country back Ted then you shouldn’t vote for the person you think will do the most damage.”
I am looking at this from a long term perspective. If Juan McCain gets elected, the status quo is maintained. Same with Obama or Romney. Chances are the same will be with Hillary too.
But at least Hillary has a chance of waking Americans up when it hit home.
“Once something is gone you almost never get it back….but I hope my example demonstrates that you never, EVER, give up without a fight.”
By this reasoning, America is gone then. I see one small sliver of hope for her in the guise of the anti-Christ named Hilary Clinton. Perhaps if we give them a claer and present danger, Americans will begin to fight for their country back. THAT is the fight we need. Otherwise, it is a slow smothering submission, and we are about to close our eyes permanently.
Never happen otherwise. No chance in hell.
You mean clear and present danger like 9/11? Yes, I have witnessed how Americans rallied to make sure that we weren’t attacked again..Let’s see, I saw major newspapers reveal secret intel with the citizens cheering, senators reveal secret intel and the citizens cheering, senators encouraging MoveOn to accuse Petraeus of betrayal with citizens cheering, and Senators/citizens calling him a liar. Nope, we are at the point of no return..we march forward.
9/11 was clear and present danger..