The worst-case scenario
My recent exchange with Eric Dondero has raised anew an interesting- though probably irrelevant- question: what to do if RINO Rudy somehow wins the nomination?
He won't, of course, I'd be surprised if his candidacy is viable after New Hampshire; the rank-and-file party activists are simply not going to accept a pro-choice presidential nominee. True, he promises to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who follow the "original intent" standard. But how, then, does one understand his high opinion of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, probably the Court's most radical current member? I'm not sure I put a lot of faith in Rudy Giuliani's concept of what constitutes "original intent!"
Dick Morris sees the race coming down to Giuliani and Fred Thompson, with Giuliani winning because "the war on terror trumps abortion." If Thompson were as vulnerable on the war on terror as Giuliani is on abortion and gay "marriage," he might have a point. But the fact is that he's not. Morris has been steadily declining in my eyes as a political prognosticator for some time. While I think he's right about the race narrowing quickly to Giuliani and Thompson, I don't see any way Thompson can lose such a matchup.
But what if it happens? It's a dilemma. There are, to be sure, probably a few issues on which RINO Rudy would be preferably to Shrillery. But I personally don't think the difference is worth the death of the GOP as a pro-life party, and the likely end of any chance of reversing Roe v. Wade. For that matter, I suspect Rudy Giuliani's nomination and election would spell the effective end of the pro-life movement as a force in American politics.
I don't think I could bring myself to vote for Shrillery. Maybe I'd cast my ballot for some pro-life third party candidate. Or perhaps I'd simply leave the presidential line on my ballot blank (yes, I realize that in many juristictions- like certain counties in Florida- that would be just another way to vote Democratic!).
Fortunately, I really, really doubt that the dilemma will ever present itself. But what do you think? How would you handle the prospect of being presented with the choice of RINO Rudy on one hand, and Shrillery or Barak Obama or John Edwards on the other come Election Day, 2008?
He won't, of course, I'd be surprised if his candidacy is viable after New Hampshire; the rank-and-file party activists are simply not going to accept a pro-choice presidential nominee. True, he promises to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who follow the "original intent" standard. But how, then, does one understand his high opinion of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, probably the Court's most radical current member? I'm not sure I put a lot of faith in Rudy Giuliani's concept of what constitutes "original intent!"
Dick Morris sees the race coming down to Giuliani and Fred Thompson, with Giuliani winning because "the war on terror trumps abortion." If Thompson were as vulnerable on the war on terror as Giuliani is on abortion and gay "marriage," he might have a point. But the fact is that he's not. Morris has been steadily declining in my eyes as a political prognosticator for some time. While I think he's right about the race narrowing quickly to Giuliani and Thompson, I don't see any way Thompson can lose such a matchup.
But what if it happens? It's a dilemma. There are, to be sure, probably a few issues on which RINO Rudy would be preferably to Shrillery. But I personally don't think the difference is worth the death of the GOP as a pro-life party, and the likely end of any chance of reversing Roe v. Wade. For that matter, I suspect Rudy Giuliani's nomination and election would spell the effective end of the pro-life movement as a force in American politics.
I don't think I could bring myself to vote for Shrillery. Maybe I'd cast my ballot for some pro-life third party candidate. Or perhaps I'd simply leave the presidential line on my ballot blank (yes, I realize that in many juristictions- like certain counties in Florida- that would be just another way to vote Democratic!).
Fortunately, I really, really doubt that the dilemma will ever present itself. But what do you think? How would you handle the prospect of being presented with the choice of RINO Rudy on one hand, and Shrillery or Barak Obama or John Edwards on the other come Election Day, 2008?
Comments
Rob
Outside of California and New York, and maybe a few other blue states, though, I find it difficult to find places for Giuliani to pick up enough delegates to win the nomination. I sure hope I'm on target here!
In the first case, especially if base turn out is low or there's a third party run on the right, etc., the Republican donors realize they made a big mistake, we loose four years on the life issue, and we have a pro-life candidate in 2012.
In the second case -- that's the worst. That's death to the pro-life cause in American politics.