Catch it live on C-SPAN and check back here for my post-speech analysis.
12:07 – George Will is poised to introduce the Mayor. Nice get.
12:08 – Will is quite the wit. Smart and clever.
12:09 – NYC has more people than 39 other states says Will.
12:11 – Will is touting Rudy’s conservative accomplishments.
12:12 – Under Rudy, welfare rolls declined by 600,000.
12:13 – Rudy took “the budget and literally dropped it in the garbage.”
12:14 – Conservatism comes in many flavors, says Will, and Rudy’s is the flavor of Margaret Thatcher.
12:14 – Rudy just came out. The crowd exploded.
12:15 – They’re still exploding. Standing ovation.
12:15 – Starts with a joke. Seems very comfortable in his skin.
12:16 – Rudy’s taking the Democrats to the woodshed over the non-binding resolution.
12:17 – Rudy: the non-binding resolution is an example of how Washington can’t make tough decisions on any of the big issues.
12:18 – The government has to start making decisions again. Applause from the crowd.
12:18 – Rudy says he was part of the Reagan Revolution.
12:19 – “Ronald Reagan was a leader, which is the combination of being a visionary and a practical person who can achieve results.”
12:19 – Reagan realized that Communism took from people the most important thing they have: freedom.
12:21 – America is not identified by an ethnicity or a religion, but by ideas.
12:23 – Rudy evokes Lincoln, and explains that Lincoln understood that a leader can’t always cave to public opinion.
12:24 – “My 80 percent ally is not my 20 percent enemy.”
12:25 – The core of the GOP is giving freedom to people.
12:25 – “I don’t just believe in lowering taxes, I did it…”
12:28 – The most important civil rights are to be free and safe.
12:29 – Cut crime in NYC by 50 percent; cut homicide by two-thirds.
12:30 – Couldn’t accept the projected rise in welfare rolls. Established “workfare.” Applause from the crowd.
12:32 – Changed the name of the welfare office to New York City Job Centers. Replaced hopelessness with hope.
12:33 – People are the best at taking care of their own problems.
12:34 – Rudy has no doubt that America will triumph over Islamic terrorism.
12:36 – Americans want to do business with you. We’re getting the world that we dreamed of, though one with some real detours.
12:37 – Have to educate our young people better than we are doing right now.
12:38 – We need a population better educated for the kinds of jobs Americans can do successfully and profitably in today’s world.
12:40 – C-SPAN having technical difficulties.
12:45 – “This is not our war on them. This is their war on us… This war is over when they stop planning to come here and kill us.”
12:46 – Compares Bush to Truman. Does that make Rudy Ike?
12:49 – Even great people can make mistakes, but the general thrust of being on offense against terrorism is correct.
12:50 – We need the Patriot Act, electronic surveillance, and interrogation.
12:51 – We had to breach the privacy of criminals in organized crime in order to find out about the murders they were planning. This is the same thing we have to do with terrorism.
12:51 – The Democrats want to go back to the 1990s on terrorism.
12:52 – America has the right ideas. We shouldn’t be embarassed about ourselves. Luckiest people in the world.
12:53 – America must be preserved as a shining city on the hill, and as a leader in the world.
12:54 – “Peace through strength.”
12:54 – Lots of applause as Rudy leaves the podium.
I honestly don’t know how I can ever again take seriously the Rudy detractors who tout widespread conservative opposition to the Mayor. To the contrary, the standing ovations that Rudy received from the conservative crowd, as well as the comfort and ease with which he interacted with the audience put to rest any doubts I may have had regarding Giuliani’s ability to lead the nation’s conservative party. Anyone who claimed that Rudy would be booed or that the CPAC attendees would sit on their hands has been proven almost laughably wrong.
I can’t stress enough how impressed I was at the substance of Mayor Giuliani’s speech, and at his delivery, and at the crowd’s reaction to him. As George Will stated, Rudy truly IS the American Margaret Thatcher. Anyone who wouldn’t vote for Rudy is basically saying that they wouldn’t have trusted Thatcher to lead America either. But, based on the response Rudy received from the CPAC crowd, Rudy’s detractors are few and far between — a vocal minority whose relevance, or lack thereof, will soon be revealed.
I am now more certain than ever that Rudy Giuliani will be the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. I encourage you to climb aboard the Rudy bandwagon. There will be no hard feelings towards those who formerly supported another candidate. Everyone is welcome as we move forward over the next few months and elect our 44th president.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Thanks Dave, I’ll check it out.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Rudy Giuliani: conservative by talk.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Mitt Romney: conservative by transformation
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:55 pm
John McCain: conservative…sometimes?
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
anyone watch Rudy’s speech at the CPAC? How did it go?
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:08 pm
KT: I just updated the post with my reactions. Check it out.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Polite applause mixed with a couple instances of booing. (Chris Matthews? huh?) He got a strong applause when he entered and left the room. The middle had an uncomfortable feeling as Giuliani spoke awkwardly rehearsed lines to a crowd with a lot of skeptics.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Are you sure all those skeptics werent those van loads of students Romney shipped in?
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I watched the speech on C-Span but there was an outage in the middle.
It was an amalgamation of his evolving stump speech that I have heard live a few times.
Nothing special, no pandering but the “real” goods.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:15 pm
KT,
Maybe it’s all the ULTRA RIGHT WINGERS in the room?
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Econ Grad Stud:
Sorry, but no, you don’t get to misrepresent the facts.
The booing occurred when Rudy mentioned liberals and Democrats. The first instance occurred when Rudy mentioned Chris Matthews, a staunch opponent of the war, and the second instance occurred when Rudy evoked the French. I suspect that both times Rudy was going for the playful booing from the audience; it was not directed at Rudy, but at the liberals he mentioned.
As far as the “light applause” goes, again, he got two standing ovations, once when he came to the podium and once when he left, and the audience applauded loudly for over a minute when he came in. He couldn’t shut them up!
Sorry, but I just watched this speech, and you do NOT get to create your own facts. You just don’t.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Yeah, I heard you were there, Jason
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Dave, I think you’re blinded by your deep love for Rudy. That speech was, even by Rudy’s on standards (and I’ve seen a fair amount) average. He seemed to lose his way a few times and seemed generally unethused about most of the things he was saying. Now Rudy’s a great speaker, so an average speech by him is better then a good speech by others, but all-in-all I can’t imagine it changing too many minds. I liked what he had to say about the non-binding resolution to be sure. And I’ve always been impressed by his record of accomplishment in New York. I don’t call him a liberal, a RINO, or anything to that effect. But, unless he talked about it during the part that C-SPAN missed, he continuously avoids every subject where conservatives have major disagreements with him. I don’t necessarily blame him for that. Forums like these are meant to have focused speeches, and I’m the first one to admit that Romney occasionally attempts to say too much, and neglects any overarching theme. But you don’t convert people unless you address there concerns. All in all, he acquitted himself well and has surely done nothing to hurt his cause. But lets not make the speech something it wasn’t.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Giuliani Notes: Rudy Speaking at CPAC…
The Mayor began speaking around noon EST to a filled to capacity ballroom at CPAC.
Unfortunately, during the speech, C-Span lost the feed or had other technical difficulties and has now switched to another program.
Pretty lame.
Flap will have the vide…
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Dave, I have to agree with Matt. The speech was nothing special but he did not pander and was willing to go which is more than you can say of McCain.
Rudy is not a CPAC conservative on a lot of issues and he is not pretending to be, unlike Mitt Romney.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Maybe the booing was K-Lo?
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:22 pm
sorry, forgot to mention italics mine
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Nothing you said is factually different from what I said. I didn’t say Rudy was booed. I said “a couple instances of booing”. I think you’re getting awfully defensive when you elevate your interpretation to facts.
I just mentioned what occurred without pushing an interpretation.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:25 pm
econ grad:
You were misleading and you know it…if you were a reporter and you were reporting on the speech, that would have been taken as booing at Rudy…you left it open my friend.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Matt and Flap,
You guys both make good points. It wasn’t the Gettysburg Address, but that’s not what I implied, or at least I didn’t mean to. My point is simply that the substance and delivery of the speech were both good, and I think we all agree on that.
Much of my commentary is focused on the way in which Rudy’s detractors claimed Rudy would be booed or heckled by the audience, which didn’t happen. Already we see some intellectually dishonest types lying through their teeth about Rudy being “booed,” even though the boos were quite clearly by invitation and occurred when Rudy mentioned the Democrats, France, etc.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:28 pm
[...] post by DaveG and software by Elliott [...]
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Rudy made a foreign policy proposal. He mentioned France in it. The crowd booed. He then said “I guess you disagree”. Polite laughter followed.
He also started out by naming columnists George Will, (another conservative commentator slipping my mind) and threw in Chris Matthews as if he was also a conservative commentator.
Overall Giuliani’s speech was awkward as he didn’t seem to have his usual energy level and paused more often than usual. Perhaps we were watching different speeches.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Perhaps you TOTALLY misinterpreted it. I understand, given the heavy workload you have at school, don;t worry.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Though he made that comment on differences, he did not hit abortion
or judges directly.
Why would he do that? He’s up 20-30 points in polls. There’s absolutely no
reason to discuss the alleged weak points. Ignore your critics and let them
show the world how small and desperate they are by lying (eg, Romney blatantly and
deliberately mischaracterizing Giuliani as “pro gay marriage”.)
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:07 pm
I’ll say this for Rudy. He got a considerably better reception then Sam Brownback seems to be getting. Sammy’s being disingenous talking about sticking it out in Iraq (he opposes the surge) and immigration (he suupports amnesty) and I think everyone’s aware of it.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Also it doesn’t help that Brownback is terrifically boring.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I think those would be two tough points for Brownback. I have no idea how you could oppose the surge and then say we need to stick it out.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:37 pm
George,
With all due respect; I have met you a few times……
As brite as you are, how is it that you were first sold a bill of goods that Bill Weld would be Governor of New York State?
And you defended that thought.
Now Rudy G. sells you a Bill of Goods that he has a shot of President? And you defend this thought.
You should be advised (As in leaks of Bernard Kerik nation wide) that Rudy could have dropped on him any week now a ton of issues that he needs to be explained to everyone.
Strong rumor that Rudy was photographed with a “NAMBLA” Banner behind him (He did not know it at the time) in a prior Gay Pride Parade he was marching in during his early years as Mayor…..
Rudy also sat on the Board of “Republicans for Choice NY” with Governor Pataki. Further, advertisements that “GOP for Choice” sent out for funding has Rudy photo on it.
You are taking the GOP down the wrong road….It will be another election with a third party running. How is it you are always sold to these politicians?
Trust me, things will change. And you are picking the wrong horse again.
All the Best
Jim
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Above was letter sent to George Will FYI
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:39 pm
It’s all about 9/11 for the common conservative.
http://political-buzz.com/?p=82
He’s second in line behind GWBush as their hero of that day, so they are sticking by him despite the various stories about left wing judges and the like.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Geez, Jim, he (Rudy)was mayor of New York City for blanks’s sake. What you prefer him to do, ignore huge portions of the community??? Enlighten yourself. The GOP is not going down the wrong road. With a moderate conservative, ilike Rudy, it is beginning to turn into AMERICA’S PARTY.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:59 pm
NEWS ALERT: Looks like JOHN MCCAIN will WIN the Spartanburh, SC straw poll after all.
March 2nd, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Hmmm…America’s Party…that’s quite some billing. It makes sense, given Rudy’s statements that he’d love to run on the conservative line, liberal line, and Democrat line too.
Are we to conclude that the abandonment of certain core conservative platforms will be an improvement that conservatives should look forward to?
March 2nd, 2007 at 3:29 pm
[...] response. Hopefully the speech will show up on YouTube before long, but in the meantime, race42008.com has a good play-by-play [...]
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:29 pm
More great reviews from Captain Ed, who is blogging the event live.
Check this out:
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/009304.php#trackbacks
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:56 pm
murphy, I understand what you are saying. But I am not proposing that the GOP drops its platform, what I am saying is that we become a more inclusive party – - like when Reagan had the “Reagan Democrats”. I believe Rudy can do that for us.
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Sounds like Mayor Giuliani did a pretty good job with this speech. You have to give him credit for facing and starting a dialogue with conservatives.
However, before anointing him the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, it needs to be pointed out, with all due respect, that “analysis” of Giuliani by DaveG is the equivalent of a letter of recommendation by an applicant’s mother. Most of the purported “analysis” by contributors to this site has long since become a thing of the past; what we now have from contributors around here who have gotten behind particular candidates are blatant advocacy, attack, and antiaircraft tactics. DaveG is not alone in being a contributor who should be outfitted with a red, white, and blue cardigan sweater with the initials of his candidate of choice (in this case, RG) on the front, plus a set of matching pom poms. Spare us the guise of analysis. The reality is that Mayor Giuliani is a very strong candidate who has huge negatives which haven’t come close to being touched on in this campaign.
Let’s see what Paul Weyrich, David Keene, Tony Perkins, Phyllis Schlafly, Grover Norquist, James Dobson, Jay Sekulow, Tom DeLay, Gary Bauer, Richard Land, and other conservative leaders think about the speech, especially since it did not address issues like gays, abortion, marriage, stem cell research, cloning, guns, prayer in school, and other matters of vital importance to social conservatives.
It is not going to be possible to redefine conservatism such that those who focus on social issues are read out of the movement. Sorry, George Will. At some point Giuliani will need to confront these issues, which evidently did not happen today.
I hope my fellow Republicans realize how screwed we all will be if social conservatives run a third-party candidate for president in November of 2008 due to the GOP nominee being untenable for them. It is my belief that all of the frontrunners and any who jump in later – be it Gingrich, Giuliani, McCain, Romney, etc. – need to make peace with social conservatives, as the ultimate nominee, for the Republican Party to succeed in November of 2008. Otherwise, without a united Republican Party, it is a nomination not worth having.
March 2nd, 2007 at 5:01 pm
with all due respect, that “analysis” of Giuliani by DaveG is the equivalent of a letter of recommendation by an applicant’s mother.
Republius,
I am even a Rudy supporter and I found that quite funny….good line.
March 2nd, 2007 at 6:05 pm
At ACU convention:
We get to the point that both candidates for President support abortion we can hang it up as a nation.
March 2nd, 2007 at 8:05 pm
[...] Rudy at CPAC We’re looking for an online rebroadcast of Rudy’s speech today. But here’s what DaveG has to say over at race42008: [...]
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Virginia is for Rudy??? Now that’s funny!