Rudy Giuliani hits Hillary Clinton in this new ad for backing the Iraq invasion and opposing the latest Iraq policy. He especially goes after her for not criticizing the lefty group MoveOn.org for its sharp criticism of General David Petraeus.
Hillary Clinton tried a few days ago in Los Angeles to match Barack Obama’s huge Oprah Winfrey fundraiser with an event hosted by Lakers great Magic Johnson. But even though the two campaigns are busy training California volunteers, the week ahead in presidential politics is about Iraq.
The aftermath of Iraq week, aka the past week of General David Petraeus reporting to Congress and the nation on the results, and lack of same, on the surge, makes it plain that Iraq and its affiliated matters will continue to dominate presidential politics this year and the next. The week ahead in presidential politics is no different.
John McCain wraps up his “No Surrender Tour” in South Carolina, which holds a key early primary next January. McCain has been touring early primary and caucus states the past week, coinciding of course with the Petraeus report, with fellow distinguished vets of the Vietnam War, vowing no retreat in Iraq while pointing out the myriad of mistakes made there by the Bush Administration. According to quite a few reports I’ve heard, it’s been good for him. McCain did well in the recent New Hampshire debate. So the Vietnam War hero may actually be on the comeback trail once again this year, after earlier meltdowns with independents on Iraq and conservatives on immigration.
Rudy Giuliani will continue banging away at Hillary Clinton this week. He has a new ad attacking her for changing her position on Iraq — she backed the invasion and continued to support the Bush Administration through early stages of the policy — and for criticizing Petraeus and his report (she praised him when she voted to confirm his command in Iraq) not criticizing MoveOn.org for its harsh New York Times ad attacking General “Betray Us.”
Giuliani, along with some other Republicans, portrays Petraeus as a figure above politics, sacrosanct and above criticism. The MoveOn ad is tough and, like much of what the lefty-lib outfit does, not to mention much of the blogosphere in general, verges on nasty hysteria in its tone. But Giuliani, who backed George McGovern back in the day and never wore the uniform — in the process availing himself of multiple deferments — may not be aware that Petraeus is only the latest in a long line of generals who have placed themselves in the middle of politics.
Criticism comes with the territory, as a far greater and much more famous general, Douglas MacArthur, could tell Petraeus, who prior to being hand-picked by Bush for the Iraq command was virtually unknown to the American public.
Nevertheless, Giuliani is bound and determined to go after Clinton. Notwithstanding its lack of historical sense, Giuliani’s strategy makes political sense for him. He’s trying to fend off the emergence, at long last, of Fred Thompson as a declared candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. Although his launch has had its rocky moments, Thompson has moved up again in the polls, surging into a tie with Giuliani nationally in last week’s CNN poll.
Getting into a fight with Hillary is a tried and true way to engage Republican base voters, the one constituency that continues to back the various Iraq policies of the Bush Administration, and which generally has a longstanding hatred of the controversial former first lady.
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| Comments (40) |
I still think this Giuliani ad is boring.
I still think this Giuliani ad is boring.
Giuliani’s attacking her because she’s not for the war anymore? That’s goofy.
So what does the HRC Rapid Response Brigade have queued up?
I don’t see why politicians that viciously attack other pols whine about a vicious attack by somebody else.
We’ll see.
>Wilbur :
So what does the HRC Rapid Response Brigade have queued up?
Sep 17, 2007 07:22 AM
I think it’s geared to older conservative Republicans and is probably effective enough.
>Jonas Blane :
I still think this Giuliani ad is boring.
Sep 17, 2007 05:50 AM
That is quite a flag-waving ad from Mr. Giuliani, considering how many special Draft Deferments he gained in the Vietnam War.
That is quite a flag-waving ad from Mr. Giuliani, considering how many special Draft Deferments he gained in the Vietnam War.
He’s not alone in that. The only top tier candidate in either party who’s a vet is McCain.
He’s not alone in that. The only top tier candidate in either party who’s a vet is McCain.
I think it will become even more commonplace to see non-veteran politicians at all levels of government, but I think that is to be expected with modern day use of fewer troops in warfare, no military draft, and with the stakes in fighting full-scale war so much higher than they were in the early part of the 20th Century.
I think that’s probably right. But I don’t think it’s a good thing.
I guess the ad works for old conservatives.
The ad helps Hillary and Giuliani in their respective primaries.
Every hit Hillary takes in the primary softens a blow she would have to take in the general. If the Republicans really wanted to beat her, they’d keep their powder dry until after the primary. But they are such a pack of middling candidates, they can’t help but rush to tried and true political maneuvering.
They’re trying to stir up their primary voters by attacking Hillary.
“They’re trying to stir up their primary voters by attacking Hillary.”
Which will help her as well.
If Hillary was the nominee, and she won the general, I think the collective brain of the Right Wing would explode.
I don’t think that series of events will ever happen, but amusing to ponder…
I think they want Hillary to be the Democratic nominee.
They do. I think she’s much more attractive as an opponent than Obama, Edwards or Richardson.
However, it occurs to me that by attacking her so early, before she’s the nominee, that some of these attacks will inoculate her from hits she has to take in the general.
Will these inoculations be 100% effective? No, but it’s something that should be considered in the final calculus.
That said, the Giuliani ad could have been a little more nuanced and still be as effective with the Right.
As I wrote in the latter part of the Monday Morning Quarterback, Hillary is a long way from being the Democratic nominee.
She’s still my fourth pick
There is something very unlikeable about Hillary Clinton.
So? We are searhing for a leader, not a new best friend. The criteria should be a competent administrator/visionary that can lead our nation out of the multiple disasters fostered by the likeable current occupant of the Oval Office.
>Len :
There is something very unlikeable about Hillary Clinton.
A lot of us voters are searching for a best friend president.
A lot of us voters are searching for a best friend president.
Dana – Yes, but Bush used to have high trust/likeability ratings. Now he doesn’t. He beat two Democrats that had more experience, but voters didn’t trust/like.
Hillary is the second-most experienced major Democratic candidate (behind Richardson). She scores very high on experience, but she scores low on trust/likeability.
I don’t think Reagan or Clinton were elected because they had the most experience either.
Unfortunately, the presidency is a popularity contest.
Re: AARP debate, discussed in full version…
I’m not too fond of AARP these days. They’ve morphed from an interest group representing a defined group of people, into an insurance business. And even on their interest group side, I’m not convinced that their position on Social Security is terribly helpful to the country, long-term; I’m opposed to Bush-style carve-out privatization (which would only make the long-term budget outlook worse, while putting millions of future retirees into the hands of an assortment of fund managers who’ve shown themselves to be highly creative in bilking their clients), but would be perfectly happy to see some kind of reform — combining an add-on defined-contribution system with subsidies for the poor, with a hike in the retirement age for people outside professions involving physical labor, some mild means-testing, and other such methods of bringing down some of the projected costs.
The vote for president is one of the most personal cast by any voter.
>Brasky :
Dana – Yes, but Bush used to have high trust/likeability ratings. Now he doesn’t. He beat two Democrats that had more experience, but voters didn’t trust/like.
Which are the first three and why?
>Brasky :
She’s still my fourth pick
Sep 17, 2007 01:45 PM
Auros, only a Democratic President could ever carry real reform of Social Security. It is a sort of mirror image of the old saw that only Nixon could go to China.
Brasky, yes the presidency is a popularity contest to an extent. But I think Hillary isn’t as hated by the overall country with the fervor that the fringe right does, and after Bush 43 I don’t think the Norquist/Dobson wing has quite the clout it used to (or credibility).
In any case this is a wide open race and the shakeout is just a few months away (half the field should be gone after voting happens in those first 4 states Bill has keyed in on).
“Which are the first three and why?”
1 Edwards – He’s good, he’s electable and I just like him (see above).
2 Obama – I’ve been continually surprised by his strength as a candidate. Money, strategy, structure, message – he’s got more than I gave him credit for. I think he could win against many Reep candidates.
3 Richardson – Most talented candidate on either side. He just doesn’t have the electricity of the either Edwards or Obama, but the guy I’d want in the White House if something major happened.
I think Hillary can win.
She can win. B ut it would be best if he her negatives weren’t so high.
I’m an Edwards supporter but I’ve got to say that the polling data – including Iowa, SC, and NH, is sure trending her way. She’s going to very, very hard to beat.
And HRC doesn’t have to hit back. MoveOn is doing it for her with a TV ad that rips Rudy to run in Iowa. A lot of Iowa Republicans are sick of the war and Rudy is vulnerable to Romney and Huckabee there.
And HRC doesn’t have to hit back. MoveOn is doing it for her with a TV ad that rips Rudy to run in Iowa. A lot of Iowa Republicans are sick of the war and Rudy is vulnerable to Romney and Huckabee there.
I don’t think they want MoveOn as their proxy.
I’ve been in presidential primaries with huge shifts in the numbers.
Most of the coverage and commentary of this campaign is meaningless. And NWN is anything but immune to contributing to it.
>richard locicero :
I’m an Edwards supporter but I’ve got to say that the polling data – including Iowa, SC, and NH, is sure trending her way. She’s going to very, very hard to beat.
Sep 17, 2007 07:39 PM
My first four are more or less the same as Brasky’s. Though I might put Dodd over Hillary just because I like the fact that he has the balls to explicitly call for a carbon tax.
currently my spouse and i come across precisely what i would like to recognize.. thanks a lot just for this data..