Friday, June 29, 2007

Why Giuliani is Still the Frontrunner



Ross Kaminsky

Thu Jun 28, 4:30 PM ET

I am enthusiastic about both Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani. I believe one of them will be the Republican nominee.

There is a lot of excitement about Thompson and he is polling exceptionally well for someone who hasn't spent a dime on advertising or even officially entered the race.
I am a big fan of Thompson's recent commentary and speeches in which he emphasizes first principles such as federalism and limited government.
Thompson and Giuliani are likely to have fairly similar positions on economic and foreign policy issues. At this point, leaving aside the down-and-dirty political mudslinging we'll likely see, the real differences between the two are, from a true policy standpoint, social issues (particularly abortion), and, from a political perception standpoint, the question of "who is the real conservative?".
I believe this question is a double-edged sword for conservatives (and for the record, I don't actually consider myself a conservative; I'm far more libertarian.)
The conservative base of the GOP will be very tempted by Fred Thompson, as they should be. He is smart, charismatic (enough to be on TV and in movies at least), folksy, and his career as an actor will lead many to obvious comparisons with Ronald Reagan. And based on the little I know right now about Thompson, it is easy to conceive of him as a very good and effective President were he to win the election.
But that last qualifier is a very big deal.




Blogs Behaving Badly! The Inherent Anonymity of the Internet Blurs the Line Between Bloggers' Opinions and Campaign Tactics

Blogs Behaving Badly
The Inherent Anonymity of the Internet Blurs the Line Between Bloggers' Opinions and Campaign Tactics

By NADINE RUBIN
June 29, 2007


Celebrities have been the butt of blogger wrath for years -- just log onto www.perezhilton.com for a taste of puerile star wars. But now presidential candidates are getting a taste of Internet bashing.
Online since April, www.hillaryis44.com is a staunchly pro-Hillary Clinton blog, featuring daily opinions, updates on Clinton's position at the polls, T-shirts and buttons.
There's also a healthy dose of good ol' fashioned mudslinging. In particular there are a number of attacks on Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. The blog encourages readers to send in "confidential tips," ostensibly to further scrutinize the Illinois senator. And in doing so, it begs the question: Is Clinton's campaign affiliated with the blog?
The campaign insists it is not. ABCNEWS.com's e-mail request for an interview with the person or persons behind hillaryis44.com -- sent to the blog's "confidential tips" address -- has not been met with a reply. On the blog's "Why Hillary" page is a statement that reads: "We are not affiliated with the Hillary for President Exploratory Committee, or any official Hillary Clinton organization in any way."

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3326566&page=1