The Anchoress and Rudy
I like the Anchoress a great deal. She is extremely talented, and I have enjoyed reading her blog for some time now.
That having been said, I am truly baffled as to how she can possibly support Rudy Giuliani for president. As K-Lo notes over at the Corner today, there is perhaps no other politician who is more radically proabortion than Giulani. The former mayor of New York City even supports the beyond-evil practice known as partial birth abortion, and has indicated that he would “give my daughter money for it [an abortion].” Translation: “I am willing to help kill my own grandchild.”
I am sorry. That is simply beyond the pale. I don’t care how great one might think Giulani will be at handling the global war on terror. Rudy’s views on abortion reveal that at his core his is capable of supporting and/or engaging in the worst sort of evil. Giuliani is also a staunch supporter of gay marriage, something I know the Anchoress strongly opposes.
Now, this is not to say that I disagree with the Anchoress’s assertion that Rudy is “capable of change,” or that “God raises up whom He will, and very often He uses the most flawed material to do His bidding” Indeed, I could not agree more.
Nevertheless, it seems to me that Christians have a responsibility/duty to carefully evaluate the character of a presidential candidate based on what we presently know about that person, and not on what the future might hold for him/her. It almost seems as if the Anchoress is suggesting that she has looked into the soul of Giuliani and can see him embracing the core teachings of the Catholic Church. I pray he will; but I cannot, in good conscience, vote for him as matters stand.
I would also be curious to know why the Anchoress trusts Giuliani to appoint conservative judges/justices. Heck, I trusted President Bush (who claims to be pro-life) to appoint originalists to the Supreme Court. And what did he give me (at least initially) after Rehnquist retired? Harriet Miers! I can only shudder to think what President Giuliani would offer up.
I am also disheartened that the Anchoress is content to allow abortion and gay marriage to be sorted out at the state level. I understand and respect that many fancy themselves as principled federalists by taking this position, but I am starting to wonder whether it isn’t just a cop out. And let’s be honest, the notion that either of these issues aren’t eventually going to be dealt with at the federal level is foolish. It’s going to happen.It’s just a matter of time. And the truth is that both abortion and marriage should be addressed by way of constitutional amendments. These issues are far too important to be relegated to local whim and fancy. Abortion is the civil rights issue of our generation, and this evil practice must be categorically outlawed in the same manner as slavery. It is also crucial that the traditional family unit be preserved and supported in every possible way. Indeed, marriage is the foundation of any healthy society, and it is foolhardy to think that allowing the cancer of “gay marriage” to exist in some parts of the United States won’t harm the entire country. It will.
Given the foregoing, I simply do not see how the Anchoress can possibly say that Giuliani “will be a better president than anyone currently on the scene.” Better than Senator Brownback? I think not.
I also reject the notion that Giuliani is so superior to the other oft-mentioned Republican candidates that one should put aside (or ignore) his radical (and disturbing) views on abortion and gay marriage. I am certainly no fan of John McCain, but I suspect that he would be just as competent, if not more so, at overseeing the global war on terror. Am I wrong about this? Can some please explain to me exactly why Rudy’s admittedly Churchillian performance in the wake of 9/11 places him head and shoulders above all other Republican candidates? I just don’t see it.
And with respect, I think this kind of scaremongering by the Anchoress is beneath her:
The rest of you who are “shocked, shocked” by my support of Giuliani won’t have to worry about “abortion and gay marriage” because our Islamofascist overlords will take care of those issue for us. If your daughter procures an abortion, she’ll be buried to her waist in sand, and then stoned to death. If your son is gay? Well…he’ll be hung by the neck, or decapitated, quickly enough.
But this begs the question, doesn’t it? Why is Giulani the only one qualified (in the Anchoress’s mind) to handle the global war on terror? She never really explains this to her readers. It almost seems as though she just assumes that we will all take judicial notice of Rudy’s superiority on such matters, and I am not prepared to make that concession.
Now, before any of y’all email me to note that the Anchoress does offer specific reasons for supporting Rudy, let me just say that I acknowledge as much. I just don’t find them very persuasive. Consider the following passages from her most recent pro-Rudy post:
There are no accidents, and it was not an accident that Rudy Giuliani was the Mayor of NYC on 9/11. Just think, had he not been diagnosed with prostate cancer and forced to withdraw from the 2000 senate race, he might well have been in Washington during that attack - gathered in the Captial Rotunda, (with United 93 bearing down upon him) - along with everyone else in DC (except, oddly, Hillary Clinton) for a big hoo-hah event focusing on Education.
Giuliani would not have been in the middle of NYC, and that city would have died under the ministrations of the ineffectual Mark Greene. There is a reason why Giuliani was there that day - perhaps we were meant to see him in action, in that role, on a global stage.
Giuliani showed me who he was ‘way back when he was refusing Yassar Arafat access to NYC, at a time when the whole world was lauding the monster and kissing his backside. He showed who he was when we were attacked and he managed to reassure the whole nation that capable, adult people were in charge. He showed me who he was when he attended scores of funerals, comforted hundreds of families, walked a bride down the aisle because there were no men left in her “firefighting” family. He showed me who he was when he returned a “relief check” for ten million dollars to a Saudi Prince, because the money came with a denunciation of Israel and of the Jews and US Policy. We need this unshakable and intrepid man, who is incapable of dithering, in these times. (H/T on that first-person funeral account to mputtre).
We know this man, Giuliani, and he is a man-in-full. I would rather have one faulty, imperfect man-in-full in office, (one who is willing to be unpopular, if that’s what it takes) and dealing with our devils, than a dozen “more perfect and palatable” types who either can’t get elected or are too distracted by the demands of “the base” to do what needs doing.
And so, no…I won’t be withdrawing my support for Rudy Giuliani at this time. I’m not into throwing people away as “lost causes,” simply because they don’t “fall in line,” and who would want someone who does that, anyway? That sounds a lot like Hillary saying, “you don’t have to fall in love, just fall in line…”
Perhaps if you want Giuliani to be an even better man than he is, a holier man, a “more perfect” sort of Christian, so you can feel alright about voting for him…you should pray for him, rather than merely “watching” and excoriating. That’s good advice for all of us, all the time, anyway!
What strikes me most about the Anchoress’s reasoning is that it is based almost entirely on emotion. She seems to be completely drawn in by Giuliani’s leadership during 9/11, and for her nothing else appears to matter. And that’s what I don’t understand. I mean, we’re not electing a counselor-in chief or a motivational speaker. Right?
To be sure, Rudy has exceptional leadership abilities in some areas. No question about it. But we are talking about electing the next president of the United States; and if there was ever an office that demands character, the presidency is it. And I’m sorry, but I don’t trust Rudy’s character any more than I trust Bill Clinton’s. A man who is willing to stand idly by why millions of babies are aborted every year, and supports undermining traditional marriage, is not someone I trust to be the voice of the land of the free and the home of the brave. I don’t demand perfection, but I do require that the person I vote for be someone who doesn’t openly embrace evil practices.
But I will pray for Rudy. As the Anchoress notes, there is much to admire in the man. But there is also much to fear. And I, for one, am unwilling to allow the global-terror threat to cause me to abandon my core principles, or settle for a president who is so clearly and unequivocally opposed to much of what I hold dear.
August 23rd, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Amen. I didn’t know about the “grandchild” quote.
August 23rd, 2006 at 2:02 pm
Nor did I. This is the best response I’ve yet read to my piece. As I said when I wrote it, I’m willing to look at others (and no, I haven’t “looked into” Rudy’s soul - egad !)…I’m not yet convinced Brownback is electable, though. We still have to put up a candidate who is electable. We’ll have to see how he develops.
Best,
A
August 23rd, 2006 at 2:11 pm
“You can’t always get what you want, but, if you try, sometimes you might just get what you need.”
I personally like many things W has done but the Republicans and the US needs a strong, articulate, principled leader, which we haven’t had since Jan. 1991. I don’t agree with Rudy on everything, but he’s the only decent Republican who has a good chance of defeating Hillary, Biden, Kerry or whomever the Dems put up - and who will continue the campaign against America’s enemies - the Islamofascists, et al.
W hasn’t stopped abortion and no other Republican will either. Rudy may make more headway on cutting abortion as a leader who needs to prove his conservative credentials to his base than will a pro-lifer who is mostly talk and not action.
August 23rd, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Well done, Feddie. There’s another aspect to this as well. Just because Giuliani was good at being a mayor, even under catastrophic circumstances, *doesn’t* mean he would be good at being President - and doesn’t even mean he would be good at prosecuting the War on Terror. In addition to his quite estimable virtues, Rudy also has some vices - he’s often cantankerous and difficult in ways that might endear him to New Yorkers, but might not be so helpful as President.
To tell the truth, he should be the head of Homeland Security, not President.
August 23rd, 2006 at 2:38 pm
Yeah, the political judgment of those that trusted the soul of the fake and incompetent GWB are sure to be valued and trusted this time around…
I don’t see any lessons being learned from your faith in “real Christians” - basically you are begging to be cynically used once again. Good luck.
August 23rd, 2006 at 2:42 pm
I’ve also never understood why it is assumed that Giuliani would be good at prosecuting the War on Terror. That’s not quite the same thing as being mayor (even of NYC).
I’ve also always thought that he gets a bit too much credit for his performance in the wake of 9/11.
August 23rd, 2006 at 3:18 pm
Bob:
Anyone that can weave in lyrics from the Rolling Stones in to political (or religious commentary) is a friend of mine.
I share thy views.
August 23rd, 2006 at 3:36 pm
I do think Rudy was a very good mayor. But let’s not kid ourselves–when the planes hit the towers it was chaos and the lives saved were saved because of the heroic acts of the foot soldiers. The fireman, cops, and ordinary citizens on the ground. It is not like Rudy was pulling people from burning buildings. He was in power and fortunate to have so many good men at the scene.
August 23rd, 2006 at 3:42 pm
we flip flop as a nation….the GOP will not win in 08 no matter who we put up. its time for the flop..can you not feel it in your bones? we should worry more about taking and holding the senate and house so that we can lay the checks and balance on. Dubya has been a stinker i guess…hardly anyone has anything nice to say about him anymore so if he is such a bad prez whats it going to hurt to have one even worse than him….we need to worry about the legislative more than the executive
August 23rd, 2006 at 5:17 pm
Well said, William. Rudy’s statements in the aftermath of 9/11 were comforting; his attendance at counteless funerals is also worthy of praise. However, these things do not qualify him to be president.
Not that it matters, but I still can’t believe that Time picked him as its Person of the Year in ‘01.
August 23rd, 2006 at 6:53 pm
Given the numbers involved, isn’t this country’s 40+% divorce rate a far bigger threat to the institution of marriage?
August 23rd, 2006 at 7:00 pm
sfclerk-
I am not sure whether it is a bigger threat, but it certainly needs to be addressed. I’ve noted several times that supporting traditional marriage requires more than simply opposing gay marriage, i.e., repealing no-default divorce laws, supporting covenant marriages, etc. I almost made this point in the post, but it really wasn’t the primary topic of concern, so I did not include it. Perhaps, I should have.
In sum, your point is well taken.
August 23rd, 2006 at 8:08 pm
That’s why I continue to read your website, Steve — a lot of anti-gay marriage commentators refuse to acknowledge or pooh-pooh the threat divorce poses to the institution marriage.
August 23rd, 2006 at 8:18 pm
“What strikes me most about the Anchoress’s reasoning is that it is based almost entirely on emotion.”
Steve, I’m certain the Anchoress is quite capable of defending herself but I didn’t see her defense of Rudy as purely subjective. Most of us are aware of his (quantitative) accomplishments prior to 9/11. That said, I don’t particularly care for his personal moral positions as noted. Then there’s his cheesy motivational speaker gig. But, if the tide rolls in his favor and he becomes the Republican candidate…I sure ain’t votin’ for the dem. The “perfect” candidate has already been here and will be returning at an undisclosed time and place in the future. Until then, I may have to settle for an imperfect Republican candidate. Here’s a nugget on Rudy from the Sept Atlantic…
“…as a lawyer in 1992, he saw smoke coming from a historic church and rushed in to save a priest. He then saw some thieves taking a candelabrum off the altar and yelled, “Put that f***ing stuff down!” This is Rudy on Rudy, so we commend him—even admire him—for his honesty. And if all America were made up of reporters and New Yorkers, such foul-mouthed candor—“anti-evangelese,” one might call it—would serve him well. But alas, much of the rest of the country is not so fond of jaded, thuggish, neurotic New Yorkers, particularly not as presidential candidates.”
August 24th, 2006 at 12:08 am
I like Rudy. I think he would be good in fighting global terrorism. Frankly I did not know he supported partial birth abortions–which is even more immoral than Greeks leaving babies in ancient times to die on mountains (many of those children were in fact saved by other kind hearted Greeks). Still, I would choose Rudy over Hillary or Al Gore.
It is true that most New Yorkers are jaded, thuggish and neurotic (trust me, I know). While I like Rudy’s leadership style, I wonder how he would do in a general election. I like John McCain more than Rudy. Unfortunately, many Republicans hate McCain-Feingold (which I agree is a horrible law) more than helping to defeat the next Democratic candidate. So while I understand many of you disagree with aspects of McCain, consider voting for a candidate you can live with who can also win against the Democrats. Just remember we need to win in 2008.
August 24th, 2006 at 12:13 am
As for gay marriage–I still fail to see how it threatens my marriage. I am not for judical imposition (yes I am federalist on this issue), I don’t think it should be recognized by the federal goverment, and I think government benefits (what few there are) should go to married couples with children not married couples.
August 24th, 2006 at 2:03 am
Such short or selective memories here. After nearly being killed at Ground Zero, Rudy was the only visible adult leadership on 9/11. POTUS and Congress were in hiding. Don’t you remember?
His actions that day show the kind of instincts that I want to see in a President.
August 24th, 2006 at 4:06 am
“Abortion is the civil rights issue of our generation” That is true.
August 24th, 2006 at 10:17 am
There is no perfect candidate. While I do not agree all of Rudy’s views, I view him as the “most electable” thus far of the batch and the lesser of two evils compared to the Dems.
Rudy’s views on abortion, etc., is just one of many planks in his platform. I sure would hate to see those within our ranks (conservatives) undercut Rudy on a few (albeit important points) and then fragment the party come election time. Seems like I remember a guy named Perot who did that a few years ago and we got slick Willie. Keep it up and we’ll wind up getting his wife elected as well.
August 25th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
Let’s see; was it the second or the third wife Rudy dumped and forget to tell (the one who found out about the divorce on TV)? Still wonder he is unconcerned about the state of marriage?
Let’s see: killing the unborn, killing the partially born, and paying for it with taxpayers’ money.
And this guy thinks he can be the Republican nominee?
It is indeed a small and provincial world inGotham.
August 25th, 2006 at 7:11 pm
Tony:
Good points all. I seem to remember those now that you brought them up. It will be interesting to see if the electorate also remembers these incidents.
V
August 28th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
God raises up whom He will, and very often He uses the most flawed material to do His bidding….
Yes He does. But until I get a clear message from Him to vote for Rudy (maybe the Archangel Gabriel will show up with a “Vote Rudy” button), I’ll keep my options open.
August 28th, 2006 at 3:38 pm
Lessee,
“Senator Douglas may not be a ‘perfect’ candidate, but the fact that he’s weak on slavery doesn’t mean he’s not fit to be president. I sure hope that those single-issue abolistionist voters don’t tear apart the Democrat party and allow the Whig candidate to win.”