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Could Rudy Giuliani Become President in 2008?
Rudy Giuliani has risen from the ashes of the 9/11 tragedy in New York City to become a true contender for the presidency in 2008. His charismatic style and forthright nature make him a formidable candidate in the Republican primary race. While some view him as having a slim chance of beating John McCain, others feel that the former New York City mayor has enough support and political savvy to deny McCain the Republican nomination once again.
Giuliani openly holds to some conservative ideals such as cutting taxes and protecting family values but has often taken more liberal leaning stances on issues such as abortion, welfare reform and improving education. In his efforts to balance the NYC budget, he held law enforcement and education jobs as being off limits for budget cuts. Some see his moderate stances as his one big weakness in the nomination process given the current climate within the Republican party. Others hold that with the results of the recent mid-term elections that he may have better chances than some initially gave him because of his more moderate leanings. As with all of George W. Bush's staunch supporters, he may find the general election more challenging because of that particular alliance.
First Lady to Commander in Chief?
Hillary Clinton regarded by some to be the person to beat in the Democratic presidential primary may have an uphill battle in front of her. The former First Lady turned U.S. Senator from New York has always had a strong level of support from certain factions within the Democratic party but has never enjoyed universal support from within the party ranks. She has been a strong force for campaigns on the bubble throughout her political careeer and her fundraising abilities are substantial enough that she has already declared that she will not be seeking federal matching funds in her bid to be president. What remains to be seen is will it be enough to put Mrs. Clinton into the White House in 2008.
While she is loved by many, she has an equal number of critics that describe her as being overly political and too willing to bend to the political winds. Her critics charge that unlike some of her early opponents in the 2008 presidential race, she has often hedged her positions to come out as close to not taking a stand as possible while still saying things that sound definitive. There is no doubt that Mrs. Clinton is a politically savvy person with the skills to win an election. Many credit her for the successes of her husband in his two presidential campaigns. Her ability to see the political landscape clearly and judge the most effective route for a campaign to take is well known and will be a substantial asset to her campaign. With heavy-hitters such as Barak Obama already declared candidates and possible candidates such as Al Gore as opponents, Senator Clinton will undoubtedly need to bring her political A-game to win the Democratic nomination in 2008.
