January 27, 2004

Oh my
Posted by Jon Henke

Well, I thought it was improbable, and I still do, but the noise level is rising.....

Will there be a Bush/Giuliani ticket in '04?

A well-placed source says that the president will “most likely” drop Dick Cheney from his re-election ticket and his first choice for a replacement is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“The issue of Cheney’s health will probably be given as the reason,” says the insider. “There’s a short list of possible replacements, and Rudy is at the top of the list.”

The source adds that the selection of the former New York mayor may be overridden by Bush advisors from the far right. “Giuliani has been pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and is pretty liberal on some other social issues, but the thinking is that he might broaden Bush’s appeal.”

If, however, Giuliani gets bumped from the ticket, says the source, “expect him to get a prime assignment in Washington as an consolation prize.”

Few comments:

* Pro - Giuliani is a very obvious Presidential candidate for '08....and Hillary Clintons worst nightmare. Four years in the VP chair would cement his credibility. I wonder whether he'd even have a competitor in the GOP race?

* Pro - Giuliani's credibility would make the Bush/Giuliani ticket very formidable. It'll be hard to criticise them for being unwilling to defend the homeland when Giuliani is on the ticket.

* Pro/Con - Giuliani, as the article says, is somewhat socially liberal. While one wonders how that will go over with Conservatives, it's not hard to imagine that might soften the administrations image in a way that Cheney cannot.

* Con - I don't know that even Giuliani could deliver New York State electoral votes to Bush. (though, it's not like Cheney is delivering Wyoming)

* Con - Didn't Republicans just nail a President for far less objectionable behaviour than Giuliani's detour with his wife, his girlfriend, and Gracie Mansion? There may be some 'splainin to do, GOP.

UPDATE: Jesse Taylor writes...

The idea of VP change depends on the delicate balance between ego, policy, politics, and whether or not Bush can afford the hit from blatantly wrapping himself in the dead from September 11th.
Well, you had me to the end...then, it just got dumb. Giuliani is generally regarded as doing a good job in the aftermath - does that mean nobody can associate with him from now on, lest they "wrap themselves in the dead of September 11th"? If Hillary runs in '08, is she allowed to mention anything about her role in the aftermath of 9/11?

Any Bush/Giuliani ticket would be a result of political manuevering - the GOP, after all, needs somebody to run in '08. If Giuliani and Hillary have more credibility post-9/11, blame the electorate for feeling that way...not the Party for responding to it.

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