Monday, October 01, 2007

RUDY GIULIANI

A Third Party Bid if Giuliani Is the Nominee?

How seriously is the Rudy Giuliani campaign taking the reports that the Council for National Policy – a group of religious conservative group leaders – would back a third-party candidate if the pro-choice former mayor won the GOP nomination?

The Giuliani camp is spotlighting its most prominent social conservative backer, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, who stated, “Conservatives are rallying around the one candidate with the executive experience and proven leadership our country needs. Mayor Giuliani will be successful in the primary and the general elections because Republicans want a candidate who is strong on the Terrorists’ War on Us, gets fiscal discipline and can beat the Democratic nominee.”

They’re also happily noting that some poll results indicate their man is still doing rather well among religiously conservative voters.

Will that be enough? Are the leaders of these groups looking at the race differently than their rank and file? According to the account in the New York Times, Gary Bauer was urging caution to his fellow Christian conservatives on this step, noting that he couldn’t think of a “bigger disaster for social conservatives” than for Hillary Clinton to become president.

10/01 10:25 AMShare