tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post1922612836105224569..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: Giuliani Pulls AheadIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-91927202959093274312007-02-27T17:57:00.000+00:002007-02-27T17:57:00.000+00:00Adam - In that case, yes, Guiliani's thoughts on g...Adam - In that case, yes, Guiliani's thoughts on gun control would be important. That has just decisively tipped the scale. I was pro-McCain (although hoping that a successful conservative governor would emerge) but felt so-so about Guiliani. Now I know I don't want him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-47400357676125294562007-02-27T12:17:00.000+00:002007-02-27T12:17:00.000+00:00yak40: except the Second Amendment didn't, while t...yak40: except the Second Amendment didn't, while the ban was still active. The Supreme Court haven't heard a Second Amendment case for 60+ years, so far as I am aware. That is why the NRA and other gun lobby groups care about this stuff. Additionally, recall that Presidents appoint Justices, subject to Senate approval, and those Justices get to say what the Constitution means. The recent trend is to support Federal and Executive power (although not exclusively). Given their interests, the NRA and the others are right to be concerned; whether you agree with their underlying premise, or interpretation of the Constitution, is another matter, of course.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-58118677074331809012007-02-27T07:49:00.000+00:002007-02-27T07:49:00.000+00:00Just read the so-called "Assault Weapon Ban" (new ...Just read the so-called "Assault Weapon Ban" (new or old version), it's a joke and just window dressing. <BR/>Banning purely cosmetic features, "ooohhh they're scary", - a real help to reducing crime, I don't think. Pitiful.<BR/><BR/>Then there's the second amendment that trumps this nonsense anyway.Yak40https://www.blogger.com/profile/10391635243252561168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-14912073427586143192007-02-27T03:17:00.000+00:002007-02-27T03:17:00.000+00:00Letterman - pull the other one. It's got goat bel...Letterman - pull the other one. It's got goat bells on it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-72262687031877464682007-02-27T02:12:00.000+00:002007-02-27T02:12:00.000+00:00PS Obama 08![yes i know what you think but you're ...PS Obama 08!<BR/><BR/>[yes i know what you think but you're wrong]Lettermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09572427955948494269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-57946988570418398972007-02-27T02:10:00.000+00:002007-02-27T02:10:00.000+00:00Dear Iain,Many englishmen before you have crossed ...Dear Iain,<BR/><BR/>Many englishmen before you have crossed the pond to try and understand the thinking of that great and weird country. Its a good punt, he's certainly the only Republican I'd vote for (if I could) but you're dealing with a party and a country that elected one of the biggest berks in recent history to run the country for 8 years. I fear its a guessing game that none of us can win. <BR/><BR/>Love,<BR/><BR/>LettermanLettermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09572427955948494269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-20716530113550153782007-02-26T23:07:00.000+00:002007-02-26T23:07:00.000+00:00Iain - I wouldn't say Guiliani, who I like for his...Iain - I wouldn't say Guiliani, who I like for his attitude to crime in NY and his resolve in beating it back, stands head and shoulders above McCain.<BR/><BR/>In fact,now might be a good time to have a man with military experience at the helm.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-45087855635280828592007-02-26T21:26:00.000+00:002007-02-26T21:26:00.000+00:00Adam - I went to the link. Many thanks.Adam - I went to the link. Many thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-76265050579628123442007-02-26T20:56:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:56:00.000+00:00Verity - no idea (it's probably out there somewher...Verity - no idea (it's probably out there somewhere, I just don't know where it is). There are all sorts of scholarships offered by all sorts of people, including the Universities themselves. Given that, according to wikipedia, his father later got into Harvard to study for a PhD, he was probably pretty smart.<BR/><BR/>I don't think that there's anything in his father's ability to get into the US that will reflect on him, particularly. Americans are pretty used to being around the American children of immigrants, for obvious reasons (although I don't know how many of them have been elected to the Presidency, to be fair).<BR/><BR/>As for the mudrassa thing, there is a Snopes link on Obama, which is interesting. Not sure if I am allowed to link in posts on this blog; if I am, it'll be below.<BR/><BR/>http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.aspAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-68453242742113601392007-02-26T20:38:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:38:00.000+00:00Adam - How did a Kenyan goat herder get the money ...Adam - How did a Kenyan goat herder get the money to attend university in the United States?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-810993951032317592007-02-26T20:25:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:25:00.000+00:00Anonymous; if you are looking for honesty to get o...Anonymous; if you are looking for honesty to get over Blair's lying, don't be looking to American politics.<BR/><BR/>Television political advertising: the enemy of intelligent thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-47052246727954117742007-02-26T20:22:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:22:00.000+00:00'A candidate you agree with 100%? I don't 100% agr...'A candidate you agree with 100%? I don't 100% agree with myself most of the time'<BR/>Giuliani <BR/><BR/>Honesty. What a breath of fresh air. After 10 years of Blair's lies it's like a drug and I can't get enough of it.<BR/><BR/>Go, Giuliani!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-72763665849336026022007-02-26T20:18:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:18:00.000+00:00Verity: his father was a student. Foreign students...Verity: his father was a student. Foreign students are very important to the cashflow of US universities, as you are probably aware (and God knows, they're expensive enough as it is).<BR/><BR/>His church are more like evangelical happy-clappies, I think (primarily they are a black church, but that's not unusual here; there are plenty of churches with majority black and white churches). I don't think that they would be construed as a 'black supremacist' movement, though.<BR/><BR/>As for the Religious Right, I don't meet many around here. My sister-in-law is from Kansas, though (and my co-bloggers are there) and I have heard quite a bit from them about the Religious Right. Kansas, you may recall, has had the switching 'evolution in science' wars over school education, which are directly fuelled by religious fervour.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-14190026425926804572007-02-26T20:13:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:13:00.000+00:00Hate to stag the issue but what is Daves policy on...Hate to stag the issue but what is Daves policy on guns.If this goes on much longer we'll all know more about Rudy's policies than Daves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-85516096851128704242007-02-26T20:11:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:11:00.000+00:00Adam - thank you for your detailed response.I thou...Adam - thank you for your detailed response.<BR/><BR/>I thought I read that Obama had owned up to attending a madrassa for three years? Is he disavowing it?<BR/><BR/>Also, although I didn't save it, I read about this church he belongs to and it is black supramacist.<BR/><BR/>And Keith Ellison was at some mega fundraiser for Obama. I dunno. He can appear to be as open as he likes, but I think there's something disturbing there.<BR/><BR/>How did an African goat herd get a Green Card to move to the US? I mean, how many goat herds were needed in Hawaii at the time?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-21881353866206254452007-02-26T20:08:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:08:00.000+00:00Verity:I meant that gun laws are up to the individ...Verity:<BR/><BR/><B><BR/>I meant that gun laws are up to the individual states.</B><BR/><BR/>Amendments 2 and 14 would seem to disagree with you, although that's something of a constructionist position to take.<BR/><BR/>The existance of a Federal "Assault weapons" ban (where an "assault weapon" is more or less defined as "a gun that looks a bit scary") and the federal ban on machine guns would seem to disagree with you, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-49830384615669153152007-02-26T20:01:00.000+00:002007-02-26T20:01:00.000+00:00Matt Davis - Re this "religious right", could you ...Matt Davis - Re this "religious right", could you let me know how many people belong to it, please? I lived in the US for years and never encountered this tribe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-37650163685566103722007-02-26T19:54:00.000+00:002007-02-26T19:54:00.000+00:00Anonymous: it's the great mystery. He is a low tax...Anonymous: it's the great mystery. He is a low tax guy, which is a big deal, and also law and order (which appeals to a fair amount of the GOP, although many of them prefer to bolster the police with their own ordnance, something that Giuliani didn't favour). The 11/9 thing was a big deal, though; ironic, seeing as all he did was say some brave-sounding words after a disaster, but that sort of thing resonates.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-36117966859458490732007-02-26T19:51:00.000+00:002007-02-26T19:51:00.000+00:00Gun laws aren't up to the individual states where ...Gun laws aren't up to the individual states where there is a constitutional issue at stake, Verity. Additionally, Congress in the 90s passed an assault weapons ban which recently expired; the push to restore that is a big issue with both sides of the gun debate. I don't think that the constitutional gun issue (ie, the President's ability to appoint judges) will be a big issue unless the NRA start to push on the currently conflicting circuit court rulings; that discrepancy can only be settled by the Supreme Court, but, regardless, the gun lobby generally act on the general principle that anyone with a bad record on gun ownership should be opposed. Thus the (rather silly) Kerry photo-op duckhunting last time around, to try to dull the effects of his record favouring gun control.<BR/><BR/>Obama's background has come under some attack (there was a scurrilous, and apparently completely untrue, story that he had been educated at a mudrassa). Also, he certainly isn't an inheritor of the 'black experience' as most black Americans experience it, but he has not only never claimed to have, he has actually said himself that he didn't. That can be an issue in the nominations, potentially, although again it would depend on who prominent black leaders endorse; in the general election it's not likely to be as important because blacks overwhelmingly vote Democrat regardless of the colour of the Democrat candidate. For the primaries, though, it'll be a delicate issue for the other candidates to grab the black vote from Obama without looking bad and alienating the black voters.<BR/><BR/>Obama's book is really very open about his life, by all accounts. Oddness about his background is harder to raise if he appears to be open about it.<BR/><BR/>I still don't think that he'll win, though. Mind you, Hillary Clinton is not very likeable (in the normal sense of the word 'like'; people just don't seem to warm to her). The other big candidate who is openly running is John Edwards, who is likeably and has also been massaging the grassroots for the last two years. It will be interesting to see how that goes; the primaries schedule also suits Edwards, as he's popular in Iowa, looks to do well in Nevada if that comes before New Hampshire as planned, and looks certain to win his home state of South Carolina (credit for giving me those observations to my co-blogger, paintchips, at The Crossed Pond; I am not as clued up on this stuff as he is).<BR/><BR/>Huckabee might be the conservative candidate for you, then, Verity. Of course, he's up against two Big Guns at the moment; I don't know if he can raise the necessary money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-83437298465142993382007-02-26T19:47:00.000+00:002007-02-26T19:47:00.000+00:00Perhaps you could explain exactly how, other than ...Perhaps you could explain exactly how, other than in name, Rudi the gun-grabbing statist is a Rebuplican?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-54286469300960923902007-02-26T19:45:00.000+00:002007-02-26T19:45:00.000+00:00One would never presume to understand the motivati...One would never presume to understand the motivations of friends in another country; but to a British conservative, who knows of Guiliani for three things (turning a liberal city Republican; zero tolerance crime reduction; 9/11 leadership) it is <B>bizarre</B> beyond belief to read of the most popular Conservative with a national following being described as left-wing. I guess that's why I'm glad I'm British, because if supporting gay marriage makes you leftwing, then this Tory of 21+ years activism is a lefty! I'm guessing that Republicans are in danger of "doing a post-1997" thing and deciding that the most important thing to do is trumpet the message that motivates their base; it isn't guys, it just isn't. Don't let La Clinton win!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-52237048352973338662007-02-26T19:33:00.000+00:002007-02-26T19:33:00.000+00:00Totally agree with you Iain, Giuliani is by far th...Totally agree with you Iain, Giuliani is by far the Republican's best bet and the only potential candidate who would decontaminate their brand from the damage done to it by the neo cons and religious right.Interesting parrallels with the Steve Norris for Mayor situation too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-19680124794758486892007-02-26T19:30:00.000+00:002007-02-26T19:30:00.000+00:00Not like the Clinton's-oh so pure.Not like the Clinton's-oh so pure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-88407563419440682792007-02-26T18:57:00.000+00:002007-02-26T18:57:00.000+00:00Adam - Doesn't anyone else think Obama's backgroun...Adam - Doesn't anyone else think Obama's background is peculiar?<BR/><BR/>Do genuine American blacks like him?<BR/><BR/>Trendy white "liberals" like him, of course. He's perfect. For example, I would be amazed if Susan Sarandon, Barbra Streisand and Tom Hanks hadn't already organised fundraisers for him.<BR/><BR/>But there's just something unsettling about Obama. His background is a little too exciting for my taste.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-50843783645051733902007-02-26T18:45:00.000+00:002007-02-26T18:45:00.000+00:00Pakistanis don't just shag their first cousins on ...Pakistanis don't just shag their first cousins on a whim. It's mandatory.<BR/><BR/>I meant that gun laws are up to the individual states.<BR/><BR/>As things stand just now, I would also go with McCain. But I am hoping to see the emergence of a successful, conservative governor. No matter what he says, Guiliani is of the left.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com