Jewish World Review Nov. 9, 2003 / 14 Kislev, 5764

Abe Novick

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Dump Cheney. Bring on Giuliani.


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | In Stuart Rothenberg's recent column in Roll Call, he seems to think Mr. Giuliani wants to be President in 2008 and suggests a few scenarios on how he should do it. Running for Governor of New York in '06 against incumbent George Pataki is one way to position himself. The other, is to run against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in '06. Both would be challenging battles that would take a lot of work, though, OK, not impossible.

On the other hand, President Bush could fill the number two spot on the ticket with Rudy and move the whole scrimmage line to the center-leftward several yards to include a broad base of Democrats who are completely unhappy with the field currently out there.

That would position Mr. Giuliani nicely and much better in 2008 for a shot at the Oval Office.

Meanwhile, moderate Republicans would cheer while many Democrats (including Rust Belt ones) would immediately see the addition of Rudy as perhaps the one Republican who has the magnetism to woo them away from a Party caught in the doldrums.

When Bill Clinton picked Al Gore to be his running mate, his ticket got a boost. When Al Gore picked Joe Lieberman, his campaign got a lift. And when the bumper stickers read Bush/Cheney in 2000, Bush got a hoist up.

Now President Bush needs momentum again. He also needs to broaden his base of support and reach out to the Reagan Democrats (today they could be called Zell Miller Democrats) who are looking at the nine Dems running and d on't see the candidate they want.

Futhermore, as Dick Morris recently wrote in The Hill and as Arnold Schwarzenegger's victory in California shows, the GOP needs to move away from the far right if it's to attract women, Hispanic-American voters and an overall more ethnically diverse constituency.

Vice President Cheney, while effective in 2000 and as the President's number two, doesn't need to go away either. He can remain in the Cabinet and as a close advisor.

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But elections have less to do with possible hurt feelings and more to do with winning. For President Bush, the move would be an understandable one.

States such as New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, all blue in 2000 would have a much better shot at becoming red in 2004. While the Republicans own the south and west, it's the northeast that consistently gives them problems. Rudy would challenge that precedent better than anyone and could bat home a corridor of conflicted, northeast voters*both Yankee, Red Sox and Phillie fans.

Besides, Dick Cheney carries with him shady negatives like Haliburton that'll still be hanging around his neck for one. Two, he's what you could call, "Your Father's Oldsmobile." President Bush has come into his own and has the positioning of incumbency that he didn't have in 2000.

All the while, don ' t forget where the Republican Convention is going to be held in 2004. New York. Having the former Mayor of that city and the man who led it by capturing the hearts and minds of the entire country up on the same platform, would be a reminder of the link they both share. A link to what has become a modern-day date that will live in infamy.

If Rudy wants to be Prez, then he should vie for the Veep spot. If Bush wants to win a slam-dunk, he should consider him seriously.

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JWR contributor Abe Novick is senior vice president of Eisner Communications in Baltimore. Comment by clicking here.



10/17/03: The American crabwalk tempo
08/13/03: Auh-nold and Our Comic Book Nation
07/25/03: "Failing celebrityhood
06/19/03: "Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" is as true as ever
04/09/03: American media becoming embedded with the enemy?


© 2003, Abe Novick