Soccer Dad

McCain doubts; rudy confidence

I haven't been a big fan of John McCain. I think he's something of a media opportunist. However David Brooks in The Character Factor, points out something I hadn't considered.

Other Republicans used to accuse him of kissing up to the news media. But when the Iraq war was at its worst, and other candidates were hiding in the grass waiting to see how things would turn out, McCain championed the surge, which the major Republican candidates now celebrate.

He did it knowing that it would cost him his media-darling status and probably the presidency. But for years he had hated the way the war was being fought. And when the opportunity to change it came, the only honorable course was to try.

McCain is still not my first choice, but Brooks does a nice job of making him attractive.

OTOH, my favored Republican, Rudy Giuliani has been doing the electoral math with primary numbers and his people like what they see.

The main point that DuHaime drove home is that Rudy Giuliani is the only candidate who will enter February 5th with a big block of delegates (201, or 1/5th of the total at stake) more or less locked down. If things go as planned, regardless of the outcome of the early contests, when the dust settles on February 6, Rudy Giuliani will emerge as the delegate leader in the Republican race.

When asked whether they could expect to go winless in the first three contests and see their leads hold up in places like Florida and February 5th states, DuHaime said that because of Giuliani's base in places like NY, NJ, CT, and DE, he considered those states "momentum proof."

That's why Rudy's not afraid of Iowa.

And no, Rudy doesn't have McCain's character. In other circumstances, perhaps I'd put character first. Right now, I still think that Giuliani is the candidate best equipped - based on past experience - to handle the threat of Islamism, the most important issue of our day.

john mccain, rudy giuliani.