Idea of Giuliani victory results in third party challenger threat Michael Roston

Published: Wednesday May 30, 2007 Print This Email This With former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani leading in many national polls for the Republican Party nomination in 2008, some conservative groups are looking for ways to defeat him. One conservative activist has even threatened a religion-focused third party challenger if he wins the nomination next year, according to a blog post at the Christian Broadcasting Network. "From the moment Giuliani is nominated -- if they are stupid enough to do it next February -- a third party will be started emphasizing pro-family issues and conservative economic and foreign policies, and probably within a decade or two that 3rd party will be the dominant party along with the pro-abortion and left-wing Democrat Party," according to an e-mail written by an anonymous, prominent conservative activist. Excerpts of the e-mail were posted by David Brody, CBN News's Senior National Correspondent. At a weekly luncheon hosted at the conservative Free Congress Foundation, Brody also noted that a group called Conservatives For Peace was handing around a leaflet warning against a Giuliani nomination. "If the Republican Party nominates Rudy Giuliani as its candidate for either president or vice president, I will personally work to defeat the GOP ticket in 2008," the flyer reads. "If the Republican Party nominates him, it is saying to the American people that it has lost all purpose except the raw political desire to hold power. It will be time to put the GOP out of its misery." Brody puts these warnings in perspective, but still suggests they are notable. "Look, this group isnt a Focus on the Family or a Family Research Council but it gives you a sense of how some are already plotting to destroy Giuliani," he writes. Giuliani's campaign did not reply to RAW STORY at press time. Recent polls from Rasmussen and Zogby show Giuliani leading nationally in the Republican race for the 2008 nomination. However, a collection of polls by the New York Sun's Latest Politics shows that the New York Republican's lead is less commanding than it was earlier in the year. And some polls for early important primary states show Giuliani falling behind some of his competitors. Poll numbers posted at Election Central from American Research Group, Strategic Vision, and the Des Moines Register all show Giuliani behind either Arizona Senator John McCain or former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Giuliani's support among Republicans may be softening as his stances on social issues become better known to many in the party's base. "If we dont find a way of uniting around broad principles that will appeal to a large segment of this country, if we cant figure that out, we are going to lose this election," he warned in a May 11 commencement speech at Houston Baptist University, which came after his positions on abortion and other issues were teased out in the first Republican primary debate.



