Rudy Giuliani's First TV Message

And It Doesn't Mention 9/11

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 11.14.07 @ 02:18 PM

Solid effort. He does a number of key things:

He embraces the fact he's from New York while pointing out the common perception held by many Red Staters -- it was, indeed, a hellhole.
That of course, lets him brag about cleaning up the place, which made New York a little bit like the rest of the country.
He does all this without mentioning 9/11.
He makes another obvious point, but one often overlooked by candidates. He says he's not perfect.

It's not going to win him any fans in NYC. In fact, it's likely to drive them insane with rage and fury. But those aren't the people he's trying to convince.

4 Comments

By Bob | New York, NY November 15, 2007 08:41:08 am:

Rudy's credibility is seriously in question, when referring to New Yorkers, he states that in the past "the vast majority wanted to leave and live somewhere else."

How does he explain that New York has historically (at least within recent decades) had among the highest real estate values in the country while still having the highest income taxes in the country. People vote with their pocketbooks - and their votes sharply contradict Mr. Giuliani's statements. If he were to become President, should we expect him to continue to twist facts? The American people may decide that they have had enough of that.

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By robmeeker4 | New York, NY November 15, 2007 09:40:12 am:

Did you ever ride the subways in the 1980's? The platforms and cars were a graffitied mess, there was a constant parade of loud, unruly panhandlers to mess with you on your morning commute. At night, you would look both ways when you entered your apartment building, then at night you would be sure to lock the gates on your fire-escape window, since breakins were a when, not if proposition.
New York is exponentially better post-Rudy and he has a right to his claims. I admit it is now approaching blandness, but that is mainly due to economic forces.

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By allisonmac | New York, NY November 15, 2007 02:52:09 pm:

How refreshing to see an ad that reveals the truths that we New Yorkers have always known: most of Rudy's numerous accomplishments as our mayor came long before 9/11. Thank goodness for paid advertising...to tell the story the media won't write.

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By GEORGE | NEW YORK, NY November 15, 2007 02:54:17 pm:

There are many reasons for NYC's drop in crime--in fact Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, of Freakonomics fame attribute it, in part, to a liberalization of pro-choice laws some decades earlier. Fewer unwanted children=fewer unruly teenagers.

As a black man, life under Giuliani was an assault. We were under if not siege, then suspicion at all times. Rudy was a great apartheid mayor. But since a large part of this country wants de facto apartheid, perhaps Giuliani's hit-first-ask-questions-later deportment will carry the day.

One more thing. He was schtupping basically anything that moved in the late 80s and early 90s.

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