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DEL.ICIO.USHandicapping ‘08: The twins like Giuliani-Thompson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Black brothers, Earl and Merle, have become the chroniclers of the South’s rising political importance and its shift toward Republicanism. In their latest book, “Divided America: The Ferocious Power Struggle in American Politics,” they take a broader view of how regions figure in the razor-thin balance between the two parties.
The politically scientific brothers gave a summary of their latest research at an Emory-sponsored breakfast Wednesday.
Earl, who teaches at Rice, and Merle, who teaches at Emory, still see the South as the most significant region in terms of its growing size and importance to the elctoral fate of the GOP. But since the Northeast and Coastal West have swung to the Democrats, they argue in this book, the swing region - the one most critical to the outcome of the next presidential election - has become the Midwest.
One of the features of this hair-trigger politics, Earl noted, is that practically everybody is frustrated with the results. And that brings the subject to the next election.
The Blacks didn’t attempt to predict the outcome of next year’s presidential election, but there is one potential ticket that makes sense to them. Rudy Giuliani, they note, would be the first Italian Catholic Republican presidential candidate, and as such would have appeal to a crucial Midwestern and Northeastern demographic. But they think he would need an acceptable running mate to keep evangelical Protestants and/or Southerners in the fold, and former U.S. senator and actor Fred Thompson - who has polled big since dangling the possibility of a hat-throw - would be just the ticket.
Now let the debate begin on which Democratic ticket would best offset that one.
Comments
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By E T F
March 28, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this
I am a progressive liberal voter and have generally voted for thet Democratic candidate, though not always.
The best Democratic candidate to offset Rudy / Fred will not include Hillary Clinton.
By KR
March 28, 2007 1:21 PM | Link to this
I don’t know that Giuliani can claim Catholicism these days, given his personal history of adultery and divorce. I’m still waiting for someone to explain to me how being Mayor of New York City prepares someone to be President of the United States. At best, Rudy should be the VP candidate. A more appropriate place would be a run for the House of Representatives.
At this point, I like Thompson on the right and Richardson on the left. But that’s all subject to change over the next 18 months…
By snd
March 28, 2007 2:10 PM | Link to this
Obama/Warner on the Dem side
By John Furman
March 29, 2007 7:21 PM | Link to this
Giuliani with any running mate other than Satan or Newt Gingrich will be a certain landslide winner in the electoral college. Don’t believe me? Try and find 270 votes for Hillary or Obama without New York state — Rudy is far more popular there after 9/11 than he was before when he was still twice able to defeat Democrats for the heart of relatively liberal New York City, then factor in the fact that upstate New York is 6 million more votes that vote much more conservative than NYC and Giuliani is the hands down winner in New York state. That said, I think that a Giuliani-Thompson ticket would all but take care of the need to campaign in the South, allowing Giuliani to sew up the substantial leads he is already posting over HRC or Obama in swing states that Bush lost such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This election is already decided with Giuliani winning in a LANDSLIDE.