The fact he has to say this tells you he has some major problems.
Schneider: I'm one of you, Giuliani tells conservativesPOSTED: 7:07 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007
By Bill Schneider
CNN Senior Political Analyst
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rudy Giuliani spoke to a convention of conservatives Friday. Is that like a vegetarian speaking to a convention of cattle ranchers?
No. The former mayor of New York got a noticeably warm reception from conservative activists who are supposed to be his critics.
I'm one of you, Giuliani told the crowd.
"You really represent a new generation of the Reagan revolution," Giuliani told those attending the Conservative Political Action Convention in Washington. "I consider myself very, very fortunate to be part of that.''
But what about those pesky social issues? Giuliani's views on social issues are decidedly left of a vast majority of those in the room.
"Ronald Reagan used to say, 'My 80 percent ally is not my 20 percent enemy,' " Giuliani told the CPAC delegates. "What he meant by that is that we don't always see eye to eye on everything. You and I have a lot of common beliefs that are the same, and we have a lot that are different." (Watch Giuliani rip into the Democrats )
Will conservatives buy it? It depends.
They know two big things about the former New York City mayor. One is security. He's tough and decisive -- the 9/11 image.
But he also supports abortion rights and gay rights -- the New York City image.
If the social issues trump security, he's got trouble.
"The overriding issue has to be security, because that's what he's going to run on, and if he can make that work, then he's credible," The American Conservative Union's David Keene said. "If [conservatives] say, 'yes, but...,' then he's got a problem."
But security may trump social issues.
"Everyone I've talked to today has said, 'You know, I don't agree with him on such-and-such and such-and-such, but. . . ,' and I think it's the 'but' that's going to carry it," CPAC delegate Michelle Mead said.
It seems to be working.
"Abraham Lincoln actually didn't have to listen to polls on CNN," Giuliani told the CPAC delegates, but here's one Giuliani might want to listen to.
According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released earlier this week, Giuliani is gaining support among Republicans. His chief rival for the GOP 2008 presidential nomination, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, is not.
Last month, McCain and outsider Rudy Giuliani were pretty close in the Washington Post-ABC News poll. Giuliani enjoyed a 34 percent to 27 percent lead over McCain.
But in the poll released Wednesday, Giuliani is way ahead of McCain -- 44 percent to 21 percent. The poll's margin of error on questions about Republicans was plus-or-minus 5 percentage points.
McCain has a history of picking fights with conservatives. Giuliani does not.
"Probably Giuliani, because McCain has had a lot of run-ins with the right in recent years," Keene said. "Giuliani just hasn't been a part of it."
Some conservatives are telling Giuliani, "Welcome to the fold."
"The Roman Catholic Church maintains market share by accepting converts and they don't go around saying, 'five years ago, you were a pagan!' " said Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform. "They say, 'glad you're with us.' "
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/02/schneider.giuliani.cpac/index.html
