The only way that I will vote for Rudy is to keep from voting for a Democrat.

As for “warmongering” – maybe you haven’t noticed this yet, but militant Islam is an imminent global threat, and at least as dangerous as Hitler was in the 1930’s. Just as then, there are people who want to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that if they just don’t pay attention, then it might go away. But it won’t go away, just as Hitler didn’t go away. All that was accomplished by denying the looming danger was that it was allowed to gather strength; and that is exactly what militant Islam is doing today. Islamic fascists have made no secret of their ultimate goal: global Islamic domination, a world under Islamic law. They have also made no secret of the fact that they will stop at nothing in their pursuit of that — the deliberate killing of innocents, the infliction of torture and mutilation and brutality — all is fair game in the demented minds of religious extremists. And they’re far more dangerous than Hitler, because it’s only a matter of time before they acquire nuclear weapons; and they will have no hesitancy in using them. Unlike the Soviet Union, which was deterred by fear of American retaliation, the militant Muslims feel ultimately invincible, so convinced as they are that Allah is on their side and that they will ultimately prevail; and in the meantime if they are killed in jihad, they are assured paradise. So they feel they have nothing to lose in using the most extreme measures they can get their hands on, against America and our allies. There is no bigger issue of our time, and I cannot take any leader seriously who does not recognize that militant Islam must be permanently and decisively crushed, and that it is urgent that we start now. Rudy Giuliani seems to be the candidate who takes the war on terrorism most seriously, and he also seems tough enough to handle it.

In addition, I like his stance on most other issues as well. While militant Islam may be the most urgent threat, environmental issues are not far behind; and the health of our planet is far and away the most important long-term issue. (Yes, I voted for Al Gore.)

What I want is a president with the following positions on the issues: Very tough on Islamic terrorism, and strong on homeland security and national defense; very tough on crime; a strong stance in favor of protecting wilderness and the environment; willingness to confront the looming threat of global warming; fiscally responsible; moderate on gun control (meaning that he supports the right to bear arms, but favors legislation to keep assault rifles out of the hands of nutcases); generally in favor of abortion rights; moderate on gay rights (meaning, in favor of gay civil unions, but opposed to gay marriage); moderate on illegal immigration; moderate on social welfare issues. I am strongly in favor of our basic civil liberties such as freedom of religion and freedom of speech; but I fully realize that we cannot successfully win a domestic fight against terrorism while crippling the FBI and CIA and preventing them from gathering information on possible terrorist activities. If we are unwilling to sacrifice any of our privacy or personal convenience for the sake of fighting terrorism, then this society could descend into chaos as domestic terrorism spreads; and then all our rights will be forfeit. (However, “terrorism” should be so defined as to include only real violence and harm to people, or the real threat of that.Groups that specifically refrain from actual violence on ideological grounds — such as the Animal Liberation Front or ecological groups that engage only in vandalism or sabotage of property — are not “terrorists” by any reasonable definition.) I would also like a candidate who favors a large investment into real scientific research, as opposed to these silly “send a man to Mars” schemes. Any investment in science is returned manyfold in technology and improvements to our quality of life. More importantly, learning about the universe is part of our unique purpose and destiny as humankind.

So far, it looks like Rudy Giuliano is my best choice for president. He seems to support most of the positions I listed above, so he has my support. The only thing I can imagine that I’d like better at this point would be a Giuliano/Schwarzenegger ticket. Unfortunately, Arnold Schwarzenegger can’t even run as a vice presidential candidate until the unfair prohibition against foreign-born presidents is removed from our law books. But both of these men are bold and independent thinkers who dare to take a stand on the issues, regardless of how the rest of their political party is inclined. And that kind of courage and integrity wins my respect. I could not care less how they conduct their personal lives or marriages. I admired Bill Clinton, no matter whom he was or was not having an affair with. John Kennedy had affairs, too. So what? I don’t think those personal matters are any of our business, and impeaching Clinton for that was a total farce. As far as I can tell, Mr. Giuliani and his wife of several years are very happy together. But in any case, his marriages are not really any concern of mine. I want someone as president who can boldly lead and defend this nation. In the end, that’s all that really matters. And I believe Rudy Giuliano is that man.

The author of this article is right about one thing, though: Mr. Giuliani probably does not hold much appeal for people who are stuck on either the extreme liberal end of the political spectrum, or those who are stuck on the extreme conservative end. But those of us who are not stuck on either of those two extremes can perceive a smart, bold, independent thinker in Mr.Giuliani. And it’s about time for an American leader like that.

P.S. For a much needed wake-up call on the global threat of militant Islam:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/
http://www.memri.org/
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
http://www.militantislammonitor.org/
http://www.danielpipes.org/
http://www.dhimmitude.org/
http://www.anti-cair-net.org/
http://www.meforum.org/
http://www.6thcolumnagainstjihad.com/
http://www.camera.org/index.asp
http://www.dhimmitude.org/
http://www.campus-watch.org/