Irish Boy wrote:
Reader's digest version:
New York City was considered a lost cause or ungovernable by many before Guiliani took over. The drop in crime and the improvement of the city was an accomplishment unlike anything any other candidate can claim. New York City is practically a small country itself, and the 8 years he spent in charge were some of the best the city has ever seen. That may not all be because of him, but it certainly weighs in his favor.
I'm socially liberal, so the pro-gay marraige/pro-choice stuff doesn't bother me in the slightest. At the same time, I know that he has certain political convictions (not all of which I agree with), which will at the very least assure me that he will not merely be a bellweather (there's something honorable about running in the GOP and refusing to change your very unpopular opinions, unlike Romney). He's basically conservative where I'm conservative, and liberal where I'm liberal, and I know he believes in something (what do you think that Hillary or Edwards, for example, really believe about, say, the Iraq war. I mean really believe, not just posturing and poll-checking and whatnot. I haven't the slightest idea, and that bothers me.)
The only area where McCain loses me is the campaign finance stuff, but I'd be more than happy, because once again he's willing to tell the GOP voters who disagree with him that, well, this is what you get, whether on the war or immigration or whatnot. There's something quite honorable about that.
As a socially liberal person and an aspiring attorney I would think you would be troubled by the very real possibility of trampling on civil rights that a giuliani presidency is likely to continue from the current administration.