Is Rudy Conservative Enough?

Conservatives may need to face some hard questions about Rudy Giuliani.  He could well be the nomination for the 2008 presidential race.  Here’s one question in play: “Is Rudy conservative enough?” 

What are his positions?  In a nutshell, he is fiscally and militarily conservative but socially liberal-leaning.  He believes in fiscal discipline, cutting taxes, winning the war on terror, being tough on crime, and supports school choice.  On the counter side, he is soft on the 2nd Amendment/gun control and some social issues (i.e, domestic partners and abortion).

Looking at Giuliani from the lens of a Reagan conservative, he is not the conservative caliber of Reagan.  Rudy has danced around some of the conservative issues and moved right during the campaign since being mayor of New York. With that said, let me say something controversial regarding Rudy Giuliani.

I believe there is room under the conservative umbrella for others.

Let me remind you, I’m a Reagan conservative–red, white, blue, and true.  I’m looking for a Conservative candidate that best fits the shoes of Ronald Reagan.  Rudy does not fit those shoes.  I am, however, willing to live with other viewpoints within the Conservative umbrella such as Giuliani’s.  Does that mean I need to agree with them?  No.  Does it mean I will support him in the primary race?  Very unlikely.  However, what if it came down to Rudy Giuliani vs. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the general election?

So, let’s return to the question, “Is Rudy conservative enough?”  The answer, for me, is a qualified yes–I will support a Reagan conservative first and foremost, but my umbrella is wide enough for Rudy Giuliani.  Of course, once he’s under my umbrella, I’m going to do everything in my power to persuade him towards my conservative positions.