Rudolph Giuliani is running for President based on the idea that he is the presidential candidate best qualified to deal with the threat of terrorism. Giuliani backs up that claim with a pure accident: He just so happened to be mayor of a major American city when it was attacked by terrorists.
That’s happenstance, of course. Being attacked by terrorists does not necessarily bring about effective anti-terrorist policies. George W. Bush’s complete failure to diminish the strength of Al Quaeda or capture Osama Bin Laden is a great example of that.
So, Rudy Giuliani clearly needs to back up his claims of antiterrorist prowess with some substance. His campaign gives him the chance to do that, but so far, Giuliani isn’t taking the opportunity to prepare an antiterrorism policy for if he becomes President.
I’m not just speculating when I say that. The proof is in Rudolph Giuliani’s 12 Commitments, the promises that he makes to the American people about what he will do if elected President.
Giuliani’s very first promise is this: “I will keep America on offense in the Terrorists’ War on us”. His tenth Commitment also relates to terrorism, stating, “I will ensure that every community in America is prepared for terrorist attacks and natural disasters.”
Well, okay, Mr. Giuliani. Those are nice promises. Now, where’s the substance?
The fact is that the Giuliani for President campaign doesn’t actually have any plan yet for how to follow through on those two promises to protect America from terrorists. On the web page of Giuliani’s campaign, these two commitments are displayed in faded colors to indicate that the policy plans to support Giuliani’s promises are not yet ready to share with the public.
Just five months before the first polls in the 2008 presidential election, Rudolph Giuliani still doesn’t have a plan for how to confront the threat of terrorism. With all Giuliani’s huffing and puffing about what a great antiterrorist President he would be, he ought to be able to back up his bluster with some demonstration of actual ability. Yet, Giuliani has come to the campaign completely unprepared to take action, should he become President and need to cope with terrorist activity.
Six years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Rudolph Giuliani still hasn’t organized his ideas about what to do about terrorism. His lack of preparation is bad enough, but what’s really dangerous for America is that Giuliani is not allowing his lack of antiterrorist preparation to stop him from bragging and making big promises.
In 2008, we need to elect a President who is prepared to take action, not just talk big. Rudolph Giuliani is not that candidate.
Well now that Bush has effed it up for the entire world, but leaving the next president to deal with it, i don’t see Giuliani as alone in this.