Editorial: Giuliani could hurt McCain

If Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are such good friends, the last thing Giuliani should have done was endorse the senator's bid for the presidency. McCain is having a tough enough time convincing Republican conservatives that he's the right kind of conservative, which, according to the party's right-wing core, Giuliani is not.

The right is right about Giuliani. The man who was one of the Big Apple's most successful mayors owes much of that success to public policy positions that can't be described as anything but liberal.

Whether it was gun control, immigrant rights or gay rights, the mayor was in league with the left. He rarely cozied up to conservative Republicans because, first, there aren't that many in New York City, and second, his ideological instincts tilt left of center, not far right.

McCain's problem with those go-to-meeting Republicans — that is, true conservatives — has been his persona as a maverick. The senator and Vietnam War hero revels in that status, and often seems to take heady delight in taking on the ideological high priests of his party.

For example, his participation in a bipartisan Senate group that achieved compromise regarding confirmation of judicial nominees is unforgivable in the eyes of a majority of activist Republicans.

His "Straight Talk Express" campaign theme is fueled by his personal stances on hot-button issues, not on the national Republican platform. His frequent straying from dogma infuriates party faithful, many of whom do not trust the man who has emerged as the Republican front-runner in the presidential race.

Whether the endorsement from a-tad-too-liberal Giuliani will derail McCain's train remains to be seen. In some circles, the friendship between the two competitors is admired, politics aside. That's a vital element in McCain's appeal.

And even the most blinder-clad anti-McCain Republicans must realize that the senator's genuine maverick streak has gained reliable support beyond his party — among independent voters, for example.

And that's what wins national elections.

Tags: opinion, editorial, forum, communications, john, mccain, rudy, giuliani