Has it crossed your mind that this may be an extremely rough primary in 2008? I asked him.
"It has, and it will be," Giuliani replied. But he also said he did not think the attacks would come directly from other Republican presidential candidates.
"I think more of this comes from the atmosphere in the blogging atmosphere, in the instant news atmosphere, and the minute analysis atmosphere," he said.
Is Rudy blaming bloggers for his recent bad publicity?
Rudy's recent problems have arisen from interviews he granted or speeches he gave.
The most damning information has come from YouTube videos, which merely give the voters a chance to hear Rudy -- in his own words. His primary problems -- the ones that have stuck -- have not come from bloggers scurrilous accusations -- they have come from bloggers reporting his own words.
Debate and argument are healthy for Democracy. And as a conservative, I am happy that we are having these fights now -- rather than in the General Election. Imagine if we didn't find out that Rudy Giuliani was in favor of taxpayer-funded abortion until two weeks before the Genereal Election. In that scenario, we could actually have a Republican candidate who is more pro-choice than the Democrat nominee ...
By going through this process, bloggers are ultimately doing two things:
1. Helping inform the voters to make a better decision regarding who best represents their values.
2. Ensuring Republican voters have enough information to nominate a strong Republican candidate who has been tested -- before going into a General Election.
Granted, not all bloggers are responsible. That's how free speech works. But the cure for our problems is more debate and argument -- not less.
Enough of the hand-wringing. Politics is tough. Get a helmet!