British Conservatives would vote for Giuliani

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the overwhelming favourite of grassroots British Conservatives to be the next American President.  More than three times as many UK Conservative Party members opted for him than chose Senator John McCain.

These are the full results:

• Joe Biden: 0.3%
• Sam Brownback: 0.7%
• Hillary Clinton: 10.1%
• John Edwards: 2.2%
• Newt Gingrich: 4.6%
• Rudy Giuliani: 43.9%
• Al Gore: 5.9%
• John McCain: 14.4%
• Barack Obama: 10.1%
• Bill Richardson: 0.6%
• Mitt Romney: 2.3%
• Fred Thompson: 4.9%

All of the issues that make Giuliani a difficult choice for many Republicans - abortion, gay rights and gun control - are not big issues in British politics.  His tough approach to crime, fiscal conservatism and national security credentials give him obvious appeal with British Tories.  Many Brits will also see the 'Mayor of 9/11' as the kind of competent communicator that can begin to restore America's standing in Europe.  If 'brand Bush' is toxic for many Europeans many see Giuliani as the candidate as well equipped as any Democrat to tackle anti-Americanism.

29.2% of Conservatives opted for one of the named Democrat candidates - 70.8% opted for one of the named Republican candidates.  During the 2005 Tory leadership contest David Cameron declined to say whether he had backed Bush or Kerry in the 2004 White House race.  His defeated rival David Davis said he would have voted for George W Bush.

The ConservativeHome.com website polled 1,294 Tory members from 31st May to 3rd June.

Comments

[Graeme Archer]

I am less wierd than I like to think :-0)

[Matthew Robinson]

The more i see of Giuliani, the more i like him and the more he impresses me.
McCain's chance was in 2000, and i think it will be difficult for him to get momentum going again with a larger Republican field, than when his campaign kicked off. I was also pretty unimpressed with McCain at conference last year, i thought he looked very old and his speech was a bit wooden.
Giuliani stands out from the Republican crowd, and i think he's the only one who can beat the Democrats.

[Robert Simpson]

I was suprised by this result - I'd voted for Giuliani in the poll myself, but I didn't realise he was this popular amongst other Tories.

Having said that, I would vote for him with my head, rather than out of any enthusiasm. Policies aside, I most like Obama, though he doesn't really seem crunchy enough for the post-9/11 world. His policies are much too left-wing for me too.

[Simon Newman]

I backed John Edwards in 2004, despite not being a big fan of trial lawyers, and would probably do the same today, though Ron Paul is tempting.
Still, I think Rudy Guilani is definitely the best of the front-runner candidates; despite his problems. I get the impression his gut foreign policy instincts are Jacksonian populist, which is far preferable to the Wilsonian 'everyone wants to be free' idealism of the current leadership.
Guilani unquestionably would have the credibility and willpower to do the right thing and get the US out of Iraq, should he be persuaded that's the right thing to do, whereas all the Democrat candidates seem likely to be too scared of being thought 'weak'.

[Simon Newman]

A Fred Thompson Presidency though would be cool - he's from the same small Southern town as my wife! :) And he's not ideologically wedded to massive uncontrolled Mexican immigration the way most of the candidates are.

[tired and emotional]

I voted for Gingrich in the poll, but he's not running so I'm not surprised he doesn't figure more strongly.

I'd probably vote McCain if I had to pick a declared candidate but he does look to be fading. I'm not convinced Giuliani, though I respect and admire his leadership of New York, has a global vision of what the world should be like and how he would get America to lead it there.

The social issues on which US conservatives are judged are, for better or for worse, rather moot here as is pointed out.

[malcolm]

Guiliani, has the huge advantage of having had an excetive job where he perfomed well. Whatever his views on anything he is a competent manager which is something America and the world needs from a US president.
He has is also good in my opinion in that he as as I'm aware resisted to the temptation to make cheap insults about the British when he was Mayor of New York. A rare New York politician.

[Umbrella man]

McCain's speech to the Tory Conference last year didn't win him many friends it would seem.

[Edison Smith]

Why do British Tories necessarily feel they would vote for a US Republican?

Surely American politics is far more Right wing. It's a very different country, with a different culture in so many ways. In my view, The US Democrats are closer to the UK Tories than most of the Republican party.

I'd vote for Obama. New face, intelligent - and his best trait: He's not Hillary or Gore.

[Simon Newman]

UM:
"McCain's speech to the Tory Conference last year didn't win him many friends it would seem."

It was appalling - he sounded like Grandpa Simpson!

[Lindsay Jenkins]

Robert and Edison - I doubt you'd be quite as keen on Obama if his highly dubious property transactions in Chicago received the full tabloid treatment here. I'm surprised he has any credibility left in the US.

[Simon Newman]

Obama is one of those candidates who seem more attractive the less you know of him. Bit like the incumbent, really...

[Mark McClelland]

If I was a betting man, I reckon a good outside bet is a Fred Thompson vs Al Gore contest.

[Marcus MacLean]

None of the candidates, either GOP or Democrat, really get me enthused this time. I'd probably be happy with either Giulliani or Romney.

[Marcus MacLean]

I'm actually surprised Romney didn't poll higher - I think most Brits just haven't heard of him. It would be interesting to hear support for the candidates among UK Conservatives in proportion to their name recognition: for example, Giulliani and McCain probably both have near-100% name recognition among party members, whereas Romney's is probably less than 10%.

[Mark Bunn]

Having watched both the Dem and Rep debates over the last few nights on CNN, only Giuliani and McCain for the Republicans looked and sounded like a President, Romney looks and sounds a second hand car salesman, whilst all the others are right wing nut jobs,(Congressman Dan Tancrado of Colardo called Bush a "liberal"!!!!) whilst from the Dems the person that performed the best in the debate on Sunday night was Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, although I didn't agreed with everything he said he was straight talking honest and looked like a President, unlike the three "superstars" who are leading the Dem race, Clinton, Obama , and Edwards who just spoke in soundbites. On paper the best qualified Dem candidate is Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, but he peformed badly in the debate on Sunday for a second time and doesn't look like breaking out of the "second tier" of candidates. Biden does look like he could do it and begin to threaten the top three if he carrys on performing as he the last two debates.
With Fred Thomspon about to eneter the race for the Republicans, and possiably Wesley Clark to do the same for the Dems it makes it very interesting, and after all we are still some seven months from Iowa and New Hampshire.

[TomTom]

If "Conservatives" can vote for Clinton we have clear evidence they are off the rails.

[Richard]

Didn't he once defend the IRA?

[Conservative Homer]

Id vote Ron Paul. 911 or no 911 Giuliani is still a morally challenged media whore.

[Philip]

I agree with TomTom (0445PM) and would probably add Obama as one a conservative would have to be off the rails to vote for! Interesting some seem to be attracted to Obama because of his charisma etc - charisma and personality cult rather than a candidate's polices and ideas again?

Did Giuliani do well in this poll due to his 9/11 noteriety and therefore being better known here in UK? Is a Giuliani/Brownback ticket still being talked about? I would hope Giuliani would moderate his liberal views.

[TSS]

As an American, I think Cameron's answer was appropriate. It enraged a lot of people when The Guardian did the Ohio letter writing campaign in 2004.

I'm waiting to see how things shake out in the primaries before I start actively supporting one candidate. There are several that are acceptable to me. (McCain is not one of them.)

FYI, Joe Biden is the guy who plagiarized Neil Kinnock's speeches back in the 80s.

[Steevo]

Very astute Phillip. You've saved me from further comment :-)

[Jacob]

"Why do British Tories necessarily feel they would vote for a US Republican?"

I agree! As a 'European Conservative' I feel far more happy with the politics of Clinton and Obama. David Cameron is probably to the left of them.

[Simon Newman]

"David Cameron is probably to the left of them." - certainly in policies. My wife is an active member of both the UK Conservative party and the US Democratic party, some of the Democrats are to the right of most British Conservatives; admittedly some are also far to the left.

[Matt Wright]

Yeah I voted for Guiliani as well. Nice to be in good company,

Matt