"Christianity is all about inclusiveness – it's built around the most profound act of love in human history, isn't it?"
The response --- *crickets*.
......................................:puke:
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Giuliani made a mistake by undertaking to tell these religious voters a bit about Christianity. "We've got to find a way to be more inclusive," he said. "Christianity is all about inclusiveness – it's built around the most profound act of love in human history, isn't it?" No one applauded. Some FRC types whispered to each other that it was a pretty odd thing for Rudy Giuliani to lecture them about religion.
Giuliani then began to tiptoe around the fact that most of the audience didn't support him. "I'm not going to pretend to you that I can be all things to all people," he said. "I'm just not like that." From there, he hit the low point of his speech. "You have absolutely nothing to fear from me," he told the audience. Like Larry Craig's "I am not gay," that kind of statement tends to make people think precisely the opposite. At that moment, it looked like Giuliani's appearance might be a complete disaster.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=N2ZhNmQ4YjE4ODk2MmY0MzJkYWJhNDNkZGIzYTA0NTc=***
Newsday.com
Giuliani to social conservatives: "Don't fear me"
BY CRAIG GORDON
11:00 AM EDT, October 20, 2007
WASHINGTON
Rudy Giuliani made an intensely personal appeal to social conservatives gathered here this morning, telling them their common values are stronger than their differences with him and assuring them, "You have absolutely nothing to fear from me."
He also acknowledged to the group: "You and I know that I'm not a perfect person, I've made mistakes in my life, but I've always done the best that I could to learn from them."
Giuliani did not specifically mention his differences with this gathering of "values voters" over his support for abortion rights and gay rights, or back off from his support of a woman's legal right to choose an abortion. But he asked the group to hear him with an "open mind and an open heart" and respect him for not trying to change his mind simply to win their votes.
"Isn't it better that I tell you what I really believe, instead of pretending to change all of my positions?" Giuliani said. "I believe trust is more important than 100 percent agreement. . . .I'm not going to pretend to you I can be all things to all people, I'm just not like that."
Those comments also amounted to a thinly veiled shot at Mitt Romney, who has had trouble connecting with some voters here because of changes in his position on abortion. Giuliani said instead he would always be "honest" with these voters about their differences.
It was a high-stakes appearance for Giuliani, whom many in the crowd regard with deep distrust over his longstanding embrace of moderate stances on abortion and immigration, along with his previous marital difficulties. The prospect of him winning the GOP nomination has even prompted talk of a conservative third-party candidate. Also, the Family Research Council will announce the results of a straw poll at 3 p.m. today that will show just how difficult it will be for Giuliani to win over these voters as he seeks the Republican nomination.
http://www.newsday.com/ny-usrudy1021,0,2253149,print.story?coll=ny_home_rail_headlines