Can She Be Stopped? By Rudy She Can Be

John Podhoretz is out with a new book on Hillary Clinton, Can She Be Stopped? Naturally, this begs the question of who best to stop her. His answer: Rudy. From the interview by visibly deflated Mitt groupie K-Lo:

Lopez: Rudy? Does it have to be Rudy?

Podhoretz: It doesn't have to be Rudy, but in my view he is the best candidate for the GOP. He remains wildly popular despite having made almost no public appearances in the past two years. His record as mayor of New York City—which one can plausibly argue is a job equal to being the governor of most states—remains the most extraordinary example of active conservative governance at the local level in the past 75 years. He is not a Washington candidate, which means he can separate himself from the congressional party's excesses and hijinks. Most important, he spent eight years as a liberal-slayer in New York, taking on every major institution, refusing to kowtow to the New York Times and the liberal media, and getting so much done that the city is still reveling in the revival for which he was almost solely responsible.

How about the MSM's favorite candidate?

Lopez: Why not John McCain? Why not an Allen or Romney?

Podhoretz: John McCain has too complicated a history with the social conservatives and activist groups, and is such a gadfly that it seems inevitable he will act in ways to divide the GOP coalition. Unlike Rudy, he seems to prefer making friends with liberals and attacking conservatives, and that's not a good stance for a party leader. I guess George Allen is a plausible candidate, but why is he at three percent in polls of likely primary voters while McCain and Giuliani are nearly 30 points higher? As for Mitt Romney, I just don't think the nation is ready for a Mormon president (and by the way, I say that as an observant Jew who doesn't think the nation is ready for a Jewish president either).

So, he's pretty much where I'm at. Rudy and McCain are the only "safe" bets to beat Hillary, and until Romney and Allen prove some serious mettle, they aren't worthy of consideration as Hillary-slayers.

And McCain, who is probably too old and won't get any quarter from his liberal "friends" when it's him vs. Hillary, is probably not as safe a bet as people think.

Buy a copy of Can She Be Stopped? today.

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