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a message to you, rudy

a message to you, rudy

Ruler of the Free World Rudy Giuliani has officially left office. How nice for him that he ended his tenure by collecting the Person of the Year award from Time. How nice that he leaves office with accolades and applause and reverence usually reserved for the Pope heaped upon him.

I know I said some nice things about Giuliani here before. But I only said that he was handling the crisis in New York well. That was it. Has anyone forgotten that before September 11, Rudy was having a public relations nightmare? He was cavorting with his girlfriend through the mayoral mansion while his wife and kids still lived there. He threw out details of his private life to the public and then lambasted the media for doing the same. He played shameless p.r. man to himself and practically dismissed anyone who didn't share his views of the world. He attempted to turn the seedy, loveable streets of New York City into some surreal Disney World and threw his own set of morals of convenience at the City by trying to shut down any art exhibit that didn't jibe with his views, and then form a "decency committee" to hand his morals down to everyone.

But now, because he was able to mobilize the city in its worst time, and because he is a showman and a man who knows how to work the media as well as an audience, he is going to be remembered as the greatest mayor who ever walked the streets of New York. I'm not saying he didn't do a good job in the wake of 9/11, I am just saying what about all the years before that? When people were calling for his head? When the majority of New Yorkers thought he was a misguided egomaniac? I'm not one to fall into the "what have you done for me lately" trap? While I quietly applaud Giuliani's efforts during the past few months, I will not rever him or honor him or think he is worthy of Man of the Year. He has done too much before September for his recent actions to wipe out a history of being a closed-minded, power mad buffoon comparable to Jesse Helms.

As my dad used to say, it takes about 100 atta boys to wipe out just one damn you.

Posted by on December 28, 2001 05:28 AM |

Comments

I always heard, since I do a form of customer service, that as a rule of thumb, people always remember ten negatives in relation to one positive. Maybe this rule doesn't apply anymore to Rudy due to the scope of the positive?

I think first and foremost, Rudy was a politician. He was never, ever a statesman.

Posted by: Todd | December 28, 2001 08:16 AM

Brian and I were just talking about that last night... I think what happened really saved his ass.

I don't begrudge Rudy the accolades, I think a man can be great in a moment of crisis and be remembered as a great man, despite his past indiscretions. That's why I'm so worried about Bush.

People are so short-sighted, though. I think only true cynics remember all the negatives.. (I can quote every wrong ever committed against me by friend and foe alike) but most people probably remember the last of a sequence of events.

Posted by: Candi | December 28, 2001 08:58 AM

and let's not forget that he's pushing for new (retractable roof)stadium's for the mets & yankess at $800 million each and the city will pay half... wow, what a guy... give, give, give... when will it end.

Posted by: frank | December 28, 2001 09:23 AM

let us not forget the pre-sept 11th focus on racial profiling, and police brutality. i wonder what amadou diallo's family and abner louima think of guiliani now. something tells me their opinions of him haven't changed.

Posted by: miss b | December 28, 2001 10:05 AM

Frank, don't even get me started on the baseball stadiums. I am a die-hard Yankee fan, but I am certainly not supporting spending the city's money on a new stadium. All we hear about is how the city needs our money, everyone come shopping in New York City! Help the economy! Blah blah blah. DO NOT BE FOOLED. This is not "good for the city" and it will not bring in extra money or pay for itself in the long run. The only thing that brings fans to stadiums is good teams. If the team sucks, the fans, no matter how first class the stadium or how lovely the retractable dome, will not come. And if the team is good, they will come in droves, which they would do anyhow if the stadium was new or old. I am SO against spending taxpayer money on new sports stadiums. Especially now, when there are so many businesses in the city left crippled by 9/11 who certainly could use some of that 800 million dollars to get back on their feet again. THAT is what will get the economy going. That is somethign that will pay for itself in the end.

Bah.

Posted by: michele | December 28, 2001 10:18 AM

You should've heard the fuss that Boston TV made on last night's news about his "disparaging remarks" regarding Boston's law enforcement.

Posted by: Keith | December 28, 2001 11:21 AM

Bring back Koch.

Posted by: roe | December 28, 2001 02:55 PM

i blame rudy personally for the ananda lewis let's go shopping in new york episode...the man has no heart.

Posted by: g | December 28, 2001 11:05 PM

i blame rudy personally for the ananda lewis let's go shopping in new york episode...the man has no heart.

Posted by: g | December 28, 2001 11:05 PM

Me, I've always been a rudy fan... does ANYBODY ELSE remember what New York was like before him? Say what you will, he more or less singlehandedly transformed a crime-ridden hellhole everybody wanted to leave into the finest city in the world... and having lived in several NYC "ghettos" in the last few years, lemme tell you: the people who bitch about overzealous police seem to be the ones who live in areas where policing is relatively unnecessary; the people living in previously high-crime areas are much too busy enjoying now-relatively-safe streets to complain.

LevcoS

Posted by: LevcoS | December 29, 2001 01:02 AM

eh, time man of the year is just an exclamation more than an award. it's to someone who made the most impact on news. they were considering bin laden for it. I think one year they gave it to Krustiev (yeah, i can't spell his last name..the guy who slammed his shoe on the podium at the UN) or a different soviet..i forget. But it's not really an acclaim but an adknowledgment.

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