John Gizzi, the Political Editor of Human Events, writes on Rudy-mania.  Gizzi notes that despite Giuliani not having the most conservative track record on many social issues, Conservatives are jumping out in favor of the former New York City mayor.

Why?  Gizzi explains:

The most frequent reason cited by conservatives for backing Giuliani is what they perceive as his leadership ability during a time when terrorism is a critical issue. Michael Der Manouel, Jr., former California state GOP treasurer and founder of the Lincoln Club for major Republican donors in Fresno, told me, “The most important issue is: Who is going to protect our country? Rudy Giuliani showed what he could do in a crisis after 9/11. If our cities are burning, issues like abortion and gay rights — on which I do differ with Rudy — aren’t going to matter that much.”

Giuliani’s stances on social issues, according to most accounts I have read previously, were supposed to the death blow to a Giuliani presidency.  His position against an amendment banning same-sex marriage (I’m against an amendment too), his pro-choice stance and his weak second amendment stance are often cited as reasons one, two and three why Conservatives would never vote him out of the primary.  Add in Giuliani’s stance in favor of a guest-worker program, though it does differ slightly than no-border Bush, is also cited as a crushing defeat.

But what the naysayers do not seem to understand is exactly what Jim Geraghty wrote in his book entitled ‘Voting to Kill: How 9/11 Launched the Era of Republican Leadership‘ and wrapped succintly by Manouel above.  Those voted into office in 2002, 2004 and 2006 by Conservatives were voted in mainly because of the war, not some imaginary litmus test created by the editors of the nation’s leading newspapers.

And it is just that key fact that Giuliani seems to be running on, according to Russel Berman, who writes: “Chiefly, he is trying to convince conservatives, at least implicitly, that social issues have to take a backseat in this election and that he is the candidate with the strongest record on key economic and security policy matters.”

When compared with the other GOP frontrunners, you’ve got a man who presided over an attacked city turning back a check from Saudi Arabia versus a senator who sponsored legislation for a detainee bill of rights.  It matters not to me whether Giuliani personally believes in same-sex marriage, that’s for the states to decide, and they have. It does, however, matter to me that in this time there is a leader of this great nation that can successfully narrate both foreign policy and strategically navigate the fields of doubt, both allied and other.

For all of Giuliani’s faults, his strength in the key area of concern for those of us who recognize there is a war raging is enough for us to support him.  Despite the political punditry not recognizing this fact, it really is just that simple, and there’s no question that realization is what Geraghty noted all too well.