Commentary
-
Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a Rudy Giuliani fan. I grew up in New York City, so I absolutely remember the post-9/11 Rudy love – well-deserved, in my opinion – but in more recent years he seems to have developed the moral compass of a garden slug.
Should Rudy Giuliani be indicted for his many, many crimes – including lobbying a foreign government for support perjury and conspiracy to subvert the united states government? Yes. He should. The man should be in jail.
What he shouldn’t be – and here is where my opinions differs from many liberals, including a number of prominent late-night hosts – is a laughing stock.
Early on in this clown show, sure, Rudy’s antics were moments of high hilarity. There’s the sweaty hair dye moment, the unfortunate in-court flatulence, the press conference at definitely not the Four Seasons he intended…it’s all ridiculous, the stuff I’m sure Stephen Colbert’s writers dream about at night.
It’s silly but as time goes on, it becomes increasingly not really funny. During the January 6 hearings, one tidbit that came out that was much harped-upon by the press was press on both sides was Giuliani’s supposed drunkenness on Election Night, a state that allegedly inspired him to push Trump to declare that he had won the election thereby setting the foundation for the later insurrection.
Based on a virtual mountain of circumstantial evidence, and with the caveat that I am in no way, shape or form a lawyer I am still inclined to believe these statements. I am inclined to believe that Giuliani has committed many illegal acts. I’m also inclined to believe that he was drunk during many of these events.
I’m inclined to believe this because Rudy Giuliani is visibly struggling with substance abuse, based both on anecdotal evidence and what we see before our own eyes.
Rudy himself has denied claims of alcohol abuse, repeatedly saying that he does not have an problem, but where there’s fire, there’s fire. Isn’t that the expression?
So rather than looking at Rudy as a walking, talking punchline, I think we should view him – both now and in future recollections – as a man suffering from a deadly and progressive disease one that damages the brain and interferes with its communication pathways. As with any alcoholic, Rudy Giuliani deserves empathy and his deserves treatment – and said treatment, incidentally, doesn’t usually include access to high level governmental officials and information. It also doesn’t preclude culpability – and in this case, there’s a great deal of that.
The story of Rudy Giuliani is still on-going but I have a feeling that when the history books are written, his tale will not be a comedy of butt-dials and newsroom rantings, but rather a tragedy – one that we all watched play out with our own two eyes.
-
Careful Left, campus protests will end up benefiting Trump
Protests against the Israel-Hamas war have flared up at universities across the United States and around the world. Some universities resorted to calling the police to break up larger protests, leading to mass arrests at places like the University of Southern California and the use of tear gas in Florida, among others. At the University…
-
Portraying far-left and far-right as equal in ‘Civil War’ is wrong
The movie “Civil War,” which depicts Texas and California seceding from the nation to wage war on Washington, D.C., reflects a what-if scenario fueled by memories of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. But as the presidential election looms, discussions about civil war have moved beyond theoretical debates to become a serious consideration among some voters.…
-
Why I doubt Trump will be convicted in hush money case
Donald Trump is the first former president to face trial on criminal charges. In the first of potentially four trials, Trump entered a plea of not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. These charges stem from a $130,000 payment made to the adult actress and stripper Stormy Daniels, which aimed to keep her…
-
Political comedy has a role to play in Gaza
Political comedians in the U.S. have sometimes struggled to cover the war in Gaza, which has been defined by tremendous human suffering and high political polarization, none of which seems particularly funny. Comedian Ramy Youssef attempted to tackle some of those issues in an opening monologue of a recent “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) episode. Straight…
-
Republicans don’t care about female voters
Women make up the largest demographic among registered voters in America and consistently participate in elections, with over 68% turning out to vote in the 2020 presidential election. Some political analysts suggest that with the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion has become a key issue among voters, benefiting Democratic candidates. However, in the…
Latest Opinions
-
EVs could kill AM radio, Congress wants to save it
-
Election workers concerned for safety, Trump unveils plan to monitor polls
-
Second Boeing whistleblower alleging safety issues dies suddenly
-
Haunting and cryptic video aims to lure more to join US Army
-
US says Russia is using banned choking agent in attacks on Ukraine
Popular Opinions
-
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.