It seems a lot of Republicans these days are urging Conservatives to "be pragmatic" and vote for Rudy Giuliani next November if he's the Republican nominee. "We have to stop Hillary!" we are told, and that's true. However, if the Republican party puts Giuliani forward as their candidate, election day will find me going straight home after work, instead of to the polls. And I'm not alone in that decision.

I'm not particularly religious. I don't care what James Dobson or his ilk have to say. They don't speak for me. However, I do hold myself to certain principles, one of which is that I won't cast my vote for a person who holds the wrong position on so many key issues. Some disagreement is one thing -- I voted for Bush despite his unwillingness to control Congressional spending and our borders -- but why would I vote for someone who hardly agrees with me at all?

Rudy Giuliani was tough on criminals during his stint as New York City's mayor, which -- imagine that! -- led to a drop in the crime rate. His response to 9/11 was sterling, and his reply to the Saudi prince who donated money for the families of those killed on 9/11 but blamed America for that atrocity was especially praiseworthy. Not many people get the chance -- or would dare take it if they did -- to tell a member of the Saudi royal family where to stick his money. Long before 9/11, Giuliani had terrorist leader Yasir Arafat ejected from a Lincoln Center event for world leaders. As President, Giuliani would probably be fairly tough on terrorists and would-be terrorists, and would likely continue Bush's policies of tapping our enemies' phone conversations and aggressively interrogating them when captured. Also, Giuliani is unlikely to let Congress raise taxes on businesses and punish individuals for making "too much" money.

But that's about as far as my admiration for Rudy Giuliani goes. Because, to paraphrase an old book I read once, what's the point in winning against the global jihad if America loses it soul? It's an important issue, perhaps the most important issue, but not the only issue. It's not enough just to beat the enemy. What are we fighting for, at that point?

Rudy Giuliani believes Americans have a "right" to abortion. He does not, however, believe in our right to "keep and bear arms," at least not without government oversight and control (which pretty much removes the purpose of that right altogether). He also believes non-Americans have the "right" to sneak into our country, violate our laws, and get rewarded by permission to stay... a glaring exception to his "tough on crime" stance, in my opinion.

Giuliani has stated he will only appoint originalist Justices to the Supreme Court -- those who believe the Constitution must be followed as written, not that its words can be "interpreted" to fit the reader's agenda of the moment. But the role of a President is much larger than that in any debate. The President of the United States has the biggest voice in the country -- arguably, in the world. How can anyone make the case for the protection of innocent life, the preservation of our most sacred rights, and the prosecution of anyone who violates our immigration laws when he doesn't really believe in those things himself? At best, Giuliani's speeches on those subjects would seem forced and weak -- full of caveats, backtracking and wavering. Sensing his lack of direction and determination on those issues, Congress would fail to follow his lead. President Giuliani would never get a truly originalist Justice through the Senate, despite his promises to nominate them.

If I'm faced with the choice between a pro-abortion, anti-gun, pro-illegal immigrant candidate with an "R," or a pro-abortion, anti-gun, pro-illegal immigrant candidate with a "D" after his or her name, I don't really see the point in choosing one over the other. That letter doesn't mean as much to me as the person in front of it, and the principles for which he or she stands. Sure, one of them might fight terrorists more aggressively and keep the economy strong by not raising taxes. But for what purpose?

If Rudy Giuliani is the Republican nominee, we Conservatives have already lost the fight for America. The choice between Left and more Left is no choice at all.

Joe Mariani is a computer consultant born and raised in New Jersey. He now lives in Pennsylvania, where the gun laws are less restrictive and taxes are lower. Joe always thought of himself as politically neutral until he saw how far left the left had really gone after 9/11. His essays and links to articles are available at http://www.guardianwatchblog.com/