Rudy Corleone
by Ryan Sager
Sun, 8 Apr 2007 at 6:06 PM
updated Sat, 7 Apr 2007 at 4:28 PM
Newsday wants to make a big deal out of the fact that Rudy Giuliani makes references to the mob, and particularly to the mob as it exists in popular culture, in his campaign. The concern, of course, is that a candidate looking to become the first Italian-American president might not want to associate himself too closely with what Newsday refers to as "the darkest stereotypes of his heritage."
However, I would argue quite the opposite.
The organized-crime issue is there. But Mr. Giuliani has a pretty good record of going after the mob as a federal prosecutor and in New York.
Given that, I think he can afford to defuse/cash-in-on the organized-crime issue by making some jokes about "The Godfather" and "The Sopranos." Mob movies are a staple of American popular culture. (For instance, see HBO in about ... three hours.)
What's more, while Americans might not like the mob as it exists in real life (those few in the cities that have actually had to deal with mob violence and corruption), the characters in our mob dramas are certainly "heroes," seen as upholding their own version of morality.
Rudy as Tony Soprano or Vito Corleone might not be what a traditional political consultant might go for, but given the tough guy image on which Mr. Giuliani thrives, it could actually be a plus.
The one problem: Too close ties to the mob in real life.
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