Rudy: Going, Going Gone?

By Richard Whalen | January 17, 2008 7:00 AM | | Comments (2)

New York’s former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a modern media pol, is running a curious, pre-TV kind of campaign.  He’s concentrating all of his time, energy and money in Florida – staking his entire presidential bid on Florida’s 57 winner-take-all delegate votes January 29.

It is as if Giuliani believes television only covers the Sunshine State and does not cover Giuliani’s rivals showing up for work in Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan. The end result in Tuesday’s GOP Michigan primary: Romney won, 39 percent, McCain, 30 percent, Huckabee, 16 percent. The supposed national superstar Giuliani finished last with 3 percent behind Ron Paul at 6 percent and Fred Thompson at 4 percent.

In presidential politics, all news is national, and if it’s worth showing on the tube, it’s worth fitting into the mosaic of national significance. To the viewer in Miami, McCain campaigning in Michigan is as forceful a “presence” as Rudy schlepping around a local Florida shopping center. A New York-based political reporter, assigned to follow Rudy everywhere, whispered to a visiting media colleague: “It’s a death march.”

Even in New Jersey where, a month ago, Giuliani was leading by more than 25 points, the Monmouth University/Gannett survey now shows that John McCain has taken the lead 29 percent to Giuliani's 25 percent.

Giuliani is desperately trying to put momentum back in his fading campaign all the while clutching his 9/11 card. Wearing the self-proclaimed title of “America’s Mayor,” Giuliani told a Sarasota audience January 14: “I was a mayor who was a change agent. Whether you agree with my changes or not, I think you’d have to say I was probably the mayor of New York City who, at least in modern times, brought about the most change…. Other mayors have done other things, I’m not taking anything away from them, but I had to make major changes.”  He did not elaborate.

Significantly, The New York Post (January 12) reports that Giuliani’s top campaign staffers are now working without pay and his national finance co-chairman, Roy Bailey has stepped down and is working back at the firm Giuliani Partners – further signs of a campaign going broke and going nowhere. 

    Comments

  1. You gotta love a guy who's not afraid to take on the pundit media types. One thing you can't take away from him is he never seems to be reading from a teleprompter. When you speak your mind you never have to remember anything! As the rest of the GOP knocks themselves out of the water and the process of elimination take hold I think people will remember why they had Rudy as their original choice to run as the GOP Nominee and circle the wagons around "America's Mayor."

    I also think American's love a good underdog story and that fits Rudy. People all over are dragging him through the mud now that he's dropped in the polls with daily attacks on him about the would of, could of, should of's of September 11th, something that is easy to do from the comfort of your couch. I admit I'm a bit nervous about his primary strategy so far I'm willing to wait and see.

    Just remember that if Rudy does take Florida, its a whole 'nother ball game my friends!

    Posted by: Miami Dave | January 17, 2008 11:21 PM

  2. When the going got tough Rudy got going. He was there when it counted at 911 and didn't run for the hills like all of our congress. Most of all, he didn't start crying! We need a president who knows how to handle a problem when it counts.

    Biggest Anti-Giuliani MYTH:
    9/11 is the only reason he's in this thing;

    Sure thats gotten him a lot of name recognition... But do you see mayor Ray Nagin running? No because when push came to shove all he did was pass the ball and blamed Gov. Blanco who passed the ball and blamed "Dub-Ya".

    Is he "Clutching his 9/11 Card"? No more than McCain is clutching his Vietnam record or Huckabee his "likeability" (I don't like the guy) Why Should't he mention September 11?! He was there!!! Were you?!

    On the Economy Stupid;

    As JFK and Ronnie knew, cutting taxes is the key to increasing Federal and local tax income.
    How?
    When the people have money they spend it and the increase business promotes jobs and more spending. The idea is so simple; politicians refuse to do simple things because they can't take credit for inventing them.
    Wake up! Rudy is the best choice.

    Posted by: John | January 17, 2008 11:38 PM

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