Rudy Giuliani signs youth's tee shirt at Iowa State Fair. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.
by Rick Pearson
While former New York Mayor Rudy Giulilani is stepping up his presence in Iowa, his campaign manager says the strategy is to, at the very least, stay competitive for the Republican presidential nomination in the early caucus and primary states heading into the "Super Duper Tuesday" states on Feb. 5.
Michael DuHaime, Giuliani's national campaign manager, said the frontloading of the 2008 caucus and primary calendar with big, delegate-rich states on the first Tuesday of February means that some old-school thinking --"that if you win Iowa, New Hampshire, it's over"--no longer applies.
. "We believe that you just have to be competitive and do well in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida," DuHaime said. Then, he said, on Feb. 5 there will be nominating contests in Illinois, California, New York and other states.
"They want their chance. That's why they moved up," he said. "And they're not just going to kind of ratify the decisions of the early states. They're going to want to have their own say in it."
DuHaime, a former political director of the Republican National Committee, was in the western Chicago suburb of Lisle, Ill., for the opening of the Giuliani campaign's Illinois headquarters inside a strip mall on the community's Main Street. The laptop-laden office's neighbors include a "Curves" exercise salon, a Chinese restaurant and a liquor store.
At the headquarters' opening, DuHaime repeatedly contended that Giuliani was the only Republican contender "who can make (Illinois) competitive in the general election." Illinois, which used to be considered a bellwether, has voted for the Democratic candidate for president in every election after 1988.
With favorite-son U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois a contender for the Democratic nomination, and likely to take a solid majority of the state's Democratic delegates, Republicans have been gradually focusing on the delegate contest in Illinois.
With Giuliani's socially moderate position in support of abortion rights an issue among some of the traditionally conservative voters who take part in primary and caucuses, the former mayor is thought to benefit in large-state contests with an ideologically broader GOP turnout.
But DuHaime maintained "the primary election is not going to be decided on any one single issue in terms of looking at whether he's a moderate on this issue, conservative on another issue."
"There are a number of single-issue voters and those voters are probably not going to vote for Rudy if they don't agree on that single issue," he said. "But there are far fewer single-issue voters then most people would think there are and especially, after now that terrorism being as big of an issue as it is, it's dramatically less than it was just eight years ago."
Still, supporters of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney contend that Giuliani is not the only candidate that can make Illinois competitive in a general election. They note Romney's Republican victory as governor in a very Democratic state.
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Comments
Rudy's Primary Plans: "Compete Everywhere"
Rudy has already got the Republican "crossdresser" vote sewn up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_90nRRoXK8
Posted by: John E | August 22, 2007 5:12 PM
So he's gonna spread fear and panic from coast to coast of impending doom and death if you vote for a Democrat? Good luck, deadender!
Posted by: jethro | August 22, 2007 5:17 PM
"THE DEMOCRATS CAN'T KEEP US SAFE" I'M A REAL MAN, UNLIKE THE REST OF THE GOP WONDER WONDERS"
I DON'T SEE HIM SHAKING HANDS WITH BABIES. I WONDER IF THERE IS A LITTLE I HATE THE KIDS IN THAT MENTAL BRAIN.
IF YOU CAN'T COMPETE AT HOME, HOW CAN YOU COMPETE IN AMERICA. HOW CAN HE ADDRESS THE CONSTITUTION WITH AMERICAN CONVICTIONS?
HE STANDS ON NO MORALS BECAUSE IF THE AVERAGE MAN DOES WHAT HE DOES, ITS A PROBLEM. IF THE AVERAGE MAN DIVORCES MORE THAN ONCE, HE IS A PROBLEM. SO WHAT MAKES RUDY GIULIANI QUALIFIED TO BE A PRESIDENT OF SOMETHING, LET A LONE SOME COUNTRY.
TOO INDIGNANT TO WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
APPEALING TO THE ELDERLY IS HIS ONLY PLIGHT TO ANY CONFIRMATION JUST LIKE JOHN MCCAIN.
WHERE IS THE REAL CAMPAIGN? NOT ONE GOP MAKES INFERENCE TO GEORGE BUSH. WHAT IS THAT, NO WHAT IS THAT. BUSH CAN'T DO NO WRONG, BUSH HASN'T DONE NO WRONG?
NO GUTS NO GLORY FOR THE GOP. GUILIANI HAS NO GUTS OR TRUE "GRIT!"
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 22, 2007 6:47 PM
So Rudy's plans are to just make a good showing in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, so it looks like he's competing and not LOSING. He's riding the wave of 9/11 and his large name recognition, but his numbers have been coming down. Romney's seem to be going up. It will be interesting to see what Romney can do with the lead in Iowa and New Hampshire and he's getting bumps in almost all the polls now, which he's needed. Fred will get in and may shake up the South races, but he's behind and looks the "lazy" part, so I'm not sure how well he really does. But i have to say, out of those 3, Romney seems to want it the most, he organized quickly with fundraising and team building in Iowa, that it chased off the frontrunners. Frankly, the organization, management, strategy and tactics that achieved significant results would be refereshing in the White House.
Posted by: MJ | August 22, 2007 9:16 PM
I know all this provides the news media with something to write or talk about, but is anyone else as sick of this presidential campaign as I am? When Ford ran against Carter, the campaign began after Labor Day...two months before the election. Here we are still 15 months out and if there's a topic they haven't explored ad nauseum, I don't know what it would be.
Back to the convention caucuses and the selection of candidates then. This whole process is ridiculous. And on top of that, does anyone think that the candidates on either side are the very best women and men this nation has to offer for the presidency? Is there an Abe Lincoln, FDR, Truman or Reagan in the lot? Yawn, yawn, yawn!
Posted by: Damen | August 22, 2007 9:59 PM
Damen, you are absolutely correct. The campaign has been going on for nearly a year already. Debate after debate so they can say the same thing over and over, or in the case of Hillary, one thing at one debate, the opposite at another.
Posted by: John D | August 22, 2007 11:07 PM
I really hope that the Republicans nominate this fraud. He claimed that he spent as much time at Ground Zero (where the World Trade Center towers used to stand) as the workers cleaning up the site. That claim was checked out and proven to be a COMPLETE LIE! By his own records he spent a total of 29 hours - most of it spent showing the site to visiting dignitaries. Most workers spent 12 hour days starting 9/12 and complied more time there by the end of the first week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/us/politics/17giuliani.html?ex=1345003200&en=40f6811aa96fc6f4&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
VOTE FOR THE LIAR!
Posted by: BC | August 23, 2007 11:54 AM