The Giuliani slide

Rudy Giuliani's risky strategy of ignoring the opening acts in the presidential race to concentrate on Florida may still pay off (although the recent polling in the Sunshine State indicates otherwise). But the trend in a series of L.A.Times/Bloomberg national polls underscores the price he's paid for his unorthodox maneuver.

Giuliani led in all four similar surveys conducted last year when Republican-leaning voters were asked their preferences among the party's White House candidates. In April, he was backed by 29% of those polled; in June, 27%; in October, 32%.

By early December, though, his decision to focus on Florida -- which reduced his visibility at a time when the main political playing fields were in Iowa and New Hampshire -- began to erode his standing. He still led in a Times/Bloomberg poll, but just barely, with 23%.

Now, in a new survey, he runs fourth, with 15%.

At one time, Giuliani touted himself as the Republican who would have the widest appeal in the most places in the general election. But running a primary campaign so dependent on one state hardly bolstered that argument.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Keith]

Sometimes "thinking out of the box" puts you in one.

[politicalsanity]

The problem with Rudy Guiliani's campaign was/is that the more you find out about him, the less you like him. He's basically running on a single issue-- that he was the Mayor in charge when 9/11 happened. That allegedly now makes him an expert on terrorism-- unless you happen to be a literate individual, who can then easily discover that Rudy really doesn't know much about his key issue.

He panders to the idiots. Fortunately, it seems like people are not as idiotic as he thought.

[Erik]

If you look into the polling process, they don't even mention all the candidates names. Ron Paul is left off the list! No wonder many people don't even know about him. How is it he can take 2nd in Nevada, beet Guiliani and Thompson in most races and he's still not even mentioned in the polling questions? Yet Guilani and Thompson are listed! He has more money than every other candidate, and it has been raised by regualr people, not rich corporate doners.