So I checked out the contact info…

Long story short, I called the contact numbers and a got a “line busy” noise on both.

My guess is that it’s not a hoax and Rudy’s team registered both last year just in case he won and wanted to keep the same domain name for his reelection.

Or he’s incredibly ballsy and is already planning for a 2012 run.

Either way…the fact that this site is still live shows just how little Giuliani’s team knows about new media. They should have taken this down and put up a “Thank You” page for his supporters.

Weird.

This doesn’t surprise me about Giuliani, but Huckabee?

First Giuliani…

Then here’s a link to Huck.

Ugh.

From CNN:

Rudy Giuliani, former presidential candidate turned John McCain supporter, said Thursday that a Democrat could conceivably occupy the number 2 spot on the Republican presidential ticket.

“The reality is either way you might see something like that,” the former New York City mayor told CNN’s Kiran Chetry on American Morning when asked about talk of Sen. Barack Obama choosing a Republican like Sen. Chuck Hagel as his running mate.

Giuliani said he has not spoken with McCain about possibly choosing a Democratic running mate. “But, if you’re asking me is it possible in this day and age that you could have a ticket like that? I think so.”

Again, I’m not holding my breath, but if John did pick a Dem who would it be and why?

From Independent Liberal:

In snubbing Iowa and New Hampshire, you must realize that you aren’t simply ignoring voters in those early states. You’re snubbing the national press, which needs to feed off of these early momentum-builders to write their narratives and create their stories. If you don’t compete there, you get no ink. It’s that simple.

Perhaps. Or it might have been the false claims about his security services that were never fully exonerated. Or his three marriages. Or the fact that people just aren’t interested in 9/11 anymore.

Whatever it was, Rudy is done…for now. A VP slot would probably be extremely compelling for him and McCain, so don’t count him out just quite yet…

1. John McCain: 34%
2. Mitt Romney: 32%
3. Rudy Giuliani: 16%
4. Mike Huckabee: 14%
5. Ron Paul: 3%

As I said earlier, Florida ain’t deciding squat. This race is going for the long haul, to Super Tuesday and beyond.

Gov. Romney is statistically tied for the lead with 34%. That’s virtually unchanged from 33% in the previous roll.

32% support McCain, unchanged from the last roll, while 12% support Huckabee, a decrease of 2 points from 14% over the same time period. 11% support Giuliani, which is unchanged from the last roll.

Next, Zogby shows McCain growing his lead…

McCain now has 35% support in Florida and stands four points ahead of Romney. The poll, which surveyed 941 likely Republican voters in Florida on Jan. 27-28, 2008, carries a margin for error of +/-3.3 percentage points.

It is the second consecutive day of upward movement for McCain after his campaign won the endorsement from Republican Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. McCain and Romney were tied in the tracking poll released two days ago. The doubts over whether the maverick Arizona senator could succeed in winning over GOP voters in a state where independent voters are not allowed to vote in the GOP primary election appear on the way to being assuaged.

Translation? It’s anybody’s ball game for 1st, and the likelihood that McCain or Romney will deliver a decisive victory is becoming less likely by the hour. It’s about the ground game now, and Romney’s is certainly well heeled. But will that make a difference when you have somebody who’s considered the most electable candidate?

So what about Rudy? If he somehow pulls off a stunner and places a very, very close 3rd is he back in it? The reason this is even a remote possibility is due to the fact that a large number of Floridians have already cast their ballots, and that was before Rudy’s implosion. That’s why my gut tells me that there’s a real possibility he could do better than he’s polling, but ultimately I don’t think that’s going to matter much.

One thing’s for sure, the expectations on Rudy are set extremely low now, so any surprises from his camp could be spun as a “comeback kid” story, even though that meme is unbelievably trite and intellectually dishonest when you place 3rd. But hey, it worked for Bill Clinton!

Here’s what I think tonight will look like:

1. 1st: John McCain – 34%
2. 2nd: Mitt Romney – 30%
3. 3rd: Rudy Giuliani – 20%
4. 4th: Mike Huckabee – 12%
5. 5th: Ron Paul – 4%

What are your predictions?

Interesting doublespeak from Giuliani today…

From LA Times:

In a meeting in the back of his chartered plane en route to St. Petersburg, Fla., a short while ago, the onetime, longtime GOP front-runner told a small group of reporters, including The Times’ Louise Roug: “The winner of Florida will win the nomination.”

He then went on to predict he would win. And his spokeswoman, Maria Comella, said later he was speaking with confidence.

But that’s an unusually categorical statement suggesting that only a total first-place upset by Giuliani, who trails both Mitt Romney and John McCain in all major polls for Florida’s Republican primary tomorrow, will keep him in the competition, despite previous repeated vows to continue.

Yep, Rudy knows he’s not going to win, so I do think he’s saying he’s done.

And concerning that prediction about Florida, I don’t think it’s necessarily true. This one is going to go past Super Tuesday and maybe even all the way to the convention.

But one thing’s for sure…Rudy won’t be along for the ride.

Bowing out of the early contests was just one of many bad choices brought about by the central Giuliani problem: arrogance. This is a man who not only believes his own myth but believed the rest of us would easily succumb to hero worship. We haven’t. As a former Giuliani booster, I can say the mayor’s seemingly uncontrollable ego led directly to the withdrawal of my support.

What initially turned me off of Giuliani were the stories of him taking phone calls during speeches. Only a man of rare selfishness would be so bizarrely inconsiderate. Then there was his increasing inability to discuss any aspect of his campaign without invoking 9/11. He was most definitely a very brave, very strong leader that day but his use of 9/11 became a sad comedy, making the moniker 9iu11ani devastatingly appropriate.

Finally, his decision to make no effort in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina made it clear that Giuliani believed he could simply be anointed, that he didn’t have to play the game like everyone else. He’s always been one to demand special treatment (not to mention permitting underlings to act outside the rules) but I think it was 9/11 that propelled him from a typical, egocentric New York City mayor to a disastrously arrogant presidential candidate

Consider this passage fromthe profile of Giuliani in Time Magazine’s 2001 Man of the Year issue.

Giuliani is now cancer free, and [wife Judith] Nathan believes that God spared him so he would be able to lead on Sept. 11. The timing of his ordeals also makes the mayor think about God’s hand. Had the terrorists struck one year earlier, “when I was going through daily radiation, I couldn’t have done it.” Had he not had the cancer, he probably would have stayed in the Senate race [against Hillary Clinton] and might have won–and thus would not have been on the scene to help his city get through the crisis. And if not for the cancer, he says, “I would have dealt with Sept. 11 effectively, but not as effectively. I would not have been as peaceful about it.”

Even the most humble of men would question the role of destiny if they found themselves in Giuliani’s situation. But the mayor was hardly humble to begin with. Now, his ego-centricity is hours away from bringing down his campaign.

Waiting until Florida was an inarguably bad strategic gamble. But when you read pundits blaming Giuliani’s failure primarily on his election tactics, remember what character flaw prompted the mayor to adopt those tactics in the first place. How many voters have been turned off by Giuliani’s arrogance? Impossible to calculate. But his inability to compete for votes without seeming as if he deserved those votes has, in my opinion, done as much to sink his chances as has any strategic blunder. By acting bigger than he is, he’s seemed too small for the job. That’s a shame because he would have made a fascinating nominee.

Cross-posted at Maverick Views

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7:30: Time Russert and Brian Williams (henceforth, Bri-Wi) are moderating this debate, and participating are John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul. I’m looking for Huckabee and Giuliani to be particularly aggressive, as a bad finish in Florida could really hurt them.

As an aside, today is the one year anniversary of 2008Central.net. So for those of you who have stuck around for all 1,053 posts now, I’m sure you realize how damned lucky you are to have us. But enough about us, you’re here to see two old white men question five other old white men about who should replace another old white man. How thrilling!

8:46: MSNBC says the debate is “DO OR DIE.” in large all-cap font. Note this, because your children will want to know about the time that four presidential candidates were all killed on stage by a major news company. In other words, don’t expect this debate to be a subtle discussion of minor differences.

8:59: Want to skip us as middlemen and watch it yourself but don’t have cable? Screw you! Seriously, though, watch here. Brian Williams just told people not to cheer to give people at home misleading impressions. And now he’s thanking military people in the audience.

9:01: Lyndon Johnson was at the university when it opened. Hillary Clinton just issued a press release that it takes a president to open a school.

9:02: Candidates are tired; apparently, they requested the debate only goes 90 minutes instead of 2 hours at their request. Tim Russert looks angry.

9:03: Romney is asked about the stimulus plan, and contrasts it with Bush’s. Is he disappointed? Romney says it is effective, he just wishes it went further. Romney somehow says that a permanent tax cut is equivalent to a rebate or no taxes on capital gains. Talks about creating jobs and the mortgage crisis. He sounds like he’s somewhat competent, but pandering at the same time.

9:05: McCain says he will vote for the plan, and is disappointed it does not make the Bush tax cuts permanent. McCain talks about people having uncertainty in their budget for 2010, and it sounds like a punch line. Segues into pork barrel talk. Talks up the rate cuts by Bernanke and the need for tax cuts. He’s completely trying to erase any doubts of him on the tax issue.

9:07: Giuliani says the package is OK, but does not go far enough. Talks up his surrogates introducing legislation (Dreier and Bond). Says there is no difference between temporary and permanent. Says that if America over taxes, spends, sues, or regulates that America loses. Specifically excludes military spending. Said he is worried about London overtaking NYC as financial center.

9:09: McCain is asked about a quote that said he did not know the economy well enough. He flatly denies the quote and says he is well versed. Cites support of Jack Kemp and Phil Gramm and his experience in the Senate on the “Congress committee.” I’m not sure about any of the credentials he’s mentioning here.

9:11: Does Huckabee trust Romney on taxes or fees? What an awfulo question. Huckabee demurs, and says its about voters. He talks up him balancing the budget. Huckabee says that we’ll borrow money for the package from China and buy Chinese packages (Did Duncan Hunter take over as speech writer?) Huckabee says that a bigger priority ought be building infrastructure, and says 95 should be widened. I’d love to know his plan for widening the Cross Bronx.

9:13: Does Romney trust McCain and Giuliani on taxes? He says he respects them despite differences but share a common goal. Cites his bipartisanship in solving problems without raising taxes. Talks about the surplus. Criticizes McCain for not voting for the Bush tax cuts the first time, and says that the POTUS needs to understand the private sector like he does.

9:15: McCain says that the people who had fees raised by Romney thought they were a tax increase. Flat joke. Talks at length about needing to cut spending to cut taxes at first. Talks at length about pork barrel spending.

9:17: Paul is brought in and asked about government intervention. Says the fed cutting interest rates and printing money is the problem. Says less regulations and taxes is the problem. The dollar is crashing and it’s hurting foreign policy, and we’re spending money on an empire, etc. Criticizes no one cutting money overseas.

9:18: This is very antiseptic, with almost no interaction between candidates. Bri-Wi asks Giuliani about banks borrowing money from overseas. Giuliani first talks about his trip to Ground Zero with a Saudi prince, when he found out that the prince criticized American foreign policy. Says that is fundamentally different from investments where there is no other reasons behind it, and a mutuality of interest. Moves in Japan buying into America that brough Japan and America closer together. Wants America to sell something to the world. Not sure what, exactly.

9:21: A poll showed Democrats with an 18 point lead of trust on the economy. Russert lkists a bunch of stats that showed problems with the economy over the past 6 years. McCain says Democrats will increase government and raise spending, calling that ’straight talk.’ He just mentioned 10 minutes ago that the Bush administration was the worst at increasing the size of government since LBJ, and now that? He concludes by talking about taxes and Democrats like he’s a 5 year old.

9:24: Huckabee takes credit for not being in Washington. Then says it’s not all on Bush as he kept us safe. Huckabee takes credit for being the only one to say the economy was doing bad at the CNBC economic debate a few months ago. Huckabee says that trickle down may be true, but trickle-up is a sign of a bad economy coming. Funny, but conservatives probably won’t buy it.

9:25: Romney takes the bold stance of running on his record. Attacks Washington and says promises are never met. Cites spending, Social Security, immigration, and foreign oil. Blames both parties, and says Republicans are the party of change.

9:27: Giuliani says he is the only one to turn around an economy. And yes, Huckabee and Romney both took credit for a turnaround earlier. Cites his stimulus plan being touted by the Club for Growth.

9:28: Paul says he cannot be identified with a high spending crowd, but Republicans need to fix their goals. Says America is moving into a new era. Sure, I guess.

9:29: Local question for McCain, about the military being on the verge of breaking and the economy being on the edge of breaking. How will McCain manage staying in Iraq militarily and economically? He says no one in the military says we cannot stay. Attacks Clinton for wanting to withdraw. Says no one complains about troops around the world a mere ten minutes after Paul complained. Dodges the economic issue completely.

[Continued at 2008Central.net]

From Politico:

Ron Paul, the Texas congressman frequently dismissed as a long shot candidate with no real chance at winning the Republican presidential nomination, has won nearly twice as many total votes to date as Rudy Giuliani, a candidate still widely viewed as a strong contender.

With his second place finish in Saturday’s Nevada caucus, where Paul defeated Giuliani in every county in the state, the Texas congressman has now received 106,414 votes to 60,220 for Giuliani. Both candidates have collected zero actual delegates.

Again, I say so what. It’s not like Rudy has run some amazing campaign. In fact, Fred Thompson had 123,911 total votes (not counting votes in Wyoming, which I can’t seem to find) and 8 delegates when he dropped out a couple days ago. And he did it with FAR less money than Paul. So to compare Rudy to Ron may make for a provocative story, but it ultimately means nothing until Paul starts winning some delegates.

But it looks like Rudy is in for a rough ride in his showdown state of Florida…

It’s Mitt Romney vs. John McCain in the final stretch of Florida’s crucial Republican primary.

A new St. Petersburg Times poll shows the former Massachusetts governor and Arizona senator neck and neck among Florida Republicans, while Rudy Giuliani’s Florida-or-bust strategy has been a bust.

Among Florida voters likely to vote in Tuesday’s primary, 25 percent are backing McCain and 23 percent Romney, a statistical tie, while Giuliani and Mike Huckabee were tied for third place with 15 percent each.

Rudy will need more than 9/11 to save his campaign now.

UPDATE:
Some people have said that Paul has 6 delegates. Well, if he’s still around in April when Nevada gives them out, then yes, he’ll have them. I would be incredibly surprised if he’s still around in April. The money that you all raised in Q4 was impressive, but it’s a drop in the bucket when you’re talking about Super Tuesday.

Also, a commenter says this…

I will be voting for Ron Paul next November, some six months after April and so will millions of others from all walks of life all across this country.

EXACTLY!!! Why in the hell is Paul still running for the GOP nomination? It’s obvious 90% of you will only vote for him anyway. Push him to run a 3rd party campaign already and stop trying to win a nomination process you can’t possibly win.

UPDATE:
Here’s an update on Florida…Ron Paul nowhere to be seen…

Why? Because he’s not competitive nationally.

So much for that late state strategy.

From TPM:

About a dozen senior campaign staffers for Rudy Giuliani are foregoing their January paychecks, aides said Friday, a sign of possible money trouble for the Republican presidential candidate.

“We have enough money, but we could always use more money,” contended Mike DuHaime, Giuliani’s campaign manager and one of those who now is working for free. “We want to make sure we have enough to win.”

At the end of December, he said the campaign had $11.5 million cash on hand, $7 million of which can be used for the primary. He disputed the notion of a cash-strapped campaign, and said Giuliani continues to bring in cash; several fundraisers are scheduled this week in Florida.

DuHaime and other aides stressed that relinquishing pay was voluntary and was limited to senior staffers.

Yeah, sure it was voluntary…okay.

Anybody buying this?

Polling at 8-11% in New Hampshire (a state where an independent-minded fellow like Giuliani should do well) is a bad sign. Sure, he didn’t spend a lot of time campaigning there, but his poll numbers in the state are slipping and, in fact, his national poll numbers have been declining since even before his terrible showing in Iowa. What’s gone wrong?

The 9iu11iani name says it all. In an election where “change” is the buzzword and both parties are looking to the future, Giuliani has campaigned almost exclusively on one signature moment that happened six years ago. We all should have great admiration for the mayor’s leadership on that terrible day, but a president needs more than just the ability to operate in a crisis. A president needs a vision for the nation’s future. Giuliani hasn’t communicated his.

That’s a shame. He had great and numerous successes as a mayor. He has a unique political compass that balances a strong will with real compassion. He is charismatic. He is bold. But he has come across as a dictator wannabe, way overplaying his tough-guy image and allowing the 9/11 moment to hogtie him in an awkward “the past is our present” pose. That’s the wrong strategy in a year when the majority of voters want to escape our nation’s recent past and blaze anew into the future.

It’s too bad Giuliani has made so many missteps. He coulda been a contender.

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From Reuters:

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) – Mike Huckabee has surged into a virtual tie with front-runner Rudy Giuliani in the national 2008 Republican presidential race two weeks before the first contest, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas whose campaign has caught fire in recent weeks, wiped out an 18-point deficit in one month to pull within one point of Giuliani, 23 percent to 22 percent.

Meanwhile, a significant portion of the right blogosphere HATES Huckabee.

More on that later.

And after watching his appearance on last Sunday’s Meet The Press, I don’t know if he really cares. He had this “devil may care” attitude. In any event, Rudy kept talking about his lead in Florida when Tim Russert mentioned how he was way back in the pack in all of the first-round primary states.

Well, things have changed…thanks to the Huckaboom.

From Rasmussen:

The latest Rasmussen Reports polling in the state of Florida suggests that Giuliani might need to work on a “Plan B.’ Mike Huckabee now leads in the Sunshine State Primary with 27% of the vote. He is trailed closely by Romney at 23% and Giuliani at 19%. Fred Thompson is at 9% in the poll, John McCain at 6%, and Ron Paul at 4%. Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter each attract 1% and 8% are undecided.

Those figures reflect a stunning change in the race since November when Rasmussen Reports polling found Giuliani on top with 27% followed by Romney at 19% and Thompson at 16%. Since then, Huckabee has gained 18 percentage points and Romney picked up four points. Giuliani is down eight, Thompson is down seven, and McCain is down four.

Huckabee has shaken up the race for the White House with an amazing surge over the past month. He now leads in Iowa and South Carolina. He is tied for the lead in Michigan and consistently near the top nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

There’s just no momentum behind Rudy anymore. And I’m betting that story about his security detail providing shuttle services for his girlfriend/affair destroyed his support among evangelicals. Values or security. That’s becoming the choice now, and I think it’s clear which one is gaining steam.

Rudy, time to wake up.

The Des Moines Register is having a Republican debate in Iowa today beginning at 2pm eastern. It is being aired on Iowa Public Television, as well as Fox News and CNN.

2:oo: Yup, we’re live blogging. From left to right: Rudy Giuliani, Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Alan Keyes (yes, Alan Keyes is there). As an aside, this moderator looks like she’s going to be scary.

2:03: Is the debt a threat to national security? Moderator insists yes or no. Giuliani uses question to talk about tax cuts. Says it is not a national security issue, but it’s an economic security issue. Ron Paul thinks it’s a national security issue. The moderator already seems mad at some of the crummy dodgy answers she’s gotten so far. Fred Thompson rambles about social security and medicare. As a reminder, this was a yes or no question. Romney: ’strengthen the American people.’ Again, not really an answer. Huckabee says yes and then explains. McCain also directly answers the question. Republicans in Luntz’s group seem to like McCain’s response the most. McCain promises oil independence in 5 years. Keyes says yes, there’s a threat to national security.

2:11: What sacrifices, specifically, would you ask Americans to make to lower the debt? Giuliani says the American people aren’t the problem and that the government should cut it’s spending. Follow up, if you’re going to cut nonmilitary spending by 10%, then won’t people who use those programs need to sacrifice? Giuliani says that people relying on those programs will need to find other ways.

2:14: Huckabee says that instead of treating people after their sick, we should focus on prevention.

2:17: Tancredo: Don’t ask the government to help you from beginning to end or there will be a humongous deficit. *sigh* I always love when candidates use 2nd grade rhetoric.

2:18: Who is paying more than their fair share of taxes relative to everyone else? McCain says that low and middle income taxpayers pay the most and suggests that it’s time to fix it. Takes a swipe at the Democrats for wanting to raise taxes. Huckabee: FAIR TAX! Moderator tells people to start answering questions “a little snappier.”

2:23: Giuliani doesn’t say who is paying more than their fair share of taxes, but talks about reducing the tax burden through either a flat tax or reducing taxes on corporations. Why can’t these folks just answer a question?

2:26: What is the plan for protecting U.S. jobs? Huckabee talks about three causes for this, one of them is red tape. Huckabe states that as president, “I can’t part the red sea, but I can part the red tape.” I realize that he’s affable and makes some good quips, but sometimes, they seem a bit too forced.

2:28: What specific changes should be made in NAFTA? Giuliani says that it should be enforced and is a good thing. So far, I haven’t really heard any real responses to this question. Do you get the feeling that perhaps they may not really know the specifics of NAFTA? Tancredo states some specific problems with NAFTA and notes that it is fueling the immigration problem. Hunter follows up and complains about the trade imbalance caused by NAFTA.

2:32: Fred Thompson’s “free moment” to say anything he wants comes up. He takes the opportunity to

2:32: Do you believe that global climate change is serious and caused by human action? (show of hands) Fred Thompson refuses and the other candidates quickly follow his lead in refusing to do a show of hands. The moderator stands her ground, sasses the candidates a bit and proceeds with her question. McCain answers the question and says even if humans aren’t to cause, going green doesn’t hurt us it helps us. Giuliani agrees. Romney asks for time to answer too…he states that it is “global warming and not American warming” and that Americans should therefore not pay for most of it. Perhaps he’s not aware of the proportion of energy consumption in the US vs. other countries?

2:37: Alan Keyes rhetorical flurry alert! He says that the only emission he would curtail is the hot air from politicians.

2:38: What will you do to reduce gas consumption? Increase mandates on biofuels? Huckabee says that if the government makes changes, the market will be changed because the price for alternative fuels will change.

2:40: Tancredo uses his free moment to talk about the dangers of having a “polyglot boarding house.”

2:42: What educational standards does the US need to adopt in order to compete in the global economy? McCain talks about choices. He doesn’t talk about how he’d enable those choices, but does cite choices. Giuliani says that he’s where he is today because of the educational choices of his parents and that choices need to be increased. He also doesn’t really talk about how he’d increase choices. Again, are the candidates just not listening to the question?

2:47: Romney cites some specifics among them are English immersion and scholarships. Huckabee says that education is a state issue, but there are some things that can be done at the federal level that will help all the states. 1) “personalize the learning” and 2) institute “weapons of mass instruction” which would increase education on arts and other subjects across the board. I’m not sure how that’s consistent with this opening that the federal government should be out of education, but who cares about contradictions and meaningless slogans when you’re running for president. VIVA LA PERSONALIZE THE LEARNING!

2:48: Alan Keyes gets mad and scolded the moderator for not asking him questions. She says fine and that he gets 30 seconds. He complains that it’s unfair that other candidates get a minute and he only gets 30 seconds. Keyes then says the problem with education is that God is no longer in the education.

2:51: Fred Thompson states that the biggest obstacle to educational reform is the National Education Association because they stand in the way of choice. Tancredo points out the contradiction in Huckabee’s argument.

2:53: Huckabee responds and says that he was suggesting that the government become a clearinghouse for reform. Says that the president’s second most important job, after being Commander-In-Chief, is to be “communicator-in-chief” and using bully pulpit to communicate.

2:54: Realistically, what do you believe you can accomplish in the first year of your administration? Giuliani: secure against Islamic terrorism, begin winning war against Islamic terrorism, secure borders and accomplish energy independence. Ron Paul: would end the war, bring the troops home, would increase his the credibility of US abroad. Tancredo: would use the pulpit to explain that we are not fighting a war

3:00: Romney states he would do more than talk in his first year, he would: keep the world safe from global jihad, advance schools, wants to get health insurance for every person in America. Mike Huckabee: he likes the laundry list, but notes that it’s not going to happen unless someone brings the country together and he intends to be president of all 50 states. John McCain also talks about the need for making America safe and the second most important thing would be to restore faith and trust in government by fixing broken programs. Alan Keyes: would restore the soverignty of the American people, sign an executive order protecting unborn life in the womb (aka: would ban abortion), would establish a national border guard in order to seal the border (he realizes that we currently have one, right?).

3:02: Romney uses his free moment to pander to Iowans. Rudy Giuliani uses his free moment to talk about the fact that he’s been tested by proving his leadership through crises like 9/11, being a US attorney and Mayor of New York.

[Continued at 2008Central.net]

Mike Huckabee’s surging campaign has created a three-way toss-up in Michigan’s Republican Primary. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds Huckabee earning 21% of the vote. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the son of a former Michigan Governor, attracts 20% support while former New York City Mayor is the top choice for 19% of Likely Republican Primary Voters.

And how about other primaries?

Currently, Huckabee has a slight edge over Romney in Iowa while Romney has the advantage in New Hampshire. Huckabee leads in South Carolina. Rasmussen Reports, the first firm to show Huckabee leading in Iowa, will be polling again in that state next week.

One last thing that these polls note which I think is significant. Romney made his JFK speech this week, and I know why, but I don’t I think it’s going to help him. See, not only is Huckabee destroying him when it comes to evangelicals, but Giuliani is too.

Yes, Giuliani, the guy who cheated on his second wife and is for abortion rights and civil unions. Evangelicals choose him 16% of the time in Michigan, while Romney only garners 6% of their support.

Seems like it may not be his faith. Seems like it may just be his personality. There’s something about Romney that evangelicals just don’t seem to trust.

He’s moderate on social issues and they don’t like that.

From msnbc:

DUBUQUE, IA — It’s no secret that Iowa Christian Alliance president Steve Scheffler isn’t a Rudy fan. But tonight, within spitting distance of Giuliani’s rival GOP candidate Romney, Scheffler explicitly urged Iowa Christians to oppose Giuliani in the race for the nomination. “If our party nominates this guy,” he told a crowd at a Dubuque gathering of the ICA, “we will see a bloodbath at the polls like we’ve never seen before.”

Scheffler went on to slam Giuliani’s position on same-sex marriage, life issues and gun rights. “Rudy Giuliani cannot be elected,” he said, citing the ex-mayor’s differences with social conservatives. “We cannot afford to nominate somebody who’s out of touch with the base.”

Surprising? Nope, but can the religious right really trust Romney either? Not that this is big news, but this is THE reason we’re seeing Huckabee getting so much buzz. They want an overtly religious candidate. Unfortunately the other side of the base does not.

Bloodbath indeed.