Posted by William Neikirk at 6:15 a.m. CST
Rudy has the mojo.
McCain appears to have lost it.
A Time Magazine poll shows that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has jumped ahead of Sen. John McCain by 14 percentage points (38 percent to 24 percent) among registered Republicans and those leaning toward the GOP.
In January, McCain was ahead of Giuliani by 4 percentage points, making for an 18-point swing in favor of Rudy.
The news came the day after McCain announced his candidacy on the David Letterman show. In that announcement, McCain said that the lives of U.S. troops had been "wasted" in Iraq. Later, he amended that to say that he meant to say "sacrificed" not "wasted."
But it's fair to say that this has not been a good period of time for the Arizona senator. He supported President Bush's unpopular proposal for a "surge" of troops in Iraq to pacify the country. And he is a strong supporter of the war, period.
McCain chose the Letterman show to announce his candidacy, eschewing the usual speech from some sort of podium. That will come in April, when he plans a formal announcement. Washington Post political writer Dan Balz said McCain went on the show in an effort to "rekindle some of the spontaneity and unpredictability from his first campaign."
Third in the GOP poll was former House Speaker New Gingrich, with 12 percent, and fourth was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 7 percent.
On the Democratic side, Sen. Hillary Clinton has lost ground from the last poll. She holds a 12 percentage-point lead over Sen. Barack Obama (36 percent to 24 percent). Obama has gained on Clinton by seven percentage points.
The black vote appeared to be evenly split between Clinton and Obama.
As for theoretical general election contests, the poll said Giuliani would beat Clinton by 3 percentage points and Obama by 5 percentage points, while a Clinton-McCain contest would be a dead heat. Obama would beat McCain by 4 percentage points.
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Comments
I don't see how the republicans can claim they stay true to their platform. How can they vote for a pro-choice candidate? I guess it's the way they think nowadays. You go to war with the army you have not the army you want.
Posted by: bill r. | March 2, 2007 6:33 AM
bill r,
Not all Republicans are anti abortion. That's nothing new.
Posted by: Leo T | March 2, 2007 6:59 AM
Rudy was a bad Mayor. He was in a constant state of war with everyone around him. His heralded crime reduction was duplicated all over the country without constant abuse by police departments. Rudy supported really bad police actions. He was always a great headline hunter.As D.A. his perp walks of the arrested did not reflect the crimes as much as the photo ops. The photo was the last heard of some of these people as no charge was made. The archives of the N.Y. press will provide tons of ammo. for other candidates and commentators.
Posted by: c. perry | March 2, 2007 8:25 AM
Rudy beats Hillary. That's good enough for me. Neither John nor Mitt can beat Hillary but Rudy can. Rudy's more conservative than Hillary, that's for sure. So there's your choices. Go with John or Mitt and get used to saying Madame President Hillary.
Vote for America's Mayor and keep a Republican in the White House. It's as simple as that.
Go Rudy Go!!!!!!!!
Posted by: N. Otter | March 2, 2007 9:00 AM
As D.A. his perp walks of the arrested did not reflect the crimes as much as the photo ops. The photo was the last heard of some of these people as no charge was made.
Posted by: c. perry | Mar 2, 2007 8:25:25 AM
You need to recheck your facts c.perry if you want to call them that. Rudy had 4152 convictions with only 25 reversals. He took down Mark Rich and Pincus Green two traitors, only to be pardoned by "Slick Willy". He busted up all 5 Mafia crime families in New York, which led to the bust up a Chicago crime family. He also took down Wall Street traders Ivan Boesky and Michael Miliken. Those pesky
little facts. Perhaps your speaking of another Rudy?
Posted by: Don B | March 2, 2007 9:53 AM
Libertarians are starting to rally behind Giuliani for President, as well. There's some talk out of Florida that the Libertarian Party may even consider not running a Presidential candidate and just give Giuliani the cross-party endorsement. (Like the New York Libertarian Party did last year for William Weld for Governor.)
Fiscally conservative, Socially tolerant and Pro-Defense. Giuliani will be the most Goldwaterite GOP Presidential candidate, since, well, Goldwater himself!
My former boss is running for President, as well. But I'm backing Giuliani.
Eric Dondero, Fmr. Senior Aide
US Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX)
1997 - 2003
Posted by: Eric Dondero | March 2, 2007 11:58 AM
Don B, you need to re-check your facts. John Gotti took down the mafia in New York when he made all the other families personally pledge allegiance to him, an act that let gave the FBI the names and the organizational structure of the crime families in New York and New Jersey. In any event there is no reason to attribute the actions of the FBI to Rudy. Also, it was the SEC that took town Michael Miliken, again not Rudy. Just a few pesky facts.
Posted by: Mike | March 2, 2007 12:01 PM
These early polls are meaningless, as volatile as this week's stock market. I'll start paying attention when there's two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Posted by: dt | March 2, 2007 12:37 PM
McCain trails Rudy by 14pts and the media says he is washed up, its over, pack up and go home.
Obama trails Clinton by 12pts and the Media keeps cheering him on. Is he washed up too?
Why the different media treatment to two people, McCain and Obama, approximately the same distance back (12-14%) from the current front runners and with the same level of support (24%) within their party?
Posted by: Steve | March 2, 2007 12:49 PM
So, what else is new? Since there a number of
reasons that Arizona Republican Sr Senator
"Amnesty" John McCain's political fortunes are
going down hill on him,and some of which our
so-called mainstream news media are still in
total denial about,such as McCain Co-sponsoring
the George W Bush,Amnesty John McCain and Teddy
Kennedy "Leave No Illegal Alien Behind Amnesty
Bill" and then we have the fact Ranking GOP
Member of The Senate Armed Forces Committee
Sen George McCain has been AWOL on the serious
problems as Building 18 Walter Reed Army
Medical Center,just like his Pal Commander
in Chief George W Bush is AWOL again here too,plus
McCain insane support for Bush's Incompetence
in handling the War in Iraq,not to mention
McCain age is against him as well! So most of
us folks out here in Arizona like myself wouldn't
vote for John McCain to be Dogcatcher of Gila
Ben Arizona! Good Luck Rudy as McCain is a
phony total has been,who ought to finish his
current Senate Term and retire!
Posted by: Ralph | March 2, 2007 1:22 PM
The United States almost to a person (and that's 300 MILLION "persons") wants a real genuine LEADER right now. it has been a long long time coming; and most don't even CARE what the LEADER's positions on issues are, only that the LEADER is forREAL.
Giuliani, no matter what anyone says in detraction, IS a LEADER.
and - who knows why? - He is willing to LEAD the United States, now, in these strange strange times...
Posted by: matt | March 2, 2007 1:37 PM
"Vote for America's Mayor and keep a Republican in the White House. It's as simple as that."
WHAT? Because this Republican president has done so well in the White House? This kind of statement continues to completely baffle me. Haven't we already concluded that Bush has been the WORST president in US history?
A president supported by the wacked-out fundamentalist Evangelicals, whose policies/ideologies ignore the separation of church and state, who believes that GOD told him to invade Iraq....
A president who brought us to war backed by lies, who cannot accept the fact that we are failing in that war (isn't this getting redundant by now? We are accepting the lies as something banal and benign at this point, what a shame)....
A president who has done everything he can to discourage and damage woman's health issues. Where is his experience? Last time I checked, he didn't have a uterus or a medical license. Stay out of the decisions that belong between a woman and her physician....
Along those lines, a president who so has so ignorantly spent so much money on abstinence-only programs, which fail miserably, when he should be spending money on EDUCATION, which PREVENTS the unwanted pregnancies, which would in turn decrease the number of abortions. I guess he thinks it's a better idea to stifle sex-education, but then unfairly take away the choice for a woman who wasn't given any tools to make smart decisions.....
A president who continues to give tax-breaks to the richest of the rich, ignoring the middle and lower classes who are the backbone of this country.....
A president who has successfully DESTROYED our reputation and trust across the globe by ignoring the advice of the UN, among other things, a reputation that will take a long time to rebuild....
A president who believes in intelligent design, who, until recently, did not believe in global warming.......shall I go on?
It's time for a Democrat to take office and get this idiot out of the White House. So much damage done, so much hope lost.
We need an INTELLIGENT, EMPATHETIC president, who possesses COMMON SENSE and who can at least somewhat speak from experience....not like Bush, who was pampered and privilaged his whole life. Someone who can start undoing some of the damage caused by Bush and his Republican constituents and set this country on the right track again. And this will be a Democrat.
So, no, I will not vote for "America's Mayor" and keep a Republican in the White House. No thank you.
Posted by: Mel | March 2, 2007 2:02 PM
Don B. Please google Rudy Giuliani perp walks.That is all you or any reader has to do to get a ton if info about Rudy. "Perp walks have nothing to do with the criminal justice system and everything to do with the political ambition of the prosecutor".."Rudy Giuliani is given credit for patenting the perp walk". There are hundreds of entries,you will know a lot more about Rudy if you look.
Posted by: c.perry | March 2, 2007 2:03 PM
Obama is too young and needs more experience and Hillary is too woman. Look for a Dark Horse who must be elected, regardless of the GOP's candidate.
Posted by: Dean K. Fryer | March 2, 2007 2:54 PM
He cleaned up the greatest city in the world. Now let him clean up the greatest country in the world.
Posted by: S.I. Guy | March 2, 2007 3:16 PM
Perp walks have nothing to do with the criminal justice system and everything to do with the political ambition of the prosecutor".
Posted by: c.perry | Mar 2, 2007 2:03:07 PM
C. Perry: I never mentioned "perp walks" in my posting you did. I couldn't care less about it. I stated he had 4152 convictions and 25 reversals, not bad in my book. You are the one saying he didn't do much as D.A. only photo ops'. He took down a lot of bad actors who prey on our society daily. He shouldn't be vilified by people who don't know what their talking about. We owe him a debt of gratitude sir, not scorn simply because he's a republican.
Posted by: Don B | March 2, 2007 4:05 PM
Don B. Please tell me you "googled" Rudy Giuliani. I will feel better if I know you are informed.
Posted by: c. perry | March 2, 2007 4:26 PM
Also, it was the SEC that took town Michael Miliken, again not Rudy. Posted by: Mike | Mar 2, 2007 12:01:31 PM
Mike: What was the name of the prosecuters that the SEC used, and maybe the name of the prosecuter used by the Gotti family.? I didn't realize they had any.
Posted by: Don B | March 2, 2007 5:57 PM
Don. B. Jimmy Breslin called Rudy,"a small man in search of a balcony". Google Rudy, there is lots of fun stuff like this.
Posted by: c.perry | March 2, 2007 7:55 PM