I, for one, and pleased that Politico has resources enough to dispatch Maggie Haberman to a Rudy Giuliani listening tour. There’s a lot of mush from the possible candidate (he says “I don’t know” when asked about his plans!) but some worthwhile fantasizing from Rudy’s 2008 state chairman Wayne Semprini.
Giuliani’s path, according to Semprini, would be less fundraising-driven than last time, offering a center-right alternative and that would appeal to the state’s roughly 40 percent swath of independent voters, most of whom voted in the Democratic primary last time.
“He’s going to appeal to tea party Republicans, he’s going to appeal to tea party independents, he’s going to appeal to moderate independents,” said Semprini, arguing tea party members are more concerned about fiscal issues and national security than the social issues where Giuliani tacks moderate. “In this field, I believe he’s the most electable.”
Wasn’t that the plan last time? Let’s remember, this idea that Giuliani didn’t work for New Hampshire in 2008 is a happy myth invented
after November 2007
, when he bailed on the earliest states to spend his money and time in Florida. Giuliani did campaign in New Hampshire, but he kept losing ground 1) because these voters had an attachment to John McCain and 2) because voters
didn’t like him
or his message very much.
