I guess Rudy appointing a 6-figure-embezzling college drop-out child-porn addict who is the son of the leader of the New York Liberal Party didn't go over too well (Harding - is he out of jail yet?).
Posted on 06/02/2007 2:36:37 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- He may still be ``America's Mayor'' across much of the nation, but when it comes to the home crowd, Rudy Giuliani's star may be fading a bit.
A poll of New York state voters, released Thursday by the Siena College Research Institute, showed the former New York City mayor continuing to hold a big lead with Republican voters in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Giuliani led Sen. John McCain of Arizona, his nearest GOP competitor in New York, 52 percent to 14 percent.
Giuliani's favorable rating among New York Republicans was a robust 76 percent.
Those are all very nice numbers for the man who leads the polls nationally for the Republican nomination.
But the Siena poll had some other numbers which aren't as heartening for the Giuliani camp:
In a possible head-to-head general election matchup, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton led Giuliani, 52 percent to 39 percent, among voters statewide. An April poll from Siena had Clinton with a much smaller lead, 48 percent to 43 percent.
Giuliani's favorable rating with all voters statewide was 51 percent, down from 63 percent in January of this year.
The former mayor's favorable rating in New York City was just 44 percent. Fifty-two percent of city voters said they had an unfavorable opinion of Giuliani.
``He has a better chance of being elected president or governor than re-elected mayor,'' quipped Siena poll spokesman Steven Greenberg.
The Giuliani camp expressed a lack of concern.
``We haven't spent a lot of time here'' campaigning, said Giuliani spokesman Michael McKeon.
``It's the natural course of a campaign that things go up and things go down,'' McKeon added.
Stunning turnaround? Not really.
When Giuliani walked out of the dust and ashes of lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001, he became a hero to much of America for his display of calm resolve. His subsequent endorsement of Democrat-turned-Republican Michael Bloomberg was instrumental in getting the billionaire businessman elected as the term-limited Giuliani's successor that November.
But while much of America has continued to view Giuliani through the prism of 9/11, New Yorkers also remember the often-combative, pre-9/11 mayor who had an up-and-down relationship with much of his city. Relations between Giuliani and the city's black community were particularly strained in the wake of several high-profile cases involving alleged mistreatment of blacks at the hands of the police. The latest Siena poll found that 79 percent of black voters in New York had an unfavorable opinion of Giuliani.
When New York City voters were asked in June of last year by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute about who would make a ``good'' or ``great'' president, Bloomberg bested Giuliani, 57 percent to 50 percent. Clinton, at 59 percent, topped them both. Bloomberg has not ruled out an independent campaign for president.
Part of Giuliani's New York problem may stem from the very fact he is running nationally for the GOP nomination, a process that tends to be dominated by conservative voters who don't much like abortion and gay rights, and strict federal gun control laws. As New York's mayor, Giuliani was a staunch advocate for all three. As a national candidate, Giuliani has stressed his personal opposition to abortion and gay marriage and said states should decide gun control issues.
The presidential positioning hasn't always gone smoothly.
``He's been taking some heat from his fellow Republicans,'' said Siena's Greenberg.
While McKeon said ``Rudy's been very consistent during the campaign on his positions,'' he does run the risk by moving to the right, even marginally, of alienating voters in his heavily Democratic home state. A statewide poll conducted in July of last year found that 42 percent of Democrats and 20 percent of independents already felt Giuliani was too conservative.
``When we get down to crunch time, a two-person race,'' the current poll numbers won't matter, McKeon said.
``Rudy Giuliani is obviously going to win the New York primary, hands down,'' said the Giuliani aide. ``But, more importantly, he's the only Republican who can put big states like New York, Pennsylvania and California in play for the party. He'll be very, very competitive.''
The latest Siena numbers don't particularly help sell that argument.
``Rudy Giuliani is obviously going to win the New York primary, hands down,’’ said the Giuliani aide. ``But, more importantly, he’s the only Republican who can put big states like New York, Pennsylvania and California in play for the party. He’ll be very, very competitive.’’
The latest Siena numbers don’t particularly help sell that argument.
1. He can beat Hillary.
2. He's fiscally conservative.
3. He can best wage the war on terror. *
*No need to disprove this one.
The average liberal New Yorker is one inch away from being a Marxist . No chance of him taking NY .
I guess Rudy appointing a 6-figure-embezzling college drop-out child-porn addict who is the son of the leader of the New York Liberal Party didn't go over too well (Harding - is he out of jail yet?).
the last poll had him ahead in sc
So Hitlery is gonna take Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and So. Carolina? What are you smoking? I don’t care who the GOP candidate is, Hitlery the socialist will not take any of those states. As far as the nomination is concerned, Rudi is stronger in the South than many suspect. He worked hard for several campaigns in 02 and 04. His trooper status will not be forgotten by many of the GOP in Dixie. Sen. David Vitter is a supporter. Others will come forward. Rudi is too liberal for my taste but he will fight the war like a bulldog and won’t take crap from the Jackasses.
Hitlery or Giussolini?
I AIN'T BUYIN' IT...
I leave the GOP if Julie-Annie is the nominee.
Rudi is too liberal for my taste but he will fight the war like a bulldog...
The rule of law is gone, the enemy is crossing the border and nobody is doing anything to stop it.
Get ready.
The Mexicans are also enemies. Julie-Annie is a socialist.
No different? Take a look at their respective positions on single payer health care. That is just one issue, but the differences are apparent to anyone who takes a look. Motivating the conservative base in 08 will be important but not as important as who gets the middle. Another Clinton presidency will be a fatal disaster for America.
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