March 05, 2007
Spotlight: Rough And Rudy
Today's Hotline Spotlight:
We all know what happened the last time Giuliani faced bad press about his family in the midst of a heated campaign. He quit. What he learned in '00 SEN will determine how he responds to new reports about strained relations with his kids. And that response could say lots about the GOP frontrunner's WH'08 prospects.
-- In other words, it's not the report, it's the response. Strong candidates can overcome perceptions of family discord (even children's refusal to campaign) if they frame it as a common personal struggle, and don't dismiss it as irrelevant. As he made clear in '00, Giuliani thinks his family is quite relevant.
-- Then again, is this just the beginning of hard times for Giuliani? Rumors have circulated for weeks that rival camps are planning anti-Rudy oppo-drops on a range of topics. Following a month in which he made inroads to conservatives, is more bad press just around the corner? And if you're McCain or Romney, how do you respond? Pile on? Or back away?
-- Camp Rudy has never had the thickest skin. If last weekend was any indication, they might want to grow one.
Posted at 04:00 PM
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