May 22, 2007
Don't Blame Rudy For "Groundgame" Failure... Yet
John McCain has been running for president for ten years, and Mitt Romney, by dint of his RGA posts, staff seedlings and the Commonwealth PAC, has had plenty of lead time. Both have very strong "ground games" in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
There are two major reasons we think Giuliani is having some trouble "catching up." One is that it takes time to build a solid field organization. Giuliani's had about six months. Many of the best activists had singed up with other candidates by the time Giuliani decided to run. Not really his "fault." We like to put "unfair" "words" in "quotation marks."
The other is that the campaign's emphasis on Feb. 5 states has hurt their ability to recruit talent in some of the earlier states.
We've said it before -- Giuliani's campaign does not believe that they can do well on Feb. 5 without winning Florida on Jan. 29, and they don't believe they can win Florida without exceeding expectations in the early states. That's a complex message, though, and one that places more weight on the latest contest relative to the early ones.
The Giuliani campaign is living with both these realities. BTW: what's a reasonable way to assess Fred Thompson's performance in the Ames straw poll? [MARC AMBINDER]
Posted at 02:10 PM
Comments
Fred Thompson's poll numbers will jump 10 points within 1 month of announcing. Rudy could win in the general, but there is no way he can win the primary. New Fred! gear at www.fredthompsonnews.com
mertens | 05.22.07 02:50 PM
 |
re: Thompson
I'd say that if he lands in the top three in the straw poll, we have to count him as top-tier. That would mean displacing one of the big three, probably Rudy.
Dan | 05.22.07 03:41 PM
|
Post a comment
The Watergate · 600 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-739-8400 · fax 202-833-8069
NationalJournal.com is an Atlantic Media publication.
