January 15, 2008
Rudy in Florida: "Get it over with, and vote now."
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - Rudy Giuliani wants to make sure he has Floridians' votes before other candidates ride momentum from earlier contest wins into town.
"I tell you what, before they even get here to campaign, how about you go vote for me?" he suggested to about 100 supporters in front of his campaign bus outside the county Republican Party headquarters. Giuliani advised that they get their friends to vote before the Jan. 29 primary as well.
"You can do something in Florida that can't get done anywhere else," he said. "You can vote today. You can vote tomorrow."
Giuliani has been telling voters throughout his statewide bus tour to vote early. But his comments Tuesday highlighted an added benefit of the strategy. By getting voters to the polls through the two weeks of early voting, he can secure their support before they see him likely lose in Michigan, Nevada and South Carolina, and before other Republicans start campaigning and advertising in the Sunshine State.
Campaign aides acknowledged its part of the plan, but they said the early and absentee ballot push is more focused on ensuring his supporters actually go to the polls.
"If I was living here, I don't want to say who I would vote for, but if I was living here, I'd vote now," Giuliani said. "Get it over with, and vote now."
Giuliani came to the Republican Club of Volusia County to see staffers preparing care packages for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. And Giuliani brought about 70 baseballs with his signature to go in the boxes, alongside toys, food and other necessities for the soldiers.
(NBC/NJ's MATTHEW BERGER)
Posted at 02:14 PM
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