2008 Race Rankings: The Republicans

1. -- Rudy Giuliani -- Giuliani is the principal beneficiary from the rise of Mike Huckabee, with whom he seems to have signed a nonaggression pact. But what a nightmare week he had otherwise. So far, the media hasn't found anything, BUT primary voters are being reminded that Giuliani had an extramarital affair a few years ago -- not decades ago, but in this century. The expense story seemed to wake up the NYC press corps to begin re-reporting "gotcha" stories from five years ago. Will this keep Giuliani on the defensive for a while, or willit fade? Will something else trump it? Meanwhile, Iowa is working out about as well as the campaign could hope for, but Giuliani still needs to pop in an early state. New Hampshire is the place, and Romney losing in Iowa is the opening.

2. Mitt Romney -- This is make-or-break time for everyone, but perhaps no candidate has more pressure on him than Romney, since he's more reliant on an early state strategy than the others. This week, he has a chance to either get the Mormon issue behind him once and for all, or see the dream of the presidency fade away. In some ways, Thursday's speech is a layup for Romney because the mainstream press will be impressed simply by him giving it. But the target audience isn't the MSM, it's evangelicals. What will James Dobson say? What will Rick Warren say? What will key undecided pastors in South Carolina say?

3. Mike Huckabee -- The Iowa press is giving him a free pass, but the national press is starting to scrutinize him. The thing Huckabee needs to prove between now and the end of the month is his viability beyond Iowa. Will his momentum start showing up in New Hampshire polls?

4. John McCain -- A sudden rise for McCain in New Hampshire is not out of the question, given Romney's problems. No analysts have been more pessimistic about McCain's plan for the nomination than we have been. But maybe we shouldn't be so pessimistic. With the Union Leader endorsement in hand, Huckabee on the rise in Iowa and Giuliani under fire with the NYC tabloids, why not McCain? The "last man standing" plan seemed ridiculous six months ago. Now? Not so much.

Continue reading our 2008 Republican race rankings.

Comments

Marc,

How come no mention of The Good Doctor Ron Paul's amazing fundraising this quarter?!?

Also no mention of Huckabee's pathetic fundraising... you are helping the free ride he's getting!

Posted by GreenGuy | December 4, 2007 12:27 PM

These are bunch of idiots and no one is qualified to be the gop candidate.

Giuliani, a guy who appointed a corrupt personal driver as his police commissioner, a guy who used the emergency center to bang his mistress, a guy who screwed the tax payers by using the taxes to pay for his sexual tourism to Hamptons, is at the top of your ranking?

Romney, a bigot and a flipflopper at number 2?

Huckabee, a tax-raiser, illegal immigration supporter at no 3?

McCain, a bankrupt liberal, war mongerer at no 4?

Thomson, a lazy old clueless man with a trophy wife at no 5?

Posted by angrygoper | December 4, 2007 12:32 PM

GOP, please, please nominate either Rudy, Romney, Huck or McCain. As a dem I would love to face any of these clowns.

Posted by norm | December 4, 2007 12:34 PM

marc, i think you have it about right. ron paul is not a serious candidate. his money shows he has strong yet small support.

giuliani may benefit from huck's rise, but if he doesn't romney will likely beat him if romney pulls off iowa.

fred is dead. mccain was dead a long time ago. it is a three man race in my opinion.

however if huck wins, i leave the republican party. in fact i would probably hop ship and support ron paul.

Posted by Galt | December 4, 2007 2:51 PM

"however if huck wins, i leave the republican party. in fact i would probably hop ship and support ron paul.'

Excpet that Paul keeps on saying he will not run as a third party candidate.

Posted by David T | December 4, 2007 5:25 PM

Hello-

As the McCain-site publisher, of course I look at his ranking with particular interest. I give National Journal credit for rewarding his new vigor with an up arrow...

The path to the nomination seems to have smoothed considerably since the campaign's well-documented problems in the summer. Mitt, who looked invincible in Iowa, might be taken down by Huckabee. McCain's decision to leave the state and concentrate on NH looks even better in retrospect - as Rudy and Mitt continue to fire at each other there, McCain continues to mine retail politics there...

Thoughts, reactions?

Posted by ElectionNightHQ.com Publisher | December 4, 2007 8:25 PM

Thompson and Romney are the only true conservatives. Any however are better than Hillary! If liberal Huckabee wins....I too will have to become an Independent as my Republican Party will have let me down more than I can take. Overall....Romney makes economic sense!
God bless America.

Posted by Russ S | December 28, 2007 1:04 AM