Fox News's Oinounou notices...
As does CBS News Giuliani watcher Ryan Corsaro, who writes that Giuliani declined to endorse his surrogate's contention that John McCain was out of touch.
“I don’t believe that Republicans should be attacking each other. I think we should be pointing out our policy decisions. I supported the Bush tax cuts, John McCain voted against them, Mitt Romney was equivocal on them. That’s a difference, a policy difference. My tax plan, you can contrast it with their tax plan, it’s different. Some of it’s the same some of it’s different…”
And how's that working you, Mr. Mayor?
Some things to keep in mind:
(1) Maybe Giuliani knows that he has a reputation for nastiness and doesn't want to replenish the tanks for that stereotype.
(2) Maybe Giuliani really likes John McCain and doesn't want to hurt his feelings. Or maybe he believes that McCain will be the nominee and doesn't want to hurt him too much.
(3) Maybe Giuliani is content to let the surrogates have their way with McCain because that forces the press to ask Giuliani why he's not joining in, which forces the press to report the iniital slurs?
(4) Maybe Giuliani believes that if he keeps his message to policy, he'll rise above the fray. Problem is: McCain isn't really responding to Mitt Romney either. And, come to think of it, Romney's off in his own world of optimism.
| 
Hello, Marc-
I'd like to offer my own theory as to why-
Rudy would vastly prefer for McCain to get the nomination, rather than Mitt. So he doesn't want to do anything that would hurt McCain's chances of coming in ahead of Mitt, whether that means 2nd rather than 3rd (or more importantly, 1st rather than second...)
Let's examine these theories in turn...
1) Avoiding a reputation for nastiness - Plausible.
2 a) and 2 b), I think, are the most compelling.
2) a) Friendship w/ McCain - I think that might be the most important factor. They have traded soft punches in the debate, but very soft, and I doubt one is going to start running negative ads about the other.
2) b) Likewise. Rudy might be looking at his dismal finishes up till now, the fact that he's now trailing in NY and NJ and Conn, and concluding that a) he's not going to win in Fla and b) even if he does, it might not matter enough to save his candidacy. So if McCain's going to win anyway, why throw away their friendship over it?
3) Allowing surrogates to be nasty. Plausible.
4) Above the fray. Also plausible, and much more so when it seemed to be a five-way contest. But now with Fred done and Huck possibly leaving, that leaves Rudy very much in the fray.
Thoughts?
Posted by ElectionNightHQ.com (McCain site) Publisher | January 22, 2008 4:31 PM