Kristol: Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign a 'tragedy' Nick Langewis and David Edwards

Published: Sunday December 16, 2007



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Print This Email This "I've been tested in crisis, I'm ready to lead, and the time is now."

-Rudy Giuliani, Saturday, in Florida Republican presidential contender and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has been leading in the polls, but one Florida poll shows him lagging behind two Republican opponents: former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Pundit Brit Hume says that the "Huckabee surge" is essentially stealing Giuliani's thunder, much like what he says happened to Romney. Anchor Chris Wallace disagrees. "It seems to me Giuliani's got problems of his own," says Wallace, turning to NPR's Mara Liasson for comment. "He definitely does," Liasson agrees. Giuliani runs the risk of slipping into the "second tier" as a result of no longer "controlling his fate." "What he needs now is for Huckabee to beat Romney in Iowa," continues Liasson. Citing the dim prospect of losing in early states and hoping to pick up in Florida, "he needs something bad to happen to Romney, because he can't do it himself." Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol cites two factors that he says the Giuliani campaign has run on: The fact that Giuliani was the "very effective mayor" of New York City, and that he "really was a terrific mayor of New York" on September 11, 2001. Kristol sees a promising candidate with no agenda to run on in Rudy Giuliani. "I think he made it all about himself; about his record; but when you make it about yourself, it's also about other aspects of your past." NPR's Juan Williams disagrees with Kristol's assessment of Giuliani as mayor, touting New York City's Bloomberg. Williams sees a shift from national security issues to social, lifestyle and economic issues, with GOP contender Mike Huckabee emerging as a the "social conservative" candidate who "speaks to faith and issues of character." "That looms larger for the American people at this moment," says Williams. The exchange, as broadcast on Fox's Fox News Sunday on December 16, 2007, can be viewed below.







