Giuliani's Florida Speech Breaks No New Ground
Rudy Giuliani delivers a major speech Saturday in Tampa, Florida. It may be inspired by his falling numbers in national polls. It may be inspired by all the attention that Mitt Romney got with his recent speech about his Mormon faith. In any case it breaks no new ground, judging by brief excerpts released by his campaign.
In oblique references to his three marriages and most recent messy divorce, Giuliani has often told voters: "If you are looking for perfection (in me), you are not going to find it," and if he follows the script just released, he'll tell them that again in Tampa.
The speech as a whole plays into Giuliani's persona as the can-do guy. Discussions of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, illegal immigration and "out of control" spending all end with the refrain: "They're (the American people) telling us: Get it done. And we will."
He also will say he's a "leader who's been tested in times of crisis," yet another reference to his much praised and often criticized performance after the attacks of September 11, 2001. And he reminds voters that he's a "leader who has achieved results — results that some people thought were impossible," another reference to the big drop in crime and welfare cases while he was mayor of New York.
The most surprising omission from the speech excerpts? Two words: "New York." Giuliani's taken some criticism for repeatedly telling voters that he can do for America what he did for New York. But many Americans do not see that city as a role model, no matter how much things have improved there.
It's significant that Giuliani's delivering this speech in Florida. His poll numbers in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina show him placing second, third or worse. But he's still riding high in Florida and that state's January 29th primary could give his campaign a boost going into Super-duper Tuesday on February 5th.
- Ina Jaffe
7:27 PM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink
