January 30, 2008
McCain Wins Giuliani Nod, Puts Entire Field On Notice
UPDATED.
"I made it clear at different times in this campaign that if I had not decided to run -- I believe I even said it at a debate -- the only person in the country that I clearly would've supported for the president of the United States would be John McCain. And that came from the heart.
"Today, I'm officially announcing my withdrawal as a candidate for president of the United States."
And with that, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani closed the chapter on his own presidential aspirations and opened a new one in this rollercoaster ride of an election cycle. McCain's victory in the Florida Republican primary yesterday was already validation that he's now the GOP front-runner. Giuliani's decision to ally himself with McCain today sent a strong message to the challengers in both fields: This election will once again center on security and defense.
"It will be a clear choice this November, and I believe that my life has prepared me. A life of service, and a life of dedication to lead this nation and the transcendent challenge of the 21st century: the great threat and evil of radical Islam," McCain said, accepting Giuliani's endorsement.
The person who should fear McCain's ascendancy most immediately is Mitt Romney, who's been pushed out of the headlines as the nation digests McCain's comeback, unthinkable just months ago. McCain not only has a delegates-count advantage going into next week's Super Tuesday contests, he also has a wide margin over Romney in national polling, which at this late date can be considered a fairly reliable indicator of how the big-prize states will vote.
McCain's triumph in Florida's closed primary signaled that he has renewed strength among Republicans. Mitt Romney may be the Establishment Republican candidate on paper, but that is clearly not enough for many GOP voters.
As if to rub it in even further, Giuliani managed to take a jab at Romney in the midst of a speech bursting with praise for McCain.
"Deciding who to endorse in my particular case would not be difficult, because if I endorsed anyone else, you would say I was flip-flopping" -- pause for laughter -- "after having already endorsed John," Giuliani quipped.
McCain and Giuliani made the announcement at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in California. McCain is debating Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul at the CNN/Los Angeles Times/Politico GOP candidates debate being held there tonight.
McCain has all but won the endorsements primary, with most of the major newspapers that have weighed in backing him for the nomination. CNN's John King is now reporting McCain may get his very own Oprah: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
It is quite difficult to see how Romney puts the brakes on McCain's momentum by Tuesday, especially as he is still re-tweaking his message to take the Arizona senator on. At the same time, voters have behaved in unpredictable ways this cycle, and Romney is more established in the Super Tuesday states and has spent far more than McCain in advertising.
Romney has a lot going for him in this campaign: organization, money, support from a fair number of religious conservatives, apparent support from the Bush political dynasty, more support than any of the front-runners from Establishment Republicans, plus a dogged and enviable work ethic. Giuliani and Schwarzenegger are both unorthodox stars in the GOP. The conservative base that resents McCain for campaign-finance reform and his moderate immigration platform probably won't be moved to abandon Romney anytime soon.
But for the first time in a while, there's a sense of excitement in the GOP field because of McCain's rise. Romney probably didn't count on as ineffable a quality as simple human charisma to do him in.
Romney is among the most ridiculed candidates in either field, and his Republican rivals have done a poor job of masking their personal distaste for him. Partly that's a result of the flurry of attacks Camp Romney's been volleying at the competition. But partly, it's something much more banal.
Because of his TV-movie-ready bio and because he's got charisma in spades, McCain will be a formidable opponent for either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton. The ground previously indicated that this was the Democrats' year to take back the White House, but national matchups show that McCain's rise complicates that assumption. The base is having a kiss-and-make-up session with the Maverick. If he closes the deal on Tuesday, then all those super-psyched Democratic voters might have some re-thinking to do.
Posted at 7:04 PM
Posted to:
Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via
