Giuliani Hints Loss In Fla. May End Run

GOP Candidate Says He Expects To Win Tuesday; Polls Show Him Well Behind

(AP)  Rudy Giuliani, having bet almost his entire presidential campaign on Florida, hinted for the first time that he may drop out if he doesn't win the state's primary but insisted anew Tuesday that he intends to win.

"I expect to win it," he said. "You don't contemplate losing it. That isn't something you do on the day of a primary."

Polls show the former New York mayor, last year's national front-runner, trailing badly in the state where he has poured most of his time and energy in his pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination. If he wins Florida, he will have earned the biggest, brashest "I told you so" of his political career.

Lose, and Giuliani may be uttering his final words of the campaign.

"Wednesday morning, we'll make a decision," he told reporters between campaign appearances Monday. "The winner of Florida will win the nomination; we're going to win Florida."

Pressed to elaborate on that remark during morning TV appearances Tuesday, Giuliani declined to go further.

"We are going to win," he insisted. "Of course if you don't win you figure out another strategy"

Just last week, he insisted that no matter what the outcome in Florida he would continue running.

"In the past, I've done the impossible - things that people thought were impossible," he told supporters at a rally Monday. He was talking about immigration policy at the time, but he might as well have been discussing how to resuscitate his presidential campaign.

In an unconventional move, Giuliani largely bypassed the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan and South Carolina, pinning his hopes on a fractured field and the prospect that his moderate GOP record would attract support in the delegate-rich states of Florida, New York, California and Illinois.

Florida has been less than hospitable. Surveys show rivals Mitt Romney and John McCain fighting for the lead, and the state's top two Republicans - Sen. Mel Martinez and Gov. Charlie Crist - endorsed McCain.

Giuliani was the early favorite among Republicans last year, due to his larger-than-life role leading New York after the Sept. 11 attacks. But his early lead evaporated and he finished sixth in Iowa, fourth in New Hampshire.

He has settled on an all-or-nothing Florida strategy, and if he cannot pull off the upset, he will have scant support or resources left to compete with McCain or Romney in next week's 20-plus primaries and caucuses.

His poll-opening remarks Tuesday came on NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America."

[grazinggoat]

All that money lost and in the initial run. He should''ve not started running when he knew he was a fake national hero. I always thought he was a loser and here''s the proof. One never builds own reputation over dead fellow citizens and national tragedies...

Thank U Rudy for pulling out.

[gwagener]

My theory is that Giuliani is physically ill and has been trying to hide it. He quit in Iowa and NH not because he wasn''t gaining ground, but because he was too ill to keep up th rigors of the trail. He had that 17 hour emergency room visit that he never told us what really went on. He has kept the press away except when he was actually on stage. He is sick and can''t take it. Time to drop out.

[clestes-2009]

America is sick of unqualified bozos who THINK they can do the job of president. Look at what has happened with the last unqualified bozo as president.

Rudy doesn''t have any of the skills needed as president. No one would even know who he was if 9-11 had not happened and from what I read, he was worthless then. Talking and action are two different things.

He is no great loss to the presidential race.

[gwagener]

clestes wrote:
No one would even know who he [giuliani] was if 9-11 had not happened

----------
Actually, the only reason we know who he is was because Bush and Cheney went into hiding for 4 days after 9/11 and Giuliani took the role of the voice and face of the nation.

[hwy71so]

America is sick of unqualified bozos who THINK they can do the job of president. Look at what has happened with the last unqualified bozo as president.

Posted by clestes at 12:58 PM : Jan 29, 2008

Yeah, he got impeached. But, at least he didn''t inhale or "have s-ex with that woman".

The list of candidates is saddening. Maybe Ron Paul, as much as I hate to admit it, will pull something out of his pocket...

[briannorwood]

When asked why his campaign did so poorly, after such an early lead, Guiliani was quoted as saying "9/11 changed everything."

[sgtrds]

Rudy tried to suck off the blood of those who died on 9-11 and America got sick off watching him play vampire. Good riddance to bad garbage.

[gsonjagnath]

I have no problems if Rudy quits the race. He doesnot deserve to be in the race in the first place.
I am more interested to see, if the other Phoney RoMoney will be quitting after super Tuesday.

[ramos937]

I very much pray and hope that Rudy wins Florida and goes on to win the GOP nomination. If he does, I am willing to bet that he shows up in a dress for his acceptance speech and is interrupted by his boyfriend; holds up the phone and says, "hello dear, say hello to the delegates and the national audience". We badly need comic relief.

[sgtrds]

RexProphet

Except for the fact that Ron Paul is bat-sh*it crazy.

[b-easy63]

Judy was to Rudy--what Republicans tried to make Monica be to Bill, what Jessica Hahn was to Jim Baker, what Marilyn might have ended up being to JFK. For the love of twaaaaat--these mens almost destroyed their careers..except in Rudy''s case, the destruction occurred before he ever made it to his apex and not in the middle of it like it did with the rest. After the sordid stories about Rudy were widely known--the right had one more thing to try to look the other way on to take on Rudy--but after the stories about using public money and police to guard Rudy while he sought the boodie and to sometimes guard the boodie--most Americans said: To sleazy even for the new version of President.

[cdfoxtrot]

"Giuliani Hints Loss In Fla. May End Run". Well, whoop-y-do. First good news I''ve heard from Guili. Even if it''s rich-boy Dracula who gets the nomination, I can just about stand the remaining contenders on the Rep. side, if the remaining as-s-hole gets eliminated tonight.

[aaabee-2009]

Rudy Giuliani hinted for the first time that he may drop out if he doesn''t win the state''s primary "

Oh, no Rudy. Stay in, if only for the laughs.

Wow, another elitist right-wing politician hits the snowbank of reality.

McCain and Obama. Either one would be good.

[billpl-2009]

"Actually, the only reason we know who he is was because Bush and Cheney went into hiding for 4 days after 9/11 and Giuliani took the role of the voice and face of the nation."

Posted by gwagener

....hit the nail on the head, gwagener
It''s a amazing how few people realize this

[aaabee-2009]

Posted by b-easy63 at 01:55 PM : Jan 29, 2008

RECON OPS for ya there, buddy. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go get some and report back.

Do it for God and Country. Be a man.

If you can''t go to Iraq, son, at least stand up and do this.

[nolalou]

There once was a candidate named Rudy, who thought running for president was his duty, he skipped the early states, in Florida he laid his stakes, and now he''s about to get kicked in the booty!

[shanev137]

Every other word out of his mouth is 9/11.

[denn034]

Horray! He''s pro-choice and supports gay rights! What could he have been thinking? Giuliani is learning the hard way that one success, 911, isn''t enough. Here''s hoping he gets the boot.

[chitown639]

Bye bye Rudy!!!

[jonsid2]

Why are all Republicans so much in denial? Even George B-sh thinks de nial is a river in Egypt. They all speak out of body, like a "candidate doesn''t do this or that, or a president doesn''t do this or that instead of referring to themselves as not doing this or that. Is this a way of escaping reality? Maybe a psychologist can elighten me about this.

[gwagener]

"Actually, the only reason we know who he is was because Bush and Cheney went into hiding for 4 days after 9/11 and Giuliani took the role of the voice and face of the nation."

Posted by gwagener

....hit the nail on the head, gwagener
It''''s a amazing how few people realize this

Posted by billpl

I don''t know why people don''t realize it because it was so obvious at the time that Rudy was taking advantage of the situation for national attention. If Bush and/or Cheney had made any public appearences in those days then Giuliani could have done the exact same things in the exact same way and no one outside of New York would have noticed.

[gunownerdan]

Are you sick of endless wars?

Are you sick of big government and out-of-control spending?

Do you value your Constitutional rights?

If you said YES to any of these questions then there is only one candidate for you - Dr. RON PAUL.

ronpaul2008.com

[ddaymichael]

Well...you won''t have Rudy Giuliani to kick around anymore.

Herr Ghouliani seems to have found that you can only live off the dead of 9/11 for so long.

[bookwerm314]

Ideally, all the "LIEPUBLICAN" candidates will quit, and leave only Ron Paul. The others are pathetic, don''t deserve the name "republican" attached to them. They don''t support balanced budgets, they don''t support what is wise and sane, they DO support the "war" in Iraq.. Calling a war against "terrorism" (which is a TACTIC not a country) is like calling a war against clouds.. impossible. If we had spent a fraction of that money on spies, unconventional warfare, and targeted Aid, we would be hugely better off. .. But when you have a hammer (army), you look for nails. But when you have a brain, you look for solutions. They don''t have a brain.

[davidlar2]

He''''s pro-choice and supports gay rights! What could he have been thinking?

And to think that the Republicans are supposed to be the small government party that respects individual freedom and choices instead of government regulation and decision making for all....

What a joke- time to vote Libertarian, especially if given a choice of Clinton vs. Romney!

[truthspeake2]

Who told this idiot that just because he acted like any other normal human being on 9/11 (let alone mayor) and later had a photo op with the other idiot from Washington, gave him the qualifications to be President??? Good riddens G...retire and move to Florida where you''ll fit right in with crowd down there!

[feelfree1]

So long, Ghouliani.

Don''t let the (cell) door hit ya.

[monkeyman1140]

END IT NOW AND SAVE US ALL THE GRIEF!

Take Huckabee with you too. The last nation to put religious nuts at the top of its political food chain was Iran. We don''t need a christian mullah running our country.

[monkeyman1140]

Ron Paul is considered crazy because he talks about the constitution.

Mitt Romney is considered the christian conservative''s choice even though he is a Mormon cultist that believes jesus and satan are brothers, humans came from the planet Kolob, and the humans who didn''t fight on the side of jesus were punished with black skin.

Okay GOP people, you really got some serious head problems, I suggest every one of you see a psychiatrist.

[realtalk5950]

Yeah like people are gonna elect him president just because he made a couple of speeches after 9/11........right.......

[krisd999-2009]

I bet Giuliani Partners will lose all their arab "business" now that Giuliani is not going to be president. It''s a classic Mafia tactic-Scare those arabs, collect payments for "security".

[lawyertom1]

Goodbye Rudy. We do not need another authoritarian idiot in the White House.

[roger_inkart]

So...what''s this about Florida being ''Rudy Country?''

Maybe they meant simply ''Rude?''

[smirk5]

Poopusbuttus must be in hiding now.

"ICEMAN_1960
RED164
RAFTERMAN
SMIRK5

FEELFREE
HUNGRY1968
ZOOTALLURES
NEOBR
IAN
CONDUMISM
USAYESTERDAY
STARLEO
S
GTRDS
JH6379
FORMRUSMCSGT
FLOYDZEPP

TUCKERNDFW


You dummies are gonna lose in 08, and the man covered in this article will be the one to take you down....Say goodbye to you''''re disgraced wife of Bill Clinton and say goodbye to this election cycle''''s token homey........Giuliani will take them down....."

Posted by poopusbuttus at 04:04 PM : Dec 16, 2007

[sgtrds]

Guliani dropped out of the race.....so long as*shole......we won''t miss you.........

[clovisbuford]

What I really love as I looked around at the ones dropping out is "basset hound" Fred Thompson , he ran as poor a campaign as there is . Pulled in over 12 million dollars ,spent a litle over 5 million leving him 7 million to play with .Typical republican chasing dollars whee if you believe in an entrepeneurial spirit , Fred Thompson just scammed republicans to the tune of 7 million dollars ...errr allowed them to invest .