Giuliani Bets Race On "Unconventional" Wisdom
NASHUA, N.H. -- Rudy Giuliani contends his pursuit for the GOP nomination is a strategy without precedent that he hopes will prolong his position as one of the Republican front-runners.
"My candidacy is an unconventional candidacy," said Giuliani, standing beside law enforcement officials and New Hampshire street cops as he was endorsed by the New England Police Benevolent Association today.
"From the day I started, I was a candidate that couldn't get nominated," said Giuliani, paraphrasing what he says people believed about him. "The Republican party wouldn't nominate me – I don't know how often I read those stories, back a year ago."
"The fact that we are where we are has already defied all conventional wisdom. We are running an unconventional strategy. We're comfortable with that strategy, and we think this is an unconventional election."
While he had poor showings in Iowa and trails behind in current New Hampshire polls before Tuesday's primary, Giuliani says focusing on the states that come later in the election was his campaign's intention all along.
"That was our plan from the very beginning."
Despite Mike Huckabee's win in Iowa and whoever takes New Hampshire, Giuliani believes voters in states like Florida, California, New York, and Illinois will come through to push him ahead in late January/early February regardless of whatever gains his rivals make in early January.
"Of course there will be some emotion or bounce from somebody winning or losing, but ultimately these are very big states," he said.
In response to comments Mitt Romney made today about Giuliani not being the "powerhouse" he once was, the former mayor calmly rebuked his rival.
"Mitt has his own struggle," said Giuliani, accusing both Romney and John McCain of having a "two-state strategy" rather than Giuliani's "proportionate" national strategy.
Laughing along with the cops that stood behind him, Giuliani expressed confidence in the risk he takes in hopes of dominating in February.
"We think we've figured this one out right, and either we have or we haven't, and we'll find out. Or maybe somebody else has or hasn't, and we'll find out."