The Candidates
???????The Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign is running radio an ad on the Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity radio shows, reports Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post. A link to the spot is contained in the article.
Does a presidential campaign run ads this early in the cycle because it can (afford to do so) or because it?must (to shore up support)? I am a?proponent of the latter theory, as I?opined when?the Mitt Romney campaign began running ads a?few weeks ago, though nationally syndicated radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt claimed the former theory applied to the Governor. We’ll see.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:50 am
Rudy must define himself in a positive way before others can define him negatively because he fits into too many liberal stereotypes. (New York Mayor, pro-choice, pro-gay unions, PC speaking style)
March 28th, 2007 at 4:52 am
Nice analysis, I think, econ grad student. Your theory aligns with my take that the Giuliani campaign is running the ad because they must rather than because they can. Perhaps they have a feeling or intelligence that some other GOP presidential campaigns are about to go negative on them?
March 28th, 2007 at 4:59 am
If we look at this from a game theory perspective (perhaps not justified). The candidate with the least to lose from going negative and the greatest ability to do so would be the most likely to go first. I’m guessing that’s Romney since you can’t go much lower in the polls and he has the war chest to fund a negative attack.
March 28th, 2007 at 6:17 am
Yes, Republius, ROMNEY’S campaign already has been going negative on Rudy’s.
But lets keep things positive:
http://www.nysun.com/article/51316
March 28th, 2007 at 6:24 am
In both the case of Romney’s TV ads, and Rudy’s radio ads, they were run because they HAD to. Its pretty simple. But wouldn’t you say that Rudy’s is less of a desperate thing? Romney had to because he was and is, going nowhere fast. Rudy’s is, because he has a message that he is trying to get out to a specific group - - conservatives. As a New Yorker while Rudy was mayor, this is all so odd to me. He has always been the republicans savior and nopw he is having to prove himself as a conservative. The country is yet to realize how solid a man and leader Rudy Giuliani really is.
March 28th, 2007 at 7:22 am
KT,
Maybe it’s because Rudy is starting to see polls with him loosing ground?
Actually I just think the whole thing is starting earlier now. So anything (not just adds) that was on time last cycle is late this cycle. Who knows, it’s all just guessing. It does signal that they both have the cash to do it.
March 28th, 2007 at 9:23 am
I guess thats how a Romneyite might look at it. I look at it as simple Rudy’s trying to reach out and earn people’s trust. Emphasis on the word EARN.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Very smart, Rudy.
March 28th, 2007 at 11:50 am
KT, would that be the same trust EARNING that Giuliani did when he went on Hannity to deny that he ever held his previous views on PBA, even though those views were a documented part of the public record? I’ll take a politician who is candid over his record any day.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Murphy, you mean candid like Romney’s? Of course he is candid. He changes his positions as he goes along, so therefore, he is candid!