Giuliani’s strategy called into question

Rudy Giuliani, recently seen as a front-runner in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, won only 3 percent of the vote in the Iowa primary, and is trailing McCain, Romney and Huckabee in a recent poll of those likely to vote in New Hampshire’s primary on Jan 8.

“We have strong organization in many of the states that will hold primaries on Feb. 5,” said Jarrod Agen, spokesman for the Guiliani campaign. “Our goal has been to run a national campaign and to have the most delegates at the end of the day on February 5.” Agen said that Giuliani has not scheduled any trips to Michigan, which will hold its primary on Jan 15.

“Being out of the limelight for so long could really hurt Giuliani’s momentum,” said Cherie Strachan, associate professor of political science at Central Michigan University and author of the book “High Tech Grassroots” about the campaign process at local level.

Continued -Strachan called Guiliani’s strategy of ignoring the early states “dangerous” and said that it could backfire by saving the other candidates money they would otherwise have needed to use to counter messages from Giuliani.

The most recent Reuters/CSPAN/Zogby telephone tracking poll of likely Republican voters in New Hampshire shows Giuliani with 9 percent of the vote, just two points ahead of Ron Paul.

Among the GOP hopefuls Giuliani ranks third in funds raised in Michigan.

“I understand that campaigns have to make decisions,” Strachan said, “but to completely avoid a state as large as Michigan, seems to me to not be a strong choice in the long run.”

“Michigan is a very moderate state and Giuliani in the scheme of things is a moderate guy,” said Bruce Vanden Bergh, a professor and political advertising expert at Michigan State University.

Vanden Bergh said he believes the Michigan Republican primary will be a tight three-way fight among McCain, Romney and Giuliani.

“Giuliani to me is an interesting candidate. He has a warm urban personality, is tough-minded when it comes to crime, and he has a reputation as a conservative businessman,” Vanden Bergh said, “He is like the next generation in Compassionate Conservatism.”

Michigan is still a big manufacturing state, it is an extension of the East Coast manufacturing corridor, and is almost evening split between Democrats and Republicans, Vander Burgh said.

“From Detroit to Holland you have the spectrum of the county. Giuliani would appeal from Lansing to Detroit, Huckabee and Romney from Lansing to Holland.”

The race is still wide open, and promises to be an exciting one with a wide range of choices not seen before on the national level,” Vanden Bergh said, and he called former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee “a tremendous communicator,” a man with a knack for interpreting his positions and a compelling advocate of the pro-life position.

“Jim Carter also came out of nowhere,” Vanden Bergh said. “If you can capture the country’s imagination you have a chance to be President.”