January 16, 2008 12:43 PM

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Even more remarkable, this was the second time in three primary elections that the former New York City mayor ended up behind five of his GOP competitors -- including Ron Paul.

Despite spending an estimated $40 million in his pursuit of the White House, Giuliani has nary a primary victory to show. His political prospects have dimmed sharply in the past few weeks even as the Republican election has remained unpredictably wide-open. Indeed, the fact that Giuliani still stands a chance of grabbing the nomination - if he could pull off a victory in the upcoming Florida election - is more a credit to the weakness of the GOP, observers say, than to Giuliani's particular strengths.

"His strategy, to be blunt, was a stupid strategy and sometimes stupid things work," said Larry Sabato a professor of political science at the University of Virginia. "If he wins Florida he will get a slingshot and everyone will call them brilliant, but in retrospect it was incredibly stupid of Giuliani not to pick one of the primaries. He could have easily have filled the slot that McCain filled in New Hampshire."

For months, Giuliani has insisted that he could secure the nomination by winning the larger, late voting primaries. And yet, despite putting all his eggs into the Florida basket, signs suggest that the New York Republican is mostly rudderless in the Sunshine State.
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January 19, 2008 01:14 PM

This is, obviously, not a good sign for the Rudy Giuliani campaign. A poll set to be released next week will have the former New York City mayor trailing Sen. John McCain in his home state.
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National Review Online: Giuliani's "Late-State Strategy" Didn't Account For Dramatic Defeats

Jan. 19, 2008

(National Review Online) This column was written by David Freddoso

Rudy Giuliani was once the national Republican frontrunner. As late as mid-November, he was the frontrunner in Michigan. He now finishes last nationwide.

Now he’s just the odd man out.

Republicans have now held three major primary contests - Iowa, New Hampshire, and Michigan. And the proud Giuliani has now finished twice behind Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the man he once accused of blaming America for “inviting the attack of 9/11.” He even trails Paul in delegates to this fall’s convention - and the way things are going, he may never catch up. This week, he squeaked out a victory over “uncommitted” and Duncan Hunter. His performance was so bad in Michigan that almost nothing useful can be gleaned about it from the exit polling.

Giuliani’s so-called “late-state strategy” meant that he was to win big in Florida and in the delegate-rich states that vote on February 5. It did not necessarily include victories in the early contests. But neither did it include such dramatic defeats as he has now experienced. After finishing with four percent in Iowa and three percent in Michigan, if Rudy weren’t Rudy, he’d be a footnote. The large leads he once enjoyed in the early states evaporated quickly and before these contests ever took place, putting him at the bottom of the heap in a matter of weeks.
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DEVLIN BARRETT | January 29, 2008 11:07 PM EST | AP

ORLANDO, Fla. — Rudy Giuliani, who bet his presidential hopes on Florida only to come in third, prepared to quit the race Tuesday and endorse his friendliest rival, John McCain.

The former New York mayor stopped short of announcing he was stepping down, but delivered a valedictory speech that was more farewell than fight-on.

Giuliani finished a distant third to winner John McCain and close second-place finisher Mitt Romney. Republican officials said Giuliani would endorse McCain on Wednesday in California. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the public announcement.

"I'm proud that we chose to stay positive and to run a campaign of ideas in an era of personal attacks, negative ads and cynical spin," he said as supporters with tight smiles crowded behind him.
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gee isn't it amazing how people sometimes eventually see through a load of bullshit