October 28, 2004
PASS THE Q-TIPS:
ED & RUDY FORM 'AIR' FORCE FOR W. (DEBORAH ORIN, October 25, 2004, NY Post)
Two former New York mayors, Rudy Giuliani and Ed Koch, have teamed up to tape an odd-couple radio ad for President Bush that will run all over Florida in a bid to court ex-New Yorkers.The joint radio ad by Democrat Koch and Republican Giuliani says that "we often disagree," but they're both backing Bush because he can win the war on terror.
Giuliani says that while Bush is willing to stick with difficult positions even as public opinion shifts, John Kerry is a man who changes his position often, even on matters as important as war and peace.
Koch chimes in, "President Bush will go after the terrorists and the countries that harbor them. That's why, for the first time in my life, I'm voting for a Republican for president. I'm voting for George W. Bush. And I hope you will too."
A GOP strategist said, "You have a huge number of retired New Yorkers in Florida. Both Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani have universal name recognition, and they're both very popular in general and with Jewish voters."
Ex-New Yorkers and Jewish voters have become a prime target in Florida.
Hard to know what to make of polls these days, but FL doesn't even appear to be in play anymore, given the size of the leads the President is posting in Gallup and elsewhere. Posted by Orrin Judd at October 28, 2004 3:48 PM
Why limit this advertisement to Florida or concentrations of Jews?
This would play well all across the nation. Guilani because, of course his connection to 9-11, but also Koch's connection to the Democratic Party. People in California, Washington, Oregon, and the Midwest and South would react favorably. Certainly as much as they would to the TV hound McCain.
New Jersey would make sense, too. And Bush's internal polling in FL is apparently strong (of course, they wrote off FL based on a 5-pt. lead that disappeared in 2000). Here's the real test: Kerry still has commitments to FL; in fact, I heard he was to be there all day Monday. Now I hear that a diversion to Detroit might be in the offing. What do you call it when a Dem makes a campaign detour from Red State to Blue State?
Posted by: AC at October 28, 2004 4:50 PMLandslide?
Posted by: Joe at October 28, 2004 6:17 PM