Four-way tie in Florida
Giuliani is focusing most of his resources on Florida's January 29 primary (Photo Credit: AP)
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Republican Rudy Giuliani has enjoyed Florida nearly all to himself over the last several weeks as most of his rivals battled it out in the earlier-voting states, but a new poll out of the state Monday suggests the former New York City mayor's onetime dominant lead there may have evaporated.
According to a new Quinnipiac Poll, John McCain has the top spot in Florida with 22 percent. Rudy Giuliani is a razor-thin 2 points back at 20 percent. Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are essentially tied with Romney at 19 percent. Fred Thompson is at 7 percent.
Giuliani has focused the majority of his campaign resources in Florida, which votes January 29, deciding to largely bypass many of the states that vote earlier in the presidential primary calendar but are worth significantly les delegates.
In an interview Sunday, Giuliani said Florida - with a large population of transplanted New Yorkers - was a state that naturally favored his candidacy.
"The reality is as these primaries played out, certain people were very strong in some, and you had to look for the opportunity where you had the best chance to demonstrate your strength," he said. "And it turned out that the analysis was that Florida was the best place for us to do it."
- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Anybody who has exploited 911 like he has deserves to lose.
Bow out now Rudy. You are a disgrace.
well the good thing is you can get all your voters in one cab, this is a pic of all the people in the country that voted for gullianii,
Agree with Doug.
If Romney manages home and business well and is very successful financially . . . I wonder what he will do for the success of the Country? DUH
Guilianni and McCain can't even manage the finances of their campaigns and Huckabee has never tried to earn his own way.
I agree with Dough 1000%!!!!!
I think Rudy is a disgrace how he exploits the victims of 911. I hope he bows out very soon.
-Cheonast, I agree with your assestment of Romney 100%. I am not sure what 'doug' was trying to accomplish by poiinting out all these "strengths" of Romeny's . . . "Married his high school sweetheart?" "Was valedictorian of BYU (aka world's most conservative religious university)?" Those two comments make me more worried than confident about him. My 85 year old granfather might think he is the ideal candidate, but this 30-something year old will vote Democrate before Romney.
You false republicans can forget it! If you won't help your brothers elect Ron Paul, we'll sit out the general elections in November. You can kiss the white house good bye.
Clinton and Obama will DESTORY McCain, Romney, Gui, and Huckleberry. Their voters will rally against you.
You can ignore the best republican and pretend he doesn't exist, but his followers vote in numbers!
You can't win without the Ron Paul followers, case closed.
Help us help you (or have a dem for president).
Why would we do this? Becase they are all the same, you just haven't caught on to it. It doesn't matter if it's a dem or rep if you don't help us elect Paul. That's where our clear conscience comes into play.
Test us in this and see if we don't open the floodgates of heaven.
What we need is a strong leader as president. We do not need a preacher, an old military person, a has been actor, none will do. This country is failing economically and when we fall it will be a hard landing. WAKE UP America, and look at the condiates!!!! Romney is the only candiate who has longevity in a marriage, in bulding wealth, who has intregity, who stands behind his religion. I respect him as the person and leader. He is the only candidate who doesn't need to be president, but whom will be great once elected.
Rudy has become rich off 9/11 and Huckabee is a Clinton wantabee. McCain has an ax to grind,and Thompson should just retire to the farm.
You know, I see the headline ("4-way tie"), and then the picture of Giuliani, and I think that he must be leading slightly, right? No. A good newspaper would never put a picture of single candidate with a story about a 4-way race. Either photos of all four, or none at all, maybe a graphic of the state with four head-shots smiling down at it, or perhaps some campaign event where there are signs for all four candidates. But never a picture of a single candidate.
If the story was meant to focus on Giuliani's campaign efforts there, then how about the headline "Poll shows Giuliani's Florida strategy in jeopardy"?
Bam Bam vs Hillarios is getting to be a bit of a joke.
Romney Economy got my vote when he said JOBS, JOBS, JOBS
McCain is WAR WAR, but I need a job not a WAR
Rude Rudy is a non starter.
Rudy was great during 911, but now he makes me chuckle everytime I hear or see him. God bless him.
CNN,
And why is my comment awaiting moderation? All I said was:
Doug,
Well done. I agree with you 100%.
Thank you.
Oh good God! I've had it with the Ron Paul supporters! Do you want to know why your candidate didn't get mentioned in Florida? It's because he consistantly polls in 6th PLACE! He had a 5th place showing in Iowa, a 5th place showing in New Hampshire, no showing at all in Wyoming, and consistantly low numbers in every other state! He might pull a suprise in Michigan since it's a wide open primary an finish 3rd at best, but that's the height and end of his campaign right there. I'm happy you all found a candidate you enjoy drooling over, but please, please don't keep annoying us with your expectations that we will bend over backwards for him just because you like him. Right now he's a 5th place finisher with not a single poll showing him leading in a state. He will be treated as such. Mike Huckabee got the same treatment till he moved the polls in Iowa, why should your guy be treated any differently?
I think it's disgusting how Giuliani has exploited the victims of 9/11 for his political gain.
I think it's disgusting how his solution to every political issue is to fight.
He is the equivalent of a child who only knows how to bully others to get his way. We're seeing what that gets us.
You want to vote Republican, vote for McCain. At least he's a respectable man.
With regards to Fred Thompson Nixon said it best, he is "Dumb as Hell".
Norm January 14, 2008 6:10 pm ET
Has anyone spent any time teaching the people of Florida how to vote?
That comment annoys me.We have been the victims not of our ignorance but by the crookedness of politicians.
The real reason he passed on all of the other states is because he didn't want to be put under the microscope like the others. Too much would have come out and he thought he could just get elected without anyone asking questions.
Looks like a rogue, smells like a rogue, talks like a rogue, ......do the math.
If Rudy, Fred or Romney don't win in Florida, then they should think about bowing out. I know that I would not ask any of them to bow out until after Feb. 5th. With all of those states having their primaries then, there should be some candidates that bow out after that. I can't understand why Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter are still in it. They won't win anything. They should go back to the House and wait there or retire.
Good luck down there in FL Rudy. You get now news. Know why? You haven't got 1 single delegate yet. 3 states down – no delegates. Not looking too good for you.
once again, why do you refuse to mention ron paul's name in this article? your responsibility as a member of the media is to report all the news. your job is not to influence the news – or the outcome of an election! – by refusing to report on each candidate, whether or not you think he (or she) will win. RON PAUL 2008!!