Benito Giuliani

Cold
But amusing:

At first, Giuliani’s unusual strategy seemed unusual but not entirely irrational. He would win over Florida by proving that he loved it more than any other state, the way John McCain loved New Hampshire and Mitt Romney loved Michigan. But many commentators have pointed out — really very unkindly — that the longer Giuliani stayed in Florida, the lower his standing in the state polls.

And what happened? Shaun Mullen writing at The Moderate Voice may have the explanation:

His greatest strength is the substantial number of New York transplants in densely populated South Florida who know him well.

His greatest weakness is the substantial number of New York transplants in densely populated South Florida who know him well.

Now our very own Jazz accused the New York Times of plagiarizing some of my posts here on MEJ when they endorsed John McCain by slamming Rudy:

Why, as a New York-based paper, are we not backing Rudolph Giuliani? Why not choose the man we endorsed for re-election in 1997 after a first term in which he showed that a dirty, dangerous, supposedly ungovernable city could become clean, safe and orderly? What about the man who stood fast on Sept. 11, when others, including President Bush, went AWOL?

That man is not running for president.

The real Mr. Giuliani, whom many New Yorkers came to know and mistrust, is a narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man who saw no need to limit police power. Racial polarization was as much a legacy of his tenure as the rebirth of Times Square.

Mr. Giuliani’s arrogance and bad judgment are breathtaking. When he claims fiscal prudence, we remember how he ran through surpluses without a thought to the inevitable downturn and bequeathed huge deficits to his successor. He fired Police Commissioner William Bratton, the architect of the drop in crime, because he couldn’t share the limelight. He later gave the job to Bernard Kerik, who has now been indicted on fraud and corruption charges.

The Rudolph Giuliani of 2008 first shamelessly turned the horror of 9/11 into a lucrative business, with a secret client list, then exploited his city’s and the country’s nightmare to promote his presidential campaign.

Cold
But accurate!