There’s some interesting buzz on Rudy Giuliani that’s just now beginning to percolate in DC: his Ralph Reed gambit, and its failure, may be the first ripple that starts a long downward spiral of cyclical bad press (or not so glaringly glowing press) that is inevitable.
Mort Kondrake, among others who are rational and intelligent, has been busting on Rudy for the naked political calculation behind his Ralph Reed fundraising foray. It compares starkly to John McCain’s methodical, effective ongoing attempt to declaw and even woo the former enemies who helped sink him in 2000. McCain’s Falwell effort, and other evangelical fence-mending occurring behind the scenes, are being handled deftly.
The net result here is that Rudy only got dinged, but there’s now some exposure on his political judgment, and the fact he lined up with an Abramoff associate simply to curry favor with an important GOP presidential primary constituency — one he has very little in common with culturally.
It’s easy to get good press travelling around the country as “America’s Mayor” raising money for GOP candidates in a tough election season. The terrain beyond that is treacherous.