Bullish on Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani and his advisers are gushing with optimism that he is headed for the Republican presidential nomination—and eventual victory in the general election next year. The case is set forth in a new e-mail memo to "Team Rudy" by Brent Seaborn, Giuliani's strategy director, and obtained by U.S. News.

"Overall our operations and poll numbers are strengthening in Iowa and New Hampshire," Seaborn argues. "The mayor continues to do very well in South Carolina and Florida. (With Michigan moving its primary to January 15th, I suspect the mayor will enter that race in a very strong position.) Our advantage in states with the most delegates is proving to be solid and durable. We are positioned to both compete in and win the traditional early contests, Florida and key February 5 states. Furthermore, public polling continues to prove we are the most competitive and viable general election candidate against Hillary Clinton."

What has particularly heartened Giuliani and his strategists is that in several of the big states that will hold primaries February 5—such as New York, New Jersey, and California, and also the smaller state of Connecticut, with a total of 350 delegates at stake—Giuilani is a strong front-runner.

"Given the complex nature of delegate allocation in other states plus large leads in delegate-rich states like California and Illinois, a triple-digit delegate lead after February 5 is a distinct possibility," Seaborn says.

--Kenneth T. Walsh