As snow and blizzard conditions continue to pound the northeast, the Republican presidential candidacy of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani seems to be left out in the cold as well. As a national leading candidate, Giuliani is seeing his popularity in Iowa and New Hampshire stuck in the single digits and is moving his efforts further south in preparation for February 5 Super Tuesday primaries.
Giuliani has not been politically active in the two northern states for nearly a month, pointing out that by winning one of the 18 primary states to hold elections February 5, he can gain more delegates than winning both Iowa and New Hampshire. He is concentrating his appearances in the south, basically conceding the two states to the other candidates. According to polls shown at usaelectionpolls.com, Mike Huckabee is in the lead in Iowa and Mitt Romney, while facing a challenge by John McCain is holding first place in New Hampshire polls. McCain is gaining favor among moderates and is viewed by one political poll as better able to handle terrorism than Giuliani.
Giuliani has faced media scrutiny over his personal life as well as some aspects of his tenure as mayor. His presence during the World Trade Center terrorist attacks made his a well-known name and the recognition he gained helped him in the early days of the Republican primary. However, Romney and McCain have begun to erode his base of popularity and in many states, he is tied with Romney.
How the caucus in Iowa and the primary in New Hampshire shakes up the Republican field will also have an effect on Giuliani's future popularity in the later primaries. If enough delegates are split among the three other candidates, it could greatly boost Giuliani's showing in later primaries.
Breaking News: Obama and Huckabee are predicted winners before caucus has started.
