Former New York City mayor and presidential contender Rudy Giuliani kisses a baby while visiting supporters and customers at the Fat Lady Restaurant in Oakland, Calif., Friday, March 23, 2007. Giuliani also gave a brief news conference.

Giuliani woos Oakland GOP in quick visit

Frontrunning 2008 Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani pressed the flesh, took questions and — yes — even kissed a baby at a restaurant here Friday, underscoring how even Democratic strongholds won’t be ignored by the GOP in this primary race.

The former New York City mayor arrived promptly at 3 p.m. at the Fat Lady near Jack London Square, a restaurant and bar popular with downtown business people and attorneys — the sort of fiscally conservative, socially liberal Republicans who make the Bay Area such a happy hunting ground for the pro-choice, pro-gay-rights Giuliani.

“I’ll buy you a beer, Rudy,” a patron called as Giuliani made his way through scores of people who’d packed the small restaurant; at the rear, he ducked into the men’s room to don a red, white and blue tie. “I’m so glad you’re running~,” another patron told him as he emerged.

Outside, Giuliani told reporters the House’s vote Friday to tie almost $100 billion in Iraq war and other spending to a timetable for a 2008 pullout is “a big mistake. … You don’t let your enemies know what you’re going to do.”

On Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace’s recent statement that homosexuality is “immoral,” Giuliani said, “Morality is judged between you and God,” and as a Catholic he hews to Jesus’ wisdom in decreeing, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

On immigration, he said security is key — “We’ve got to know everybody who’s in the United States” — and called for a system in which all immigrants are registered, photographed and issued tamperproof identification.

But, why is Rudy campaigning in Alameda County where only 17 per cent are registered Republicans? The California GOP selection rules that apportion nominating delegates by Congressional District and…….

Rudy is planning ahead to the general election when he hopes to be the first GOP Presidential candidate since 1988 to carry California.

Only about 17 percent of Alameda County’s registered voters are Republicans, and only about 7 percent of Oakland’s. But California’s Republican presidential primary is no longer a statewide winner-take all; instead, the GOP presidential candidate with the most votes in each congressional district will get that district’s delegates.

Hence Giuliani’s interest in pitching woo somewhere like Oakland: In a way, he gets more bang for his buck here. Carrying a majority of the 31,000 Republicans in Democrat Barbara Lee’s 9th Congressional District would win him three delegates, the same as winning some other, more GOP-heavy district.

Hizzoner continues his California campaign swing:

He had a fundraiser Friday night in San Francisco and has fundraisers scheduled for Saturday morning in Monterey, Saturday afternoon in Newport Beach and Sunday near Santa Barbara.

Previous:

The Rudy Giuliani Files

Technorati Tags: RudyGiuliani

2008 Race Rankings: Giuliani’s In The Lead

The Hotline’s Marc Ambinder and NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd will collaborate on race rankings until we don’t.

We’ve got a new No. 1 this week, and it reflects several realities. For one thing, there’s a deep hunger on the Republican side for a candidate who can rebrand the party after seven-plus years of President Bush. Also, the issue stuff just doesn’t seem to be hurting Rudy Giuliani yet, and we can’t help but think that the early predictions of his doom were overstated.

These rankings are ordered by likelihood of winning the Republican primary and are based on a number of factors, including organization, money, buzz and polling. Click here for Democratic rankings.

1. Rudy Giuliani Last Ranking: 2

There are three distinct camps among those Republicans who don’t think Giuliani will win the nomination: the McCain camp, the Huckabee camp and the Arlington camp. The McCain camp believes questions about Giuliani’s business practices and his personal character will disqualify him, and that his liberal positions on issues will be the coup de grace. The MSM is mostly in this camp. The Huckabee camp believes Giuliani is objectively too liberal to be the nominee and will not vote for him. The Arlington camp doesn’t know whether Giuliani will be elected but worries — for the sake of its organizations’ bottom lines — how a social liberal would affect the power and influence of organized conservative interests. If the election were held tomorrow, Giuliani would win. He doesn’t have McCain’s organizational strength, money, or endorsements, but he has a solid and growing lead in national polls. And so far, he’s repelled some fairly devastating attacks (like the notion that he does not speak to his son).
Fundraising projection: $15 million, +/- $3 million. Fundraising ranking: 3.

*****

Hotline is merely parroting the polls that show Rudy in firm control, particularly in states that vote on Super Duper Tuesday, February 5, 2008.

Hizzoner does not have to win Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina to be a viable candidate on February 5th. But, today, he EVEN contends in these states.

Watch the fundraising numbers this next week.

If McCain’s numbers are NOT good, no matter what spin his campaign churns, the race may be over for him.

Previous:

The Rudy Giuliani Files

Technorati Tags: RudyGiuliani