The New York Times-20080127-Hopes Pinned on Florida- Giuliani Sees Tough Week

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Hopes Pinned on Florida, Giuliani Sees Tough Week

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How a candidate knows he is up against it: His rivals repeatedly praise his virtues and lob softball questions his way in debates. He calls himself an unusual fellow for an unusual election. And an actor stumping with him uses a tale of being cast nearly 40 years ago as a low-life gigolo to inspire wavering voters.

This is Rudolph W. Giuliani's life on the campaign trail, just days before the Florida primary, on which, as he has fully acknowledged, he has staked his candidacy. He has even come to embrace his new status here, which is confirmed by a number of recent polls.

I like feeling like I'm an underdog, Mr. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, said here Saturday morning. I think underdogs get a lot of sympathy -- they get a lot of support, they get a lot of interest. But who knows? Who knows if somebody is an underdog or not an underdog?

It is hardly unheard of for political candidates to try to bury weaker rivals by praising them. Senator John McCain of Arizona -- who was himself praised quite a bit by his rivals last summer when his campaign skidded -- called Mr. Giuliani an American hero at a debate on Thursday. The next day, Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, said he thought Mayor Giuliani certainly has the capacity to call on the American people to come together in a greater cause.

Mr. Giuliani remarked on the phenomenon at the debate, after Mr. Romney lobbed him an easy question about trade with China. When Mitt Romney asked me a question, notice he asked me a very nice question, Mr. Giuliani said, drawing laughs. So I think I've lulled him into a false sense of security.

It has been a tough week. After Mr. McCain announced that Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, had endorsed him and called him Fidel Castro's worst nightmare -- which could harm Mr. Giuliani's efforts to woo Cuban-American voters in Florida in Tuesday's vote -- the Giuliani campaign countered with news releases about his endorsements from a Port St. Lucie councilman and a state representative.

And, encroaching on Mr. Giuliani's turf, Mr. McCain was endorsed by two New York police unions -- the Captains Endowment Association and the Sergeants Benevolent Association -- at an appearance in Fort Myers.

Asked why it had not endorsed Mr. Giuliani, Roy T. Richter, the president of the 3,000-member captains' group, said, Rudy was there for the country at a great time of need, but we believe John McCain is the man to lead the nation now.

Mr. Giuliani has stood on the sidelines recently as Mr. Romney and Mr. McCain have clashed with each other. For much of the campaign he has said that he would go after his rivals only to counter attacks against him. Then, on Friday night, he named them.

Governor Romney is attacking Senator McCain for being a Washington insider with not enough expertise and understanding in economic matters, he said at a Republican dinner here. And Senator McCain is attacking Mitt Romney for being a manager, not a leader, and lacking experience in foreign policy and national security matters.

The choice is clear: Floridians deserve someone who has been tested and proven in both areas, he said. And that's me.

Asked later Friday about using their names, he laughed.

In this particular case, it would have been very hard to not use their names when I was trying to point out that one was pointing out a deficiency in the other, he said. I would have had to say, 'Mr. X said about Mr. Y, Mr. Y said about Mr. X,' and I would have gotten confused. It would seem easier to use their names.

By Saturday morning, the concrete had again yielded to the abstract.

One is pointing to the other and saying, You don't know enough about the economy; the other is pointing at the first one and saying, You don't know enough about foreign policy, is how the distinction was drawn here Saturday morning.

The crowds that turn out for Mr. Giuliani seem adoring enough. He drew more than 200 at the Columbia Restaurant here Saturday morning. But when he asked how many had voted early -- which his campaign has been pressing its supporters to do for two weeks -- only a few hands went up.

As the day went on, the Giuliani campaign began to take on the look of one of the former mayor's old 8 a.m. staff meetings at City Hall. An event in Orlando billed as a Women for Rudy rally drew some rather masculine attendees, including the former deputy mayors Peter J. Powers, Randy M. Mastro, Joseph J. Lhota, Robert M. Harding and Randy L. Levine.

Some of their staff members also attended, and on the risers were some of the New York reporters who covered them. And, just for a bit more New York flavor, Curtis Sliwa stopped in with some Guardian Angels. It was a little like a 10-year reunion for the class of 1998. We're here for one reason, and one reason only, Mr. Lhota said, and that's to have Rudy Giuliani win the Florida primary and go on to Feb. 5 to win New York..

The actor Jon Voight stumped with Mr. Giuliani as well, calling him an angel sent from heaven to save New York. Mr. Voight said that in the end, he believed the voters would choose Mr. Giuliani -- just as he had won the role of Joe Buck, the aspiring gigolo in Midnight Cowboy, over a better known actor.

When people go to the polls, and they make this one little pause before they vote, and they say, Who will make the best president, Mr. Voight said, and of course they say, well of course, Rudy Giuliani -- they're going to vote for him.

[Illustration]PHOTOS: Members of the Guardian Angels, including the groups' founder, Curtis Sliwa, right, were part of a sizeable New York contingent Saturday at a rally ofr Rudolph W. Giuliani in Orlando, Fla. (PHOTOGRAPH BY DON EMMERT/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE - GETTY IMAGES); Mitt Romney, left, with his Florida campaign chairman, Al Cardenas, stopping for lunch in Lutz. (PHOTOGRAPH BY RICHARD PERRY/THE NEW YORK TIMES); Senator John McCain took his turn while meeting with restaurant workers in North Fort Myers. (PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN CROWLEY/THE NEW YORK TIMES)