Jan 25, 2008 7:38 pm US/Eastern
Aides Angry Rudy Not Getting Message Out In Fla.
Months And Millions Spent Have Led To Drop In Popularity
MIAMI (CBS) ―
With his political future on the line in next Tuesday's Florida primary, Rudy Giuliani stumped for votes Friday in Miami's Little Havana.
But he suffered a series of setback, including a major diss from a newspaper back here in New York.
And now comes word from sources inside the former mayor's campaign that he could drop out of the presidential race if things don't work out in the Sunshine State.
CBS 2 HD has been covering Giuliani in Florida all week.
The candidate was bathed in affection at a Cuban-American senior center on Friday.
"The Cuban American story is one of those great stories that shows that freedom prevails over oppression," he told the crowd.
But Giuliani was in for a rude awakening. Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, a Cuban-American, was expected to endorse John McCain. That could help cut into a reliable source of Giuliani's support.
With the Florida primary four days away and his future on the line, it was not what he needed to hear.
Privately, Giuliani's aides are complaining bitterly about his inability to get his message out this week. But he's been here for months and spent millions of dollars, only to see his popularity drop.
A Giuliani confidante tells CBS 2 HD the former mayor could well drop out of the race if he bombs at the polls here next Tuesday.
Compounding Giuliani's problems is the fact that he had just three events scheduled on Friday and apparently has only three scheduled on Saturday. That kind of campaigning doesn't seem logical for a person in his type of desperate situation.
But he's also hoping that the campaign's expensive get-out-the-vote operation here could result in an upset victory that could catapult Giuliani back into the race. The former mayor is battling fires on all fronts. The New York Times not only endorsed McCain in the New York primary, it fired a torpedo directly at the hometown candidate.
"The real Mr. Giuliani, whom many New Yorkers came to know and mistrust, is a narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man….Mr. Giuliani's arrogance and bad judgment are breathtaking."
He was confronted with those words at last Thursday night's nationally televised debate, but deflected the scathing criticism, saying those were some of the kinder words the New York Times have said about him recently.
"I probably never did anything the New York Times suggested I do in eight years as mayor of New York City," Giuliani said. "And if I did, I would be considered a conservative Republican."
It's not exactly clear if the New York Times attack will hurt Giuliani. Some of his aides are hoping it could help him with fellow Republicans.
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