Thanks to Lisa for posting that Team Rudy strategy memo. I still think it assumes way too much stasis between January 3rd in Iowa and January 29th in Florida. Meanwhile, further to his problems with social conservatives, libertarians and the small-government crowd, the front page of The Boston Herald identifies another apparently alienated constituency:
Italian-Americans Rip Rudy As An…
UNCLE TOMASO
On the Mitt front, I think Rich is right. As I said yesterday, if he wins Iowa, he can recover in NH, at least to a strong second. But for Huck to win would be embarrassing, not just for the other candidates but for the GOP. I’d rather have a principled isolationist like Ron Paul than a guy who believes you can fix the world with high-school analogies and, accidentally or otherwise, apologizes to the people of Pakistan for the murder of Benazir Bhutto. Did he also bring down General Zia’s plane?
As for who really gets the big picture, I’m inclined to agree with Michael Ledeen. But, absent any surprise developments involving American civilians directly (rather than London Tubegoers or Rawalpindi rally-attenders), this is not shaping up to be a war election. Which is one more reason why Rudy’s in trouble.