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WASHINGTON- Only a year remains until the presidential election and the top candidates are gearing up for the long haul.
Part of that push is endorsements. Candidates hope that who likes them early, will translate into who will vote for them later. Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani won a major conservative endorsement on Wednesday. Television evangelist Pat Robertson named the former New York mayor as his choice in 2008.
Giuliani appeared to give an uncomfortable thank you speech to the controversial Robertson. He said, "I am very honored by this endorsement. Pat Robertson is a very well known leader, a person of great well deserved reputation, someone who has, as Ted pointed out, run for president of the united states, been all across this country, understands i think to a very large extent what America is all about, and has very well articulated the overall issues of our time."
Robertson called Giuliani, "a proven leader who is not afraid of what lies ahead and who will cast a hopeful vision for all Americans."
The Giuliani campaign hopes the endorsement will help him reach Christian conservatives. Two other Republican candidates that have the eye of Christian conservatives say they were a little perplexed by the endorsement.
Family-values candidate, Mike Huckabee and one-time front-runner, John McCain both weighed in. Huckabee said, "I congratulate Rudy for getting that endorsement. Somewhat of a surprise to me, but politics is all about surprises."
While McCain stated, "Every once in a while I am left speechless, this is one of those times." McCain was endorsed by former presidential candidate and senator Sam Brownback. Brownback says he feels McCain is the best pro-life candidate to beat Hillary Clinton.
Current front-runner, Mitt Romney also commented on the Robertson endorsement and explained, "You can't win 'em all."you know, everybody has their own choice. Again, I'm happy to have the support of Dr. Bob Jones. I can't get all the social conservatives to endorse my candidacy. The people will choose a lot of different paths."
Among those endorsing Romney are Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the moral majority, and Bob Jones the third who is the grandson of the founder of evangelical Bob Jones University.
On the Democratic side of the primaries, Hillary Clinton is still leading the democratic field, but her lead over Barack Obama has slipped a bit, from 30 points in October to 19 points now.
Clinton's momentum had been building steadily, month by month, since the spring. But last month, it reached 51-percent and it has been declining since then. Still, Clinton in a head-to-head general election race beats Giuliani by 6-points among all voters.
Analysts say that part of Clinton's decline is what many call her stumbling answer on illegal immigrants obtaining a drivers license in the debate late last month. When asked whether illegal aliens in New York should have drivers licenses, she didn't answer the question directly. This week she sat down to explain.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama has been sharpening the contrasts between himself and Clinton. Obama is running on a message of change and said the partisan strife during the years that Bill Clinton was in office shouldn't be repeated. He says as president, he wouldn't waste time revisiting old grudges.
Posted by: Beth Hoag
Published: Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 5:22 AM
Last Updated: Monday, April 7, 2008 at 1:12 PM |
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