Even as there are reports of New York Senator Hillary Clinton slipping in the polls, former New York mayor Giuliani is getting the brush-off, too.
He's still the leading Republican presidential candidate in national polls, but only by two percentage points over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, according to five national polls this month averaged by RealClearPolitics.com.
And in early-voting states, Giuliani's sinking fast. He's a distant third in Iowa, a closer third in New Hampshire and has sunk to fourth in South Carolina, according to recent polls. With Iowa's first-to-vote caucuses on Jan. 3 and New Hampshire's primary five days later, Giuliani's campaign appears to be sliding.
The troop surge in Iraq may be killing him off.
"There are certainly black clouds in the numbers for him," said Brad Coker, the managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.
The recent reduction in violence in Iraq may be hurting Giuliani. Toughness against terrorism is the cornerstone of his campaign. But Americans believe that President Bush's Iraq troop-surge plan is working and that's lowering their concerns about terrorism, Coker said.
What Rudy needs is a teensy little terrorism scare. Maybe the Office of the Vice President will oblige.
