FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
When Rudy Giuliani decides to look around for reasons why his presidential campaign went nowhere, he might not have to look any farther than the pillow next to his.
Here's the lead line in a New York Daily News article today called "How Judi killed off Rudy Giuliani": "She brought enough political baggage to fill a Louis Vuitton trunk." Ouch.
The piece goes on to say that Judith was a major reason for the collapse of the campaign. One expert suggests that Rudy wanted to head up the "family values' party," yet she didn't fit that label. Even worse was his estrangement from his kids.
Some of the low notes of Judith's role included the use of taxpayer-funded NYPD detectives as chauffeurs while she was still the mayor's girlfriend, revelations of a secret past marriage, and her interrupting Giuliani's speech to the National Rifle Association with a cutesy cell phone call to say "hi."
There was also that Barbara Walters interview where Giuliani said if elected, he'd let his wife sit in on cabinet meetings. He later retracted the comment about Judi's potential role. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that she was a graduate of a 2-year nursing program with no college degree.
With the exception of the last few weeks in Florida, she wasn't even on the campaign trail that much. That went against what the campaign had earlier suggested, when it claimed she would be a big asset and "one of our key surrogates."
Here’s my question to you: What role did Judith Giuliani play in the collapse of her husband's presidential campaign?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Annie writes:
Rudy killed his chances all by himself. It wasn't Judith who used New York City's funds, it was him. And she wasn’t the one who decided to ignore the citizens of six states in favor of only those in Florida, as far as we know. He was on top in the national polls and blew it, with a lot of ignorance and arrogance. Reminds me of how President Bush blew it after 9/11 by invading Iraq. We certainly didn't need another one of those.
John writes:
Judith who? If anything it was his deciding to take the Fred Thompson path towards the nomination. That is sitting back and not showing that he wanted to be there. Also, as people are sick the race card being played, many are sick of the 9/11 card being played.
John from Johnston, Iowa writes:
It's a cop-out to suggest that Judith had much of anything to do with the collapse of Rudy's campaign. Whatever baggage she may have brought into their marriage and life, Rudy had trunks and suitcases full-to-overflowing of his own 'issues' with his name attached.
Mark writes:
Was she the one who advised him to skip the early primary states and concentrate on Florida? If not, then blaming her for his campaign's collapse is ridiculous. More than any of his baggage, his risky decision to skip the early states caused his early demise, not anything his wife may or may not have done.
Jim from Prosperity, South Carolina writes:
Who held a gun to the philandering mayor's head and made him cheat on his wife? Judith didn't play any role in Giuliani's failure; he did it to himself!
Floyd from Johns Creek, Georgia writes:
Jack, We shouldn't talk bad about the politically-deceased!