Giuliani Off to Florida in 2008

“For us, it’s Florida,” said Mr. Giuliani in an impromptu press conference made difficult to hear because of the whine of various electric drills. “We’ll think about New York, California, Missouri”–he listed a few more states where his poll numbers are listing to starboard–”we’ll think about everything on the morning of Jan. 30.”

“We fully expect it to be awfully competitive,” he said. “So it’s playing out the way we thought it would play out. Now, the important thing is that it’s supposed to play out with us winning Florida.”

As to Florida, where a poll this morning shows him trailing McCain and Romney? Mr. Giuliani long ago declared this state his fortress, declining to compete in earlier primaries.

And, as this campaign has featured the Candidate Giuliani who no longer rips at his opponents’ jugulars for sport, he declined to attack any of his rivals, even those who now have taken the lead in the Florida polls. He gave another of those vaguely disconcerting benign grins. “I am having a great time,” he said. “I hope the other candidates are too.”

Not only have recent polls show him in a tight race with John McCain and Mitt Romney in Florida, but now a poll shows him trailing Mr. McCain in his home state of New York.