The Man With the Plan…

Much is being made of the lost/stolen “top-secret” campaign strategy for the Giuliani presidential campaign. The “battle plan” is said to be 140 pages and to contain spreadsheets, fund raising plans and a list of potential liabilities.
The Rudy camp says that the plan was stolen by rivals and, while that may be true, it is absolutely inconsequential.
Why?
Well, my friends, arise and draw night. I’m about to give you the secret to becoming President of the United States of America. Actually, it’s no secret at all:
Raise a buttload of money.
That’s right. Cash. Greenbacks. Scratch. The key to winning your party’s nomination for the Presidency and even winning the election is directly related to your ability to raise funds. Regardless of whether Rudy’s playbook was lost or stolen, raising dough is something he’ll have no problem doing.
So what if there’s a list of potential liabilties? Bernie Kerik…Rudy’s ex-wife Donna Hanover…who cares? Rudy knows his liabilities and, quite frankly, so do his challengers. In fact, his playbook is so super-secret, that it looks like President George W. Bush’s playbook:

Giuliani fund-raiser Dickerson served as a deputy to the chief fund-raiser of George Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, and the papers suggest Giuliani will model at least the fund-raising portion of his campaign explicitly on Bush’s. Several pages appear to be Bush-Cheney campaign internal budget documents and are marked “confidential.”

Bush divided his main fund-raisers into “Rangers,” who raised at least $200,000 each, and “Pioneers,” who raised $100,000. Giuliani’s metaphor is baseball: “Team Captains” are responsible for $1 million each in contributions, and “MVPs” bring in $200,000 each. Bush’s “Pioneers” become Giuliani’s “All-Stars,” and those who raise $50,000 are “Sluggers.”

Yeah, thoroughly shocking, isn’t it?
This whole story is a non-story and the only thing “shocking” about it is the New York Daily News’ speed in getting this story to press.
The only “insurmountable” problem that Rudy might have is whether he can get the Republican base to turn out for him in the primaries…but that’s something he’s been worried about all along.
William Smith
ConservativeBlogger.com