Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign strategy is sickening.
To borrow a phrase made popular by Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy, it makes me want to puke.
His constant mention of the World Trade Center attacks is becoming tiresome. Recently, "America's mayor" has found a quirky new way to remind everyone that he is Mr. 9/11 and that he loves his wife.
During a speech at a National Rifle Association function on Sept. 21, Giuliani's cell phone rang while he was at the podium, and he answered it. It turns out that his wife, Judith, was calling him because she was about to board an airplane.
This, of course, was his cue to bring up one of his favorite topics. He said that ever since that tragic day in September 2001, he and his wife makes a point to share words of love and encouragement before one of them flies.
While Giuliani's deputy press secretary, Jason Miller, insisted that the incident was unplanned and "a spontaneous, candid moment on the campaign trail." Many people, myself included, believe that it was merely a clumsy political gesture, about as subtle as, well, an airplane crashing into a building. Maybe, it wouldn't seem so obviously planned and scripted if it hadn't already happened more than 40 times during his campaign.
An unnamed member of his staff recently gave this estimate to a writer for the Wall Street Journal.
The informant went on to say that several supporters from inside the staff are concerned about the routine, calling the cell phone interruptions an "ongoing problem that (Giuliani) refuses to take advice on."
In addition to providing another opportunity to mention the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the cell phone stunt conveniently allows Rudy to declare that he loves his third wife in front of an audience.
I'm not saying that he doesn't love his wife; it just seems like an awfully obvious way to combat recent speculation that he and Judith have been having marital problems. Perhaps, by dropping everything to talk to her, he can make everyone realize what a dedicated family man he really is.
Maybe, one of these days, he'll get a phone call from his reportedly estranged daughter, Caroline, but let's not hold our breath.
Guiliani didn't even bother speaking to his daughter after her high school graduation ceremony last spring, according to the publication Slate.
Of course, his phone will probably be turned off if he's in the middle of a speech, so she would have to leave a voicemail.
What's really scary is that Rudy is doing really well, at least for now. According to pollingreport.com, Giuliani is currently leading in the polls for the Republican nomination and has been in the lead for months. The most recent poll listed, conducted by the Associated Press and Ipsos Public Affairs between Oct. 1 and 3, showed Giuliani leading with 25 percent, with Fred Thompson in second place at 22 percent. Encouragingly, this is actually the smallest margin in several months of polling by many different agencies including Gallup, ABC/Washington Post and CNN.
Perhaps, the American people are getting wise to his inappropriate use of his ties to Sept. 11 for political gain. Maybe, people are listening to all those New York firemen who say that he disrespected them by trying to put the recovery of bodies to a premature end.
One thing is for sure: The cell phone stunt isn't going to help him. According to a recent poll commissioned by Fox News, only 9 percent of Americans think that interrupting a speech to take a phone call is acceptable candidate behavior.
Next time, Giuliani, show some respect to your audience and turn off your cell phone before stepping up to the podium.
Jim Tuttle is a senior majoring in journalism and is a columnist for The Daily Collegian. His e-mail address is jft134@psu.edu.
