Driving up Romney's negatives

Jonathon Martin:

In a big strategic shift, Rudy Giuliani hammered Mitt Romney’s record on three fronts, saying it was time to “take the mask off and take a look at what kind of governor was he.”

Using some of the toughest language of his campaign, Giuliani, in an interview with Politico, slammed Romney on health care, crime and taxes. At the same time he portrayed the one-time moderate as a hypocrite on a host of social issues who lives “in a glass house.” It was easily the most sweeping attack Giuliani has delivered against Romney in this campaign.

“He throws stones at people,” Giuliani said in an interview on his campaign bus. “And then on that issue he usually has a worse record than whoever he’s throwing stones at.”

The Romney camp responded by calling Giuliani's attack "nasty" and offering a point-by-point rebuttal.

Judging by Giuliani's rhetoric, he has appeared for weeks to be running more against New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, than any of his Republican foes. But as his poll numbers have dipped in this critical state, the former New York mayor has stepped up his campaign schedule and TV presence and also begun to take dead aim at Romney, whom polls show as the GOP front-runner here.

“I think there’s a difference between a guy who gets results, real results, that were applauded nationwide and somebody who had a mixed record at best as governor,” Giuliani said.

...

The story gets into the specifics of the attack on Romney's record. I am not sure how effective this new tact will be for Giuliani. Romney has certainly been the most promiscuous in criticizing his opponents and he should not be surprised to see attacks on his own record. Most of the previous attacks on Romney have been on the ambiguity of his passions, i.e. flip flopping on issues. However, Rudy's above the fray posture seemed to have been working, but perhaps they saw something in polling in New Hampshire that they believed gave them an opening. I frankly like both better when they are attacking Hillary.

Byron York looks at how, “The oppo is all online now.” He describes the current clash as between " The Cronyism Narrative vs. The Authenticity Narrative."