By all the early measures it was a success, one that I think advances the storyline that Rudy is turning out to be an exceptional campaigner. He sounds authentic, likeable, and--all too rare in politicans these days--genuinely funny. He's also been spinning his tenure as New York mayor quite cannily, as when he bragged to his audience today about cleaning up midtown. (We drove pornography out of Times Square and other public spaces," he said to rousing applause. "The pornographers lost and they were driven out of Times Square.")
This AP story based on recent polling characterizes Rudy's conservative support as "tenuous," and it may be. He can't be too unhappy to be sharing first place among conservatives after a fair amount of publicity about his pro-choice views and personal life. But the question I suppose is what happens once flyers showing him in drag, for instance, start circulating outside of churches in places like South Carolina.
--Michael Crowley