Rudy Giuliani to barnstorm through Destin

For the second time in less than a month, a GOP candidate for president will make a stop in Destin.

Thursday morning, Republican presidential hopeful and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will make a short stop at Destin’s The Donut Hole restaurant to meet with supporters.

Giuliani,who gave the keynote address at the Walton County Chamber of Commerce’s 80th Anniversary Dinner in September 2006, is expected to arrive at the Destin eatery at around 9 a.m. before heading off to a campaign rally at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City at 1 p.m. Giuliani is expected to end his day in Pensacola but will also swing through Fort Walton Beach.

Brent Chandler, owner of The Donut Hole, said Giuliani’s visit is an excellent showcase for the community. “It’s good for our business, but it’s also good for Destin. I think it’s impressive when Charles Morgan has all of those people at Harbor Docks, and regardless of your political persuasion, it’s really great for the city,” he said. The Donut Hole has hosted similar visits from Gov. Charlie Crist and former Gov. Jeb Bush, Chandler said.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed Giuliani backed by 20 percent of the likely Republican primary voters in Florida, second behind Arizona Sen. John Mc-Cain. The poll had former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who made a whistle stop visit in Destin in December, with 19 percent of the vote.

To the surprise of some political experts, Giuliani did virtually no campaigning in the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, won by Huckabee and McCain respectively. Giuliani is practically banking his candidacy on winning the Jan. 29 Florida primary.

Craig Otto, chairman of the Okaloosa Republican Executive Committee, said Giuliani’s visit cements the county’s political importance, both in the state and nationally. “I believe all the candidates, Democrats and Republicans alike, recognize that the voters in Okaloosa County do indeed influence the outcomes of these elections,” he said.

When news of Giuliani’s visit broke, Otto sent an email, urging the county’s Republicans to attend Giuliani’s visit. “The Democrats have been making a strong showing in Destin,” the e-mail read. “We need to show our strength ... even if you are supporting another candidate, this will be good for the party just to listen.”

Last year saw a pair of high-profile Democratic fundraisers at Destin’s Harbor Docks Restaurant. In July, the restaurant hosted former President Bill Clinton and a $2,300-a-plate fundraising dinner for his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and her presidential campaign. In October, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean attended another fundraiser at the restaurant.

Charles Morgan, owner of Harbor Docks, has been responsible for bringing the big names to the area. He said Destin will continue to see big-name candidates make visits in the coming years.

“We’ve invited people to come here and speak, and now Destin is on the political map. When you do it once it makes it easier to do it again,” he said.

Published on Wednesday, January 16, 2008