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I just got off a Giuliani campaign conference call reviewing the second quarter fundraising numbers. Campaign manager Mike DuHaime emphasized that the fundraising is starting to reflect Giuliani's leading position in the polls, and reinforces why he's the only Republican candidate who can not only win the primary, but the general election as well. DuHaime said that Giuliani "redraws the electoral map" by having a chance to win states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, and at least put in play states such as New York, California, Michigan, and Illinois. In recent elections, Democrats have been able to avoid spending money in the three biggest media markets (NYC, LA, and Chicago), but Giuliani's presence in the race would force Democrats to contest those states.

Asked about the huge fundraising disparity that has opened up between Republicans and Democrats, DuHaime said they were just focused on the primary for now, and once the general election rolls around, he's confident Republicans will rally around the nominee, as Democrats rallyed around John Kerry in 2004 in the general, and fundraising didn't end up being an issue for him.

DuHaime said they had "room to grow" their donor base, which stands at 57,000 (lower than the 72,000 for McCain and 80,000 for Romney), because thus far they have made a tactical decision not to focus on low-dollar donations, but that focus will begin to shift.