The American Spectator

The Rudy team has up at his website a YouTube video of Rudy shopping in an Iowa Wal-Mart for some granola bars. Is it just fun footage or are they making a point? He is asked if he'd be in favor of Wal-Mart's and Costco's in Manhattan. (You can just imagine the Manhattan elite rolling their eyes at that prospect.) Without blinking an eye he responds that he was always in favor of big box stores since they bring down prices and help consumers. What would you rather have-- John Edwards' populism or Rudy populism-- is, I think, the point of that one. (He also gets asked about ARod --his eyes light up at the chance to talk baseball -- and confirms that due to weather delays he got to Iowa at 7 a.m. before the debate.) No one has accused Rudy of being a snob and this does give a sense of his unpretentious quality.