Jay Cost devastatingly argues against the idea that Giuliani is only "now playing to win" in New Hampshire. Has Giuliani "changed strategy"? Here's Cost:
OK - so we have the logic of the political campaign dictating that a candidate like Giuliani amp up his pitch in the fall. We have an alternative explanation - the changed strategy theory - that makes no internal sense, that does not fit the facts, and paints the picture of a campaign team that is inconsistent (this is the same campaign team that has been run professionally and well for eight or so months). AND we have Giuliani's people telling us that the strategy has been that they were always going to amp up in the fall. And yet the thesis of the story is: Giuliani changes strategy.
A better headline to the Politico story Cost discusses may have been, "Press wakes up to the fact that Giuliani is trying to win in New Hampshire."