Mayor Of The World: President Of The U.S.?

Is it Giuliani time -- for real, not some made-up sensationalism? When the Old Left starts lining up against you, you can be damn sure they consider you a threat:

On the other side of the coin, they have had to ignore the mountain of data attesting to Mr. Giuliani's astounding success, beginning in 1993, in restoring lawfulness, order and energy to a city caught in a relentlessly downward spiral--and this, long before, demonstrating authority and compassion, he leapt into the hearts of Americans everywhere in the aftermath of 9/11. The fact that there is a niche market for a product like "Giuliani Time" should perhaps rather be seen as further evidence that today, five years after September 11, the former mayor's star continues to burn brightly in the national political firmament --a s far as the Angry Left is concerned, much too brightly for comfort.

I am intrigued by a Giuliani candidacy. His hawkish mentality toward terrorism, global rogues and crime -- and his more moderate (some would say liberal) attitudes toward social issues -- appeal to the middle (as defined in today's terms) of the political spectrum. In an uncertain and argumentative time, he may strike the perfect note.

Helping to burnish Mr. Giuliani's image around the country have been, ironically, a number of major disasters in which the sort of calming hand he demonstrated in New York has been sorely missed. One of them was the London subway bombing of July 2005; another, not two months later, was Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and whole swaths of the American South. Although Mr. Giuliani said very little about either of these events, he did not need to say much. His presence in London during the subway attack (he had earlier been made an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire) summoned fresh recollections, for the British and for television viewers worldwide, of his commanding role in the aftermath of September 11. As Katrina unfolded, he was the figure to whom the hapless politicians of Louisiana were most often unfavorably compared. Former Clinton White House adviser David Gergen was not alone in lamenting about Katrina that "you can't tell who's running anything. I mean, there's no Rudy Giuliani in this story."

Those of us outside New York City are waiting to see what a prolonged campaign holds for Giuliani, and whether his message plays in the primaries.

But what about 2008? Are Mr. Giuliani's prospects real, and is he indeed a contender? More particularly, what are his chances in a Republican field where he might well be handicapped by his reputation not as a reactionary right-winger but, to the contrary, as a social and cultural liberal, especially on such issues as abortion, gay fights and immigration? ...

Like Eisenhower in 1952 (the last election year without an incumbent in the race), Mr. Giuliani brings a record of genuine, copiously documented and broadly recognized achievement. His star status, together with that record of substantive achievement, gives him leeway to transcend ordinary political categories. In particular, his combination of a wonkish, even Clinton-like, passion for addressing real problems--so much on display during his mayoralty -- with a Reagan-like ability to articulate not only the implacable nature of America's enemies but the glory and promise of the American dream -- so much on display in the wake of 9/11 -- makes him an immoderate centrist, one whose appeal will continue to cross party lines.

Mr. Giuliani's well-earned reputation for aptitude and proficiency can likewise serve him well with swing voters who have lost faith in George W. Bush's competency. He could even be that rare Republican able to bring into play the overwhelmingly Democratic states of California and New York; this alone could make him a formidable candidate in 2008.

With the likelihood the Democrats will push further to the Left in their 2008 primary season, a middle-ground Republican can easily win -- if he or she makes it to the general election.

Rudy: The New Ike? I'm liking the sound of that more and more.

P.S.: If you're interested in following Giuliani closer, this blog has all the Rudy scoop. (And debunks the McCain-is-the-frontrunner mentality.)