Support for Giuliani boils down to two things. The first is determination to stop Hillary Clinton from becoming president. Polls show Giuliani is the most competitive candidate against Clinton in a general election. The mayor contrasts himself with Clinton and other Democrats at every opportunity. Michael DuHaime, Giuliani’s campaign manager, has said nominating hizzoner would put states such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, Washington, and Oregon in play for Republicans for the first time in years.
Republicans respond to this argument. Last week’s Washington Post/ABC News poll found that nearly half of the Republicans and Republican-leaning independents surveyed thought Giuliani is the candidate with the best chance of winning in 2008. A recent Gallup poll found that 74 percent of Republicans surveyed said Giuliani would be an acceptable GOP presidential nominee. Among self-described "born again or evangelical" Christian Republicans, 69 percent said Giuliani would be acceptable. Leaving a restaurant in Le Mars, Iowa, after Giuliani had spent an hour taking questions, I overheard one man enthusiastically say to another, "How’d you like to see him debate Hillary!"
If terrorism is America’s number one issue in 2008, then I see Giuliani winning the presidency.
