Rudy Giuliani is inching closer to becoming a Republican candidate for President for the 2008 election.
The former New York mayor and perceived hero of 9/11 told The Associated Press on Saturday "There's a real good chance,"
Should Giuliani decide to run, he will be the only Republican candidate in the field with any real “star appeal” right now other than Arizona Sen. John McCain. That would not mean that other candidates would not catch fire which is what occurred during the Democratic side of the 2004 Presidential run.
The problem for which has been repeated in the media is whether he can capture the Republican vote due to his prior positions on “hot button” issues such as abortion, gay rights, gun control and other social issues which are key to getting the hard core Republican loyalists.
However, should he run, it will be as a Republican as he formerly did not declare that fact when filling out election financial papers.
He does have about $1 million available, having paid expenses associated with the campaign.
Other candidates besides McCain appear to be Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. .
His statement equating current President George W. Bush as one of the nation's "great presidents," is a mixed bag. Conservative Republicans have had contempt for some of Bush’s social policies such as immigration and the budget. They have also attacked him for failing to mention those bedrock issues in the State of the Union Speech. Yet, Bush has been hard nosed on foreign affairs. Conservative Republicans in the primaries might accept Giuliani’s embracing of Bush as proof of Giuliani’s credentials or they could see it as an affirmation that the former New York mayor is not “one of them”.
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