Rudolph Giuliani at a Republican midterms campaign rally in Virginia. Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York city mayor who shot to national and international prominence after the September 11 attacks, has taken the first step towards a presidential run in 2008.
The Republican has set up an "exploratory committee" and filed the necessary papers so he can raise money for a possible bid.
America may well be ready for a moderate Republican like Mr Giuliani, who is for abortion, for gun control and a liberal on immigration. In his days as mayor of New York, he often cited the benefits of immigration to the city.
Despite holding on many issues the kind of liberal views that would fit comfortably within the Democratic party, Mr Giuliani can claim credibility on law and order. Crime fell sharply in New York on his watch, although the improvements had started under his much-maligned predecessor, David Dinkins.
The midterms showed Americans turning away from the Republican right, with Democrats doing well in plenty of "red" states. In the new political climate with the right on the retreat, Mr Giuliani must fancy his chances. He certainly is making the running at this stage.
Even though it is very early days, he leads among Republican hopefuls. A poll in Rasmussen Reports, gives him 24% support among Republican voters. The secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice - despite denying any presidential interest - is in second place with 18%, while the Arizona senator John McCain, who lost the Republican nomination to George Bush in 2000, has 17%.
Mr McCain, who will be 72 in 2008, has been courting the Republican party's right in past months in preparation for 2008, mending fences with figures such as TV evangelist Jerry Falwell, who he described in 2000 as an "agent of intolerance". But tacking to the right does not seem such a great idea after the midterms.
As geezer at the Outside the Beltway blog notes:
Conservatives better get used to our tent being big enough for Rudy to run, or get ready for Hillary to rule. We have no one else who can credibly push the nat'l security issues and still carry moderates and independents from across the board.
