The Presidential Logic of a Giuliani Candidacy: New York City (the way it was) and Divided Government

But more than anything, Mr. Giuliani's New York is the laboratory that proved the failure of Democratic Party policies, just as his role as a Republican mayor in helping to revive the city is a vindication, he argues, of the very conservative policies that Republicans assert are at stake in this election -- personal responsibility, low taxes and the right balance of civil liberties and security. Again and again, he tells wide-eyed listeners of visiting London before he became mayor and being handed a brochure, that was being given to New York-bound Englanders by travel agents, that listed 10 tips to avoid being the victim of a crime."

"You know what the last tip was?" he asked. "'Don't make eye contact.' Can you imagine going to a city and being told you shouldn't look at anyone?"

Giuliani invokes the Time magazine cover headline in 1990 that most New York City residents would just as soon forget -- The Rotting of the Big Apple, and it goes a long way in explaining how Giuliani got elected -- twice:

Finally, the Democrats will probably hold onto the House and Senate in 2008 (because the GOP screwed up -- and they know it), so by putting a Giuliani in the White House, we'll be giving divided government a chance.

Disclosure about how well I'm trying to manipulate you: the headline of this post has an Emotional Marketing Value Score of 47.06% with equal appeals to your intellectual and empathetic spheres . . .