Giuliani Plays Role of Backer With Relish
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN - NYT
Rudolph W. Giuliani's address last night at Madison Square Garden followed weeks of marathon campaigning for President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. From personal appearances on the campaign trail to television spots and radio and newspaper interviews, Mr. Giuliani seemed to be everywhere aiding the re-election effort, a role that is tailor-made for the former mayor.
In his speech, Mr. Giuliani invoked images of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in a way that few political figures can. He laced his address with personal experiences, like when he saw a body plummet from the World Trade Center, and partisan attacks on the Democratic nominee, Mr. Giuliani touched some of the most fundamental issues of the campaign, according to his prepared remarks, which were released earlier in the evening.
Mr. Giuliani applauded the president's decision to invade Iraq, saying that Saddam Hussein was himself a "weapon of mass destruction." He emphasized the themes of leadership and compassion, and he compared the president to the wartime British prime minister, Winston Churchill, and the last American president of the Cold War, Ronald Reagan.
In his remarks, he recalled how President Bush "stood amid the fallen towers and said to the barbaric terrorists who attacked us, 'They will hear from us.' "
He said they did hear from the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries that may now be reluctant to sponsor terrorism. To keep that campaign going, Mr. Giuliani said, the president must be re-elected. "We owe that much to our loved ones and heroes we lost on Sept. 11," he said.
Mr. Giuliani, more than anyone else, can talk about Sept. 11 in a political context, while simultaneously inoculating the Bush-Cheney ticket against accusations that it might be trying to exploit the national tragedy for political gain, political consultants said.
The last few weeks have been the highest public profile Mr. Giuliani has had since he left City Hall and started a consulting firm. His role as cheerleader-in-chief has fueled speculation that Mr. Giuliani hopes to emerge as the party's strongest presidential hopeful in 2008. Polls show that Mr. Giuliani has tremendous support among the party faithful and among voters nationwide, though he says it is too soon to begin thinking about 2008.
"I may run for office again, but I will wait until after this election to see what makes sense, what works, what do I want," Mr. Giuliani said in an interview.
But no matter who wins in November, there will be a crowded field of Republicans in 2008, not to mention another New Yorker that would be vying for the same contributor and voter base, Gov. George E. Pataki. It is therefore natural that as Republicans renominate Mr. Bush to what would be a second and final term, the jockeying for a future shot at the presidency has already begun.
That has led to some signs, however subtle, of frustration among Republicans at Mr. Giuliani's' ability to sit on the sidelines and remain so popular.
"Giuliani has a unique role in the country as a hero, as a strong leader and he has the added option of not having to vote on anything, which allows him to have very high approval ratings because he doesn't have to take tough positions," said Scott Reed, a Republican political strategist. "He is about to face a fork in the road if he wants to run nationally: how he deals with the social and economic conservatives which are the base of the Republican Party."
The answer may begin with the Bush-Cheney campaign and the convention. Helping to re-elect Mr. Bush, and helping to promote a Republican agenda, can only help Mr. Giuliani with the party faithful.
Mr. Giuliani laid some of the groundwork last night with a speech that did some heavy lifting for President Bush. With the race very close, and a few key states in play, Mr. Giuliani spoke to a potentially important swing vote, like Jewish voters who are primarily supporters of Israel. While small in numbers, they can play pivotal roles in places like Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio, analysts said. Democrats have been concerned for weeks that Mr. Kerry has done too little to address concerns among that important bloc of voters, while Mr. Giuliani seemed to speaking right to them.
"Terrorist acts became a ticket to the international bargaining table," Mr. Giuliani said in his prepared remarks. "How else to explain Yasser Arafat winning the Nobel Prize when he was supporting a terrorist plague in the Middle East that undermine any chance of peace."
Mr. Giuliani also served the convention as a voice of moderation, which dovetailed with the dominant theme of the week. Republicans working to re-elect the president see the convention as a chance to win over undecided voters.
Mr. Giuliani, who represented an overwhelmingly Democratic Northeast city, played to that theme, as did Senator John McCain, who also spoke last night, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, who is scheduled to speak today.
But where Mr. Giuliani helps the most is with the central issue of the convention, and the campaign - leadership.
In his remarks, Mr. Giuliani sought to imbue Mr. Bush with his own imprimatur, again recalling the day of the attacks.
"Spontaneously, I grabbed the arm of then-Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and said to Bernie, 'Thank God George Bush is our president,' '' Mr. Giuliani said in recalling the moments after the attacks. "And I say it again tonight. 'Thank God George Bush is our president.' " |
