Rudy Giuliani in 08?

Rudy Giuliani, whose reputation amongst all Americans was enhanced by the 9/11 event, is considered the leading candidate for the GOP with John McCain.

However Giuliani is a moderate in the GOP, being pro-choice, favoring same sex marriage and is an advocate for gun control.

Yet he has a large popularity in the community, and is often considered by many commentators as one of the best chances for the GOP to retain the White House. In addition, being from New York, Giuliani's popularity would be a great asset in capturing that State's 31 electoral votes.

That is of course if New York's other favorite representative, Hillary Clinton doesn't secure the Democratic nomination. But like Clinton, Giuliani has a great capacity for fundraising, and would lead a very cashed up party to the 08 election.

But Giuliani does have some problems. He has been married 3 times, a fact that will surely be highlighted by his opponents, and certainly by the press. There is also little doubt that his previous health scare will feature in negative campaigns, if only at the whisper level.

In the last few days, the New York Daily News reported on a 140 page leaked report from the Giuliani campaign which detailed the strategy for the coming months. The Giuliani camp are suggesting that the report was stolen, by another candidate's team, although which one has yet to be reported. The Daily News however are reporting that it was from someone within the Giuliani camp sympathetic to another candidate.

Regardless, the report has brought attention to all the matters that Giuliani was seeking to avoid. It highlighted the anti-spin needed to deal with the issues of his former relationships, as well as his positions on social issues to help secure at least some of the right of the Republicans.

What effect this will have in the longer term remains to be seen, but at the very least it puts the issues out into the open once and for all, rather than being eked out by opponents during the primaries.