(((((PING)))))
More than anything else, however, Giuliani looks like a winner, a Republican who can defeat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) or Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Giuliani would have appeal to independents and even Democrats, and he'd have a better chance than any other Republican on the planet of carrying states in the Northeast and industrial Midwest. At the very least, he'd force Democrats to play defense in states they take for granted.For Republicans, electability suddenly takes on increased importance after the party's defeat in the midterm elections, and a number of veteran Republican insiders argue that Giuliani's apparent appeal in the general election could entice GOP primary voters and caucus participants to look past his views on social issues.
Those are plenty of assets, and they help explain why Giuliani performs so well in early polls.