Robert Tracinski

Giuliani is, of course, most associated with the September 11 attacks on New York City; since then, he has been a strong supporter of the War on Terrorism. And while other candidates have attempted to alter their views on abortion, "gay marriage," and other parts of the agenda of the religious right, Giuliani has not done so--which has actually worked to endear him more to conservative voters. The article I linked to above, about Romney's and McCain's meanderings on abortion, ends with this observation: "Meanwhile, Giuliani soars [in the polls] despite offering social conservatives few concessions. Perhaps the moral of the story is this: If you can't respect life, at least try to respect pro-lifers' intelligence." Giuliani is earning points just for taking a stand and sticking to it.

Even more interesting is a speech he delivered this week outlining his domestic agenda. According to a report in the New York Sun, Giuliani "call[ed] on the Republican Party to redefine itself as 'the party of freedom,' focusing on lower taxes, school choice, and a health care system rooted in free market principles." In particular, Giuliani defined the difference between Democrats and Republicans in this way. "He said that while Republicans believe that the American economy is 'essentially a private economy,' Democrats 'really believe, honest, that it is essentially a government economy.'"

And Giuliani has now established a decisive lead among Republicans.