When 81 percent of Americans say they'd be willing to consider voting for an independent candidate for president, you have the makings of a political revolution. Okay, the rhetoric may be a bit overheated, but the American electorate is hot, angry and now, for the first time, afraid. We were always sure the future would be better than the past, but no longer. The national mood is not just anti-incumbent, and it is not just anti-Republican. Thanks to a whole lot of federal failures – Katrina, illegal immigration, wasteful spending, perceptions of economic stagnation and political corruption – we have become anti-Washington. A credible presidential independent will be someone who is not tied to the Washington political establishment but can point to a record of results. He (or she) will say "no" to the lobbyists and special interests but still have the financial means to run a serious national campaign. Such a candidate will attract considerable attention – and perhaps some serious votes. There's only one person in America who fits the bill: New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Pundits who have written off Rudy Giuliani are nuts.
As he explores a 2008 bid for President, Giuliani sits atop the Republican pack in most polls – with support that will not quickly erode, despite his stance on some social issues. … That brings us to Giuliani's third big weapon: the triumvirate of results, success and solutions. My polling and focus groups make clear that Republican voters are not looking for the kind of "revolution" that swept their party into Congress in 1994. On the contrary, they are looking for what George W. Bush promised to be in 2000 – a "reformer with results." If Giuliani can present himself as that man, he can win the nomination. It may open up a temporary rift in his relationship with McCain – but that can always be healed by offering the senator a spot on the ticket. Stranger things have happen.