The Mystifying Appeal of Rudy Giuliani (Cont.)

I've previously discussed my mystification about how Rudy Giuliani conned his way into a reputation as someone with a record on combating terrorism. Now, on the heels of this Village Voice piece, to which I've linked once before, the Washington Post has this Alec MacGillis article about how Giuliani's record does not square with his rhetoric.

And if Giuliani does not have terrorism, no matter how desperately he claims it, what, exactly, does he have? He has claimed to have cleaned up crime in New York City, and for this he deserves some credit, though crime dropped in cities across America during the exact same time period, and one suspects that William Bratton, Giuliani's police commissioner, deserves the lion's share of the credit given that crime rates similarly dropped in Boston (before his tenure in NYC) and Los Angeles (since) after Bratton and his seemingly magic touch swept into those cities. What beyond crime? Race relations arguably took a turn for the worse during the Giuliani years as the direct result of his policies. Many of the rescue workers from 9/11 loathe the man. His highest level of government is Mayor of New York City, a fine achievement, but hardly the sort of platform to give one credentials to lead the United States. So what is it? Could someone please explain the Rudy appeal?

The Giuliani Myth

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't get the Rudy Giuliani phenomenon. I have never understood his popular appeal, I have no idea why he became such a sanctified figure after 9/11, and he has shown me almost nothing on the campaign trail. Now we have this full-scale evisceration of Rudy's supposedly big selling point, his leadership during 9/11, and the glory he derived after that day. Wayne Barrett of the Village Voice addresses Giuliani's five self-perpetuated myths and takes them on one by one. (Via Jonathan Chait and TNR's "Plank")