While Giuliani's blunt personality and law-and-order emphasis have earned him something of a despotic reputation in New York City, says Douglas Muzzio, professor of public affairs at Baruch College in New York, when it comes to policies, he will be tough for Clinton to pin down. "Rudy is not a traditional Republican," Muzzio says. "He's pro-gay rights and pro-choice, and while that wouldn't play very well in a national race, it could play well statewide."
In addition, both candidates inspire fervent devotion or violent distaste — a factor that is likely to spill into their campaigning. "I think they're right on the edges of making their attacks personal," says Professor Lee Miringoff, Director of the Marist College Center for Public Opinion, "and they haven't even started yet. In a negative campaign, the best thing each of them has going for their campaign is their opponent."
To win the election, says Phil Klinkner, director of the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center at Hamilton College, each candidate will have to concentrate on mobilizing a solid, if unorthodox, combination of voters. "You've got this interesting mixing up of voting bases in this race," says Klinkner. "She has some appeal with independent or nominally Republican suburban women," while he may be able to corner some law-and-order Democrats. If she wants to emerge victorious, says Muzzio, Clinton will have to win back the women who have become disengaged with her candidacy, by talking about issues particularly appealing to women, such as education and health care, in substantive terms.
Once Giuliani makes his expected announcement to run, neither contestant will have time to breathe until November — at which point members of their passionate followings will duke it out at the polls. In the end, experts predict, this race could take on historic dimensions. Not just on the merit of Hillary's groundbreaking run as the first First Lady to pursue political office, but because it could turn out to be the ugliest and most expensive race anyone's ever seen. And hey, in New York, that's saying a lot.