Earlier I wrote "it's hard to see how Barack Obama could defeat a candidate with the experience, credentials, and mainstream appeal of John McCain or Rudy Giuliani." A reader challenges Rudy's credentials:

Pray tell us the experience and credentials of Giuliani, who was elected to one office in his career, Mayor of New York City.

What other credentials does he have besides a great performance on 9/11? Does he even know where Iraq is? Do you know what "experience" is?

I doubt it now.

Please. For the record, there are 8 million people in New York City. To put it in perspective, that would make the Big Apple the eleventh largest State in the Union on a population basis. And you could argue that a place as dense, diverse, and complicated to run as New York City makes it a much more difficult job than, say, being Govenor of Arkansas.

Furthermore, Rudy's eight year record of achievement in New York City is nothing short of miraculous. Ask the people who live there. He reduced crime, lowered taxes and bascially breathed new life into a city that was in decay and dying.

That's a heck of a lot more impressive to most people than people who sit in an exclusive club in Washington D.C. and show up to run for President with a list of votes that may or may indicate any real level of skill, leadership or achievement.