There’s an interesting story in today’s New York Times regarding Rudy Giuliani’s highly creative relationship with the blizzard of impressive statistics he often cites about himself as mayor of New York City. It is not uncommon for pols to maintain a extensive mental library of triumphant statistical achievements that are at a minimum exaggerated, but Rudy seems to have taken this history-inventing to a whole new level. When he originally entered the race, conventional wisdom was that Rudy’s liberal social policy positions would turn out to be his great Achilles heel in the Republican primaries. Now, with the Bernie Kerik scandals, the “who pays the bodyguards while Rudy goes a’ courtin'” kerfuffle, and this apparent weakness for making up impressive statistics about himself, it would seem that character, not ideology, is becoming Rudy’s big vulnerability in these critical final days. I wonder if his rivals will overtly move their criticism in that direction. I’d guess the first hint will be when you start hearing the code word “cronyism” from his rivals. That’ll mean the shivs are out.
