And--perhaps more of a bombshell--a source said Giuliani could use a Senate campaign (and victory) as a stepping stone to run for president, again, in 2012.
Giuliani will make a formidable Senate candidate, should he run--in fact, if he enters the race, he will likely become the frontrunner.
He polls well ahead of Gillibrand, who is considered vulnerable: he bested her 53-36 in a Siena poll released in October, while a September Marist poll gave Giuliani a 51-40 lead.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/11/giuliani-for-senate/30507/
Former New York Gov. George Pataki is the other big name on the Republican side. Giuliani likely has the advantage, as he consistently outperforms Pataki in head-to-head polling against Gillibrand. Pataki gets the edge against Gillibrand 46-41, according to to Siena; see more Pataki/Gillibrand matchup polling here. To my knowledge (and please correct me in the comments section if I'm wrong), no major polls have been conducted among New York Republicans on a potential Giuliani/Pataki primary contest.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/11/giuliani-for-senate/30507/
