Rudy Disavows Senate Run, to Disappointed Groans

No luck for supporters--or spectators--of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani's Senate ambitions

Former New York City mayor and Republican Presidential contender Rudy Giuliani today ended speculation that he would run for the Senate next year: he will not. Giuliani, who will be in Rio De Janeiro consulting for the 2016 Olympics, was seen as a strong contender against Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, who filled Hillary Clinton's seat when she left to become Secretary of State. Flouting hopes of a much-anticipated 2010 campaign, Rudy once again inspires the strongest--and strangest--reactions from people. Here, what people think about the latest Giuliani news.

• Why Do People Take Rudy Seriously?  Balloon Juice's DougJ sighs, "Let’s just stop pretending that Rudy has a future in politics at the state or national level." He explains, "I talk to a lot of New York State Democrats and (1) no one thought there was any chance that Rudy would run and (2) no one thought that, if Rudy ran, he’d have a chance of winning. [...] Rudy is a terrible campaigner who tends to poll well early on in races because of warm memories of the days when he was America's mayor. I thought everyone knew this after the 2008 Republican primary."

• Good News For Gillibrand!  Talking Points Memo chief Josh Marshall says this should bring a "Big Sigh of Relief for NY-Dems." He writes that it "is pretty good news for the NY Dems and Sen. Gillibrand since he was running way ahead of her in the early polls."

• Bad News for Gillibrand!  A Talking Points Memo reader dissents. "But in a drawn-out race, she couldn't wish for a better opponent. She's no more popular this morning than she was yesterday. But suddenly, [with Rudy out] she faces the prospect of running against a Republican who could grow more popular as the public gets to know him, instead of one weighed down by decades of baggage. There's no one who should be more disappointed by today's announcement than Kirsten Gillibrand."

• The End of Rudy's Career  Salon's Alex Koppelman makes the case. "Things can change down the line, of course, but for now this seems to be the end of Giuliani's career in politics, and the obituaries are being written. He did seem to have a shot at becoming either senator or governor, but at the same time he also had quite a bit of baggage to deal with, including the recent guilty plea of his friend Bernie Kerik. And certainly any hope he has of being influential in the political world from the private sector would have faded if he suffered another embarrassing loss like the one he faced in the Republican presidential primary last year."

• 'A Blow To Republicans'  Weekly Standard's Matthew Continetti is mourning. "Giuliani's decision doesn't mean the Republicans have no chance of taking the seat once held by Hillary Clinton. But it does mean they have less of a chance, and they've lost a potential national Senatorial spokesman for an assertive foreign and counter-terrorism policy."

• Rudy Has Other Interests  Gawker's Ravi Somaiya explains: "Giuliani To Concentrate on Cross-Dressing, Having Affairs."