WI: Rudy Giuliani Ran For A Third Term As Mayor

What if Rudy Giuliani had used his popularity following 9/11 to, like Bloomberg would later, get the term limit for New York's mayor bumped up from two terms to three terms (if not repealed it), and ran for a third term as mayor of New York in 2001?
 
*Bump*

Come now. The Mayorship of New York city is incredibly prominent and important. You've also affected Rudy's political career if he managed it. In the OTL, he burned out. He ran for higher office as "America's Mayor", and started with earlier popularity, but got bogged down under things like his inability to not mention 9/11 and relate it to whatever he was talking about, and critiques of his leadership started to pop up. Maybe another term as mayor could act as a better incubator for higher politics, and certainly his tendency to relate everything to 9/11 would fly much better with New York City given the tragedy was especially local to New York City.
 
He made noise about doing it after 9/11. Part of the problem was the short amount of time between the aftermath of 9/11 and Bloomberg's Jan 2002 inauguration. In any case, the response to Giuliani bringing up the question of changing the city charter, at the time, was quite negative.
 
I don't think a third term as mayor does much for his political prospects... Pataki is still governor till 2006 so thats out; Hillary isn't up till 2006, Schumer in 04 would be a blood bath that at best Rudy would have a 1/3 chance of winning

Rudy's best path to the presidency IMO

W appoints him first chief of homeland security and he has no scandals between 02-04; Kerry narrowly defeats W (maybe even losing the popular vote)

Iraq war goes shitty as OTL if not worse due split government; financial bubble still pops

Rudy runs in 08 against a weakened Kerry with no other moderates and at least 2 hard core conservatives splitting the base vote (call it Huckabee/Santorum whatever)
 
He would have to avoid a Senate run and the public implosion of his marriage. Plus various other things (police shootings, etc.) which started to eat at his popularity late in his mayoralty. Maybe Bubba persuades Moynihan to run for a final term if Hillary says no to a statewide run. Finally you have Giuliani's prostate cancer... dunno how you manage that.

However if Giuliani disclaims Senate interest and keeps his popularity reasonably high, then he can arm-twist and get the term limits amended or repealed. If 9/11 still happens then term limits won't be a real issue. The question is what he does with that third term- back to business as usual. Running against Hillary is fruitless but maybe he aims for the open governorship or Presidency.

For a POTUS scenario, I think BW's scenario is most plausible though IMO unlikely. Rudy was too socially liberal to be nominated.
 
Giuliani got a lot more positive press for 911 outside new york than in it. New Yorkers are more aware of the lack of communications between responders, eg police and firemens radios wouldnt communicate with each other, which Giuliani did nothing about in his tenure. Just for instance.
 
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