Deconstructing Rudy
Here's what Newsday's Ellis Henican has to say about Guiliani's attitude towards the press: "He didn't like us. I mean, let's just start with that. He didn't like to be criticized. He took it all very personally. He was quick to anger, and he lashed out very quickly, all of which made things fun for the media who had to cover him."
It's important to remember that on Sept. 10, 2001, Guiliani was seen by the New York press corps as "just another tired mayor with a bad marriage." While Sept. 11 made him into "America's mayor" for the rest of the country, the reporters who had dealt with him for years didn't suddenly change their opinions about him.
"I think we think we had some insights that the rest of the world maybe hasn't tuned into yet," says Hennican. "When you're with Rudy outside of New York, he's treated like a rock star. They show up in huge crowds and they ask very respectful questions. You know, 16 years into this relationship with the guy that has kind of worn off in New York."
And here's The Village Voice's Wayne Barrett:
"Look, this is the first time we've ever had a serious candidate for president who's essentially running on the basis of what he did in a single day in his life. I think the other question is this: is the media really going to deal with the rationale for this candidacy? I know the media's ready to deal with Rudy, even in a critical way, on the questions of abortion, the gay issues, how they will float with the Republican constituency. But I've seen no interest on the part of the national media in examining Rudy's 9/11 record; it almost seems to be willing to accept it as a given."