Contrary to the image painted of him, Rudy Guiliani entered the Nomination run mild mannered, not as the tough talking Mayor he was noted for. Did that change cost him his bid to become the Republican Nominee, or was it something else?

Today, the public hero of 9/11, Rudy Guiliani, dropped out of the Republican Race for President, and endorsed the running of John McCain, the winner in Florida, and South Carolina and New Hampshire.

Giuliani made the announcement at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library a day after suffering a debilitating defeat in Tuesday’s Florida primary. (source)

In watching his run for the White House, I wondered what it was that was different, changed from having watched him during the 9/11 crisis. Was it that he was the only public figure actually being seen on that fateful day, thus garnering the attention, the worship? Or was there something else, and frankly I think there was.

To begin with, prior to his entering the race for President, he was an outspoken supporter of Gay Rights. He marched in New York’s Pride Parades, and he was always supporting the rights of Woman to Choose, but when he entered the race for the White House, it all changed. His once determined stance for various rights, that were at odds with the Republican Conservatives, altered, as he tried to do what a true leader should never do, he waffled.

John McCain, Mike Huckabee, haven’t wavered on their core beliefs. On Immigration, McCain has merely shifted focus, while also acknowledging his mistake in putting the emphasis on ‘amnesty‘ versus ‘security‘. Not a shift in belief, just a shift in priority, while Guilianni shifted on belief. To once support abortion, support gay rights, then waffle, is not a mark of a leader. His shift is seen more as an attempt to cozy up to the very people he should be opposing.

It was an appearance of pandering to a Special Interest Group, the Religious Right of the Republican Party, and that perhaps is what really cost him. Then too, there was his lack luster performances in the debate. Just as it ended the run by Fred Thompson, it has ended his run. He simply didn’t come out fighting, to match the persona created by his actions on 9/11.

There will be a lot of second guessing on his campaign strategy, but frankly I think it simply comes down to the fact that in this campaign, he failed to ignite people’s imagination. He might have been able to beat Hilary Clinton, but he is no match for a Barack Obama. Whether John McCain can is another story. Simple truth is that Rudy failed to inspire people with any type of vision. He didn’t come across as strong, he didn’t elicit confidence, and that is what is needed today.

Some will claim it is the baggage he brought with him, that cost him the nomination, but I would disagree. I think we all have our baggage, some more than others, but he never tried to rise above it. He let it beat him, and I wonder, if he really wanted the job. And if that is what other people were thinking, then it is no wonder he didn’t do well in the Primaries.

Whoever does win the White House, this November, should not forget Rudy Guiliani though. He could be an excellent choice for several cabinet level positions, given his character, and his abilities. Too bad, he didn’t showcase them, or he might be the one trying to put together a cabinet in November.