'He's Not Being Talked About Among the Republican Contenders, and His Ego Can't Take That'

Is America ready for another Rudy Giuliani presidential run? Even some of his supporters don't think so.

Confident that he'd have a chance to win, Rudy Giuliani is rounding up his top political advisers for a possible 2012 presidential run, sources tell Page Six.

Sources say the tough-talking former mayor "thinks the Republican race will be populated with far-right candidates like Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee, and there's opportunity for a moderate candidate with a background in national security."

Giuliani has even scheduled a trip to New Hampshire for next month to meet with constituents in the state that failed him in January 2008, when he placed fourth in the Republican presidential primary.

The problem is that even Rudy loyalists think it's a bad idea. "They think this is crazy," a source said. "They realize how long the odds are, but they are standing by."

Some insiders say it's a way for Giuliani to stay relevant. "He's not doing all these morning talk shows because he enjoys the conversation, it is because he wants to stay in the game," one said.

"He has previously said he would not run again, but he wants us to think he will," a different source said. "He's not being talked about among the Republican contenders, and his ego can't take that."

He'd never fare well in the GOP primaries and if he wants to stay relevant, he can always run against Kirsten Gillibrand in 2012. In fact he probably would have beaten her in 2010 and likely would have had a decent shot against the unctuous Chuckie Schumer. Otherwise, he can always enjoy life in the public sector. His only shot at getting into the White House will possibly be as a cabinet member in the future.

Update: Now Giuliani is denying he's running.

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