Who's the Republican I'd least like to see the Democratic nominee run against next year? This topic came up in my conversation with Markos of Daily Kos last week. And he was pretty clear that he thinks the Republicans' strongest candidate is Rudy Giuliani. But I'm having a hard time getting my head around this question.

Basically I agree. He's their strongest candidate. For all his problems of temperament, authoritarianism, ignorance and general ridiculousness, I know most people don't see him that way. The sheen of 9/11 is real for Rudy. And many otherwise sensible people see him as a generally moderate guy on social policy who couldn't be as stupid as Bush in managing the country's foreign policy but would still be ready to kick some ass to keep everyone safe. He's the only one of their crew who could put even a few reliably Democratic states into play.

I don't think he's wears that well over time. And I think the generally bleak outlook for Republicans would doom his candidacy. But these things are definitely possible.

So yes, he's their strongest candidate. Unless, that is, he splinters the Republican party and spawns a third-party social conservative protest candidate who siphons off numbers even in the high single digits and he gets crushed.

So their best candidate or their worst. I'm already repeatedly on record saying that I think it's ridiculous to believe that Rudy can win the Republican nomination with the burden of his social liberalism and personal profligacy. (A prediction that isn't looking as good as it once did.) And if he does, that certainly suggests there should be some sort of revolt on the right. And the Dobsons and other hardcore right-wingers are certainly talking a good game about supporting a third party candidate.

Those of us who've watched a few of these cycles know that these threats seldom pan out. But on the other hand I don't think we've seen a case in modern history where the presidential nominee was against what is arguably one of the party's two or three core issues.

So I can't really make heads or tales of this whole question. All the possibilities require outcomes that common sense tells me are not likely to happen. Who can help me with this?

And as long as we're on the question of Giuliani, another point. As Sullivan noted today, in quoting Jimmy Breslin, if we're on the subject of fascism, Rudy may be a better mark to revive the the use of the name than someone wearing a suicide belt in Tel Aviv.

My point of comparison would be Benito Mussolini. You've got the extreme hostility to civil liberites and the foreign policy adventurism. But I'm not thinking so much of the harder and sinister side of the fascist dictator as his more comic and melodramatic traits. The strutting peacock on the balcony, the histrionic gesture, the rich personal vanity. I propose to term my insight 'combofascism'.