With Mayor Bloomberg seemingly out of the running, state Republicans are turning their focus to Rudy Giuliani as a potential gubernatorial candidate. An adviser for the former mayor tells the Times that he and Giuliani have had a serious talk about the possibility of a 2010 run. Wanting to avoid another big loss by a little-known candidate, former State Island Borough President Guy Molinari said, "I can’t think of anyone who would be more popular than Giuliani." Many also see Governor Paterson, a relative unknown before being thrust into office after Eliot Spitzer's resignation earlier this year, as having positioned himself as a strong incumbent in a short amount of time. "It would be Luke Skywalker against Darth Vader, and the force would be with our governor,” said Assemblyman Keith L. T. Wright, a Harlem Democrat. more ›