One of the major benefits to having Rudy Giuliani lead the Republican ticket in 2008 in his unique ability to put in play states that Republican Presidential candidates have not won in two decades or more. New York is one of those states, according to a new Siena College poll. While Giuliani trails Hillary Clinton by 12 points, this is actually a 2 point improvement from a poll conducted by the same firm in November. In addition, the former Mayor leads Barrack Obama 45% to 42%.

Of course, if Giuliani carries New York, then that means he is carrying just about every other state on election night. While his ability to win these states will certainly depend on conditions in Iraq, his strength in these early polls, and under these circumstances, should give every Republican hope.