Only Rudy Can Beat Hillary?

Rudy Giuliani's campaign will release an appeal today penned by campaign manager Michael DuHaime that for the first time, not only calls him the Only One Who Can Beat The Democrats, but proceeds to lay out just how Giuliani differs from the dreaded Dems. 

This is smart messaging, in the sense conservatives generally would do anything to avoid a Hillary presidency -- and that the argument that only Rudy can beat Hillary seems believable.  (I'm not sure why his opponents haven't knocked this idea down, but it seems to be almost universally accepted by Republicans that Rudy has the best chance to beat Hillary.)

But why is that so?  Ironically, Rudy had his chance to take on Hillary in 2000 -- and seemed to duck her (I know he had a medical excuse, but I've never been 100 percent sold on it). 

(You've got to hand it to Rudy.  He always seems to find a way to avoid losing -- as he did by being the first to announce he would skip Iowa.) 

So while Rudy is the only candidate who may have avoided Hillary in the past, he is well positioned to claim he is the only Republican who can beat her now...

Ironic?  Yes -- but Rudy is wise to make this case.