Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York at the time of the 9/11 attacks, earned the respect of many Americans for his take-charge stance at that time, rallying his city's police and firefighters and bolstering the courage of New Yorkers at a critical point in the city's history. But that was four years ago; there are three more years to go before the presidential election, and there is a question as to whether the Giuliani legend would still be as bright in 2008.

One of the most intriguing prospects is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She has never held elected office, never been in party politics, has no political infrastructure and as yet no piggy bank containing the multimillions of dollars it takes to run for presidential office. Yet she is ranked as one of the most respected women today in America. Could this translate into presidential charisma, drawing substantial support from African-American and women voters? Her fate is closely linked with that of President Bush, whose policies in Iraq and elsewhere she has faithfully defended and articulated. Peace between Palestinians and Israelis on her watch, and stability in Iraq encouraging steps toward democracy elsewhere in the Islamic world, conceivably could catapult her off the front page of Time magazine and into big-time politics.

Nor can we overlook Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. The white knight who plucked the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City out of scandal and propelled them to financial and international success, is handsome, fast on his feet, and proved in a Democratic state like Massachusetts that he can win both Republican and Democratic votes. The question is whether his Mormon religion, which was no deterrent to voters in that state, would be a major question mark with the evangelical Christian right in a national contest.

Early days but intriguing prospects.

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John Hughes is editor and chief operating officer of the Deseret Morning News. He is a former editor of the Christian Science Monitor, which syndicates this column. E-mail: hughes@desnews.com