Turns out, Giuliani is considering 2012 presidential run

Last week, a close friend of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he was considering running again for the Republican nomination for president.

On Thursday, Giuliani himself confirmed the speculation, saying this time he would do it the right way, unlike his 2008 campaign in which he notably skipped campaigning in the early voting states.

We didn't do it the right way in the last presidential election, Giuliani told reporters at an Italian restaurant in New Hampshire. We were spending so much time trying to raise money that we forgot about the politics, he said, adding that he didn't spend more one-on-one time with voters, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In 2007, the former mayor, riding on the fame won for his leadership of New York City following the Sept. 11 attacks, enjoyed the status of early frontrunner. But after making appearances in the first two states in the nominating process - Iowa and New Hampshire - he focused more heavily on Florida.

His strategy ultimately failed and he placed in a distant sixth in Iowa and fourth in New Hampshire. After that, his campaign could just not gain momentum.

In a CNN/WMUR poll, released at the end of May by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, Giuliani ranks third with six percent of Republican votes, significantly behind frontrunner Mitt Romney, who has a percentage of 32, but ahead of Herman Cain, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman and Sarah Palin, who has not announced if she is running.

Nearly 100 turned out for a luncheon with Giuliani at Vito Marcello's Italian Bistro in New Hampshire.

I would like to see a Republican defeat President Obama, Giuliani said. If I thought someone else had a better chance of doing that than me, I'd probably end up supporting that person. If I thought I had the best chance, I'd be more inclined to do it.