MANCHESTER – He was in the state yesterday to stump for Republican candidates in advance of Tuesday's election.

But Rudy Giuliani, "America's mayor," had the look and feel of a 2008 Presidential hopeful as he worked crowds at Derryfield Country Club and City Hall.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani fends off an attempt by State Sen. Jack Barnes to place a Boston Red Sox cap on his head during a Republican rally yesterday in Manchester. (DICK MORIN)

Giuliani easily mixed policy and anecdote during a 45-minute speech before about 200 people at a breakfast organized by Victory NH, a group organized around defending New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation Presidential primary.

During the question-and-answer period that followed, Richard Florino of Windham put the former New York City mayor on the spot about his political plans in 2008.

"When are you going to announce, Mr. Mayor," said Florino, to loud applause from what appeared to be a largely Republican audience.

"I'll probably decide sometime in early '07," said Giuliani, assuring the crowd with a chuckle that Florino had not been planted to ask the question. "We'll give it very serious thought," said Giuliani.

The former mayor was clearly in his element with a microphone in hand, pacing back and forth at the front of the room and relating stories from his time in office. Politicians, he said, are always in danger of isolating themselves from constituents, adding that public forums like yesterday's can serve as a reality check.

He recounted how as mayor he held monthly "town hall" meetings and went on a weekly radio call-in show.

Giuliani, who served as mayor from 1994-2001, said he would often recite on air his administration's various accomplishments in holding down spending and fighting crime.

The mayor then got the crowd laughing as he assumed the voice of a woman from Queens calling the radio station. "How come there's this tree on my lawn and it's been there for four weeks," said the mayor in a shaky voice, a couple octaves higher than normal.

"It reminded me of what the job of being mayor is all about," said Giuliani.

He asked the crowd to remember that after Election Day the country has to pull together and tackle serious, complicated problems.

"We need Democrats and Republicans to stop pretending they hate each other," said Giuliani. "We disagree with each other," he said, on issues that are subject to legitimate debate, like taxes and their effect on the economy.

"We agree on the big ideas," he said. "We've got to return to the spirit of 'We're all Americans' and we've got to work together."

Before leaving the breakfast crowd in a GOP campaign bus bound for City Hall, Giuliani tackled questions from the crowd on illegal immigration, the role of religion in politics and the war on terror.

"I think the President's goal (in Iraq) is correct," he said. "I think some of the strategies haven't worked."

►Rudy boards bus for GOP hopefuls