For many, remembering Sept. 11, 2001, opens up wounds from the past that will last a lifetime.

I have a vivid recollection of the gut shot given to New York City and the rest of America on that clear morning in Manhattan. Living in Orlando, I kept my school-aged children home for two days. I genuinely worried about what might happen next.

Most of America remained glued to the television, watching as New York mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, helped the city that bore the brunt of the storm and sprang into action at its plight. Watching his confidence in the face of terror gave solace to many who had never imagined such an attack.

The embodiment of resistance in the face of fear brought Mayor Giuliani not only fame, but reportedly hundreds of millions of dollars through Giuliani Partners, his lobbying firm, and about $100,000 in speaking fees per speech.

When I heard “America’s Mayor” was visiting our county, I went to the Florida Institute of Technology hanger at Melbourne International Airport to get of glimpse of the man and the myth. Whether thought of as a shameless opportunist or a legitimate hero, he is surely destined to occupy a place in history.

More interestingly, Rudy’s risky strategy of running a minimalist campaign until hitting the Sunshine State–reportedly in order to save money, but also concurrent with the revelation of several embarrassing scandals–has kept him out of the campaign limelight. The Brevard visit may give telling signs on the future of his presidential run.

I approached the crowd of about 150 people on a balmy afternoon at the airport and noticed an odd mix.

I first observed a large security contingent of about 20 flanking the crowd. Most were heavyset, intimidating men all wearing dark glasses and suits. Their appearance and demeanor came across loud and clear to any would-be terrorist, “I have no problem with water boarding. Try me.”

Then I saw that some of the most vocal of the crowd were carrying signs for Republican hopeful Ron Paul.

Among the supporters was local resident James M. Ray.

“I’m out here to show my support for the only candidate that speaks for the things I believe in,” Ray said. “I’m for the Republican party now, but I was with the Libertarian Party originally. I last voted for Ron Paul in 1988. I‘m going to stab myself for how politically ineffective I‘ve been.”

Paul’s supporters seemed to be connected by a common bond that begins and ends on the personal side of the Internet. They all said they believed internet bloggers over the mainstream press.

The left-leaning “Brevard Patriots for Peace” also had a small contingent at the rally.

Sharan Miller from Melbourne Beach and Vicki Impoco, the current director of the group, said they attended the event to protest the loss of civil liberties U.S. citizens have been stripped of under the current Republican administration.

As time dragged on in the heat and humidity from the expected 12:45 p.m. scheduled start for the rally (later attributed to a bomb scare which kept Rudy hunkered down in FIT offices), I continued to mingle with the crowd.

There seemed to be a multitude of curvy, attractive college-aged girls swirling throughout the throng gathered. I decided to find out the source of what I began to think of as the “Rudy’s Cuties” phenomenon.

So I questioned one 22-year-old Jennifer Newman, a marketing major who had been bussed to Melbourne with a group of other mainly female students from the University of Central Florida. The Rudy rally promised curricular credit for a government class.

Newman, clad in a white “Rudy for President” t-shirt and carrying a campaign sign, said that in addition to the credits, she was there because she supported Rudy’s economic history.

“I’m here to support Rudy Giuliani, the next president of the United states. I love him. He is a fiscal conservative who is tuned into the dangers terrorism poses to this country,” Newman said. “He has also managed one of the largest cities in the world and he has the experience the country needs. He‘s shown that he‘s the man for any job.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what her response would be to the fact that Rudy’s campaign funds are dangerously low–so much so that a number of his top officials are reportedly foregoing their paychecks for January. Before I could ask, Newman had flitted away.

I next met another blonde-haired, buxom young handler for the Rudy campaign.

“I got called to work (for the Giuliani campaign) after my parents had gone to a fund-raiser,” the aide said. “I said okay because I thought it might be a good experience. It’s still early on so we’ll see.”

Overall, if people were for Rudy they seemed to be from out-of-town, part of some organized effort to artificially inflate the Brevard crowd. It seemed to me that most of the local faces were behind signs touting issues or supporting other candidates in the presidential race.

Finally, Amara Birman, Mayor Giuliani’s Florida political coordinator appeared to announce Rudy’s emergence from the hanger. He was flanked by local groupies Brevard County Commissioner Jackie Colon and Melbourne City Councilman John Thomas who smilingly chatted with the mayor seemingly eager for political attention.

“Are you ready to meet the next president of the United States?” Birman asked the crowd. She began encouraging the crowd to chant “Rudy.” If only this were Notre Dame and Sean Aston was nearby.

Some chanting did erupt for a few moments, then it dwindled and stopped. Clearly, the imported supporters couldn’t carry the whole crowd.

After the noise died, Birman seemed first perplexed, then displeased.

“Is this how you want to greet the next President of the United States?” she asked.

A wilted elderly couple behind me responded, “We would probably be more enthusiastic if we hadn’t had to wait out here in the hot sun for an hour and a half.”

Birman instructed her staff to leave the airport premises and to tell supporters that the site of an economic policy speech, originally scheduled to be stumped in Melbourne at a secure Harris Corp. facility, had been changed to the FIT hanger.

How much of the instructed exodus of the staff and the rerouting of the campaign event had to do with the reported “bomb threat”, I don’t know.

One thing is for sure, political agendas will always be argued. But, in politics, platforms are usually less important than perception.

What the visit of “America’s Mayor” revealed to me was that his support in Brevard, and possibly the rest of the state, seems to be, at best, tepid.

Rudy’s big plans to pick up steam by making a firm stand in Florida might go the way of the Alamo, and that’s good news for candidates McCain, Huckabee and Romney.