Pundits will spend the next few days analyzing what went wrong for Rudy Giuliani. And, it's true that he probably had the wrong strategy, the wrong ads, and stressed the wrong issues.

But the main reason he lost is pretty simple. He was from New York.

New York, of course, is the media capital and pundits there always think that the country thinks like they do and is waiting for one of their own, so to speak, to take up the mantle of leadership. But events keep indicating otherwise. It's true that Americans once turned to New York for their presidents -- but the last time was in 1944, when both nominees were from New York and Roosevelt campaigned triumphantly that October in the city that never sleeps.

But ever since, whether the name is Rockefeller, Lindsay, or Cuomo (who had the good sense not even to attempt a candidacy), New Yorkers have always ended up doing worse than expected in their quests for the presidency. It shouldn't be a surprise. True, Americans now have an enormous amount of respect and empathy for New Yorkers, particularly after 9/11. But they still don't think that New Yorkers particularly share their mores and values. Most Americans, after all, don't live in cities on the New York model any longer and would never consider doing so -- a fact that the current occupant of Gracie Mansion ought to consider before he coughs up a couple of hundred million in yet another fruitless quest. (Hillary, of course, is a carpetbagger, so she gets a pass on this issue, as did Nixon in '68.)

So, just like those who came before him. Giuliani has had to face a sad truth of presidential politics. Americans think New York is a nice place to visit. But they really don't want a president who lives there.

To read Steven Stark's complete "Presidential Tote Board" blog, go to www.thephoenix.com/toteboard/

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