WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – Mayor Giuliani remained noncommittal Friday on a possible bid for the GOP presidential nomination but sounded campaign-like themes in a speech to Delaware Republicans.

“I think the biggest question you have to ask is, ‘Can you really lead the country?'” he said. “If I believe that I can do it, then I will, and if I don’t, then I’ll support somebody else.”

Mr. Giuliani said the key trait a leader needs is optimism.

“People follow hopes and they follow dreams and they follow the solution to problems,” he said in accepting the Pete du Pont Individual Freedom Award, named for Delaware’s former Republican governor. “I saw that happen in New York City … I think we have to have a sense of optimism about ourselves, about who we are and where we’re going.”

Calling the war in Iraq a serious challenge, Mr. Giuliani said what the Bush administration is trying to achieve is of “profound importance” to the United States.

“If we leave Iraq in failure, then the world is going to be much more dangerous for us,” he said.

On other issues, Mr. Giuliani said that moving the country toward energy independence will be one of the greatest challenges for the next president. He also called for school vouchers and said the country needs to “revolutionize” its public education system in order to compete in the global economy.

In a brief meeting with reporters after his speech, Mr. Giuliani shrugged off suggestions that his liberal social views, divorces and business dealings since leaving the mayor’s office may prove to be obstacles in a campaign for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.

“You don’t get to decide what the issues are when you’re running,” he said.