PROVIDENCE — Leadership, says former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who wrote a book by that title, has two ingredients: a vision, and the ability to execute that vision.

If you’re all vision and no execution, you’re a philosopher, Giuliani said, in brief remarks at the Westin Hotel last night. Are you all execution and no vision? Then, he suggested, you should work for somebody with vision.

For a number of Rhode Island Republicans, coming off a rough election cycle locally and across the country, Giuliani is the choice to lead the Republican Party’s next charge for the White House.

On his way back from New Hampshire, a key early primary state, Giuliani stopped last evening in Providence for a few hours, to pose for photos with donors and raise money for his presidential exploratory committee. The $1,000 per person cocktail reception brought out a wide swath of local Republicans, including Governor Carcieri and former Gov. Lincoln Almond; former Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian. In his short remarks — well received except when he acknowledged he’s a Yankees fan — Giuliani said the country is infected with a feeling that “we don’t get things done anymore” in Washington, D.C. People used to say the same thing about New York City government, he said.

He insisted the U.S. must stay on the offense against terrorists and do “everything we can to be successful in Iraq.”

The U.S. needs to become energy independent, and the country must fix the Social Security system. He favors allowing some investment in private accounts.

In a brief interview after his remarks, Giuliani maintained he has not made a final decision on running.

“Right now we’re doing our exploratory committee,” Giuliani said. “Have we made a complete and final decision? No, we haven’t, but we’re very encouraged by what we see.”

What else does he need to see to make the final decision?

“Support,” he said. “Support like we saw tonight and up in New Hampshire.”

While he advocates a continued military offensive against terrorists, “The war on terror should be about connecting people,” he said. “How do we bring more and more people into our way of thinking?

Should we be talking to Syria and Iran?

“I think the president is correct that you want to demand something of them before you bring them into the discussion,” Giuliani said. “Given Iran’s threats about becoming a nuclear power and what Syria did in Lebanon, I think you want to see them make a little progress first. Then maybe they can do something constructive.”

How does any candidate bridge the red-blue political divide in America?

“We have to run in every state,” he said. “Every state’s an American state. Republican candidates and Democratic candidates should be viable in every state. If I were to be the candidate, we would run in every state.”

In a short speech, Laffey, who challenged former U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee in the Republican primary last year, said he has long admired Giuliani’s stands on free markets and strong national defense. Giuliani’s book on leadership and the tactics he used in New York City were influential on Laffey’s administration in Cranston, he said. “He’s a guy who got things done.”

In praising Giuliani, Governor Carcieri said, “What was the difference between [Hurricane] Katrina and 9/11? It was leadership.”

marsenau@projo.com