Here we were thinking it was the issue of unborn children who might cost Rudy Giuliani the GOP presidential nomination, said Joyce Purnick in The New York Times. Last week, the former New York mayor's own son, Andrew, 21, injected a new dynamic into his father's fledgling presidential campaign by admitting that he's been estranged from his dad for years. Seven years ago, when he was still mayor of New York, Giuliani dumped Andrew's mom, Donna Hanover, for another woman, Judy Nathan. Both Andrew and his sister, Caroline, 17, have sided with Mom. 'œThere's obviously a little problem that exists between me and his wife,' Andrew said of Nathan, whom Giuliani made wife No. 3. Because of the bad blood between Nathan and his kids, Giuliani has been a no-show at Caroline's high school plays and at Andrew's high school graduation. When asked about Andrew's comments, a visibly uncomfortable Giuliani admitted that 'œblended families are challenges … and the challenges are best worked on in private.' But 'œprivate lives have become fair game in politics,' said Marc Humbert in the Associated Press, especially in the socially conservative GOP. Giuliani may still enjoy a big lead in the Republican polls. But once Christian conservatives learn that he began an affair with wife No. 3 while he was still married to wife No. 2, and that his own kids think less of him for it, they might have second thoughts about 'œAmerica's mayor.'
Social conservatives have a higher 'œtolerance for human frailty' than liberals realize, said Zev Chafets in the New York Post. It's no secret that Giuliani's private life, like some of his personal views on issues such as abortion and homosexuality, are at odds with the 'œChristian right's social agenda.' But evangelicals view Giuliani as a fearless leader who made Sin City safe for tourists, and 'œshook his fist at the terrorists on 9/11.' Like evangelicals, Giuliani believes that 'œthe United States is engaged in an actual battle of civilizations,' and they think he's exactly the kind of 'œtough-minded leader' that such a battle requires. Contrary to their reputation as mindless ideologues, evangelicals are capable of pragmatic thinking. If they feel Giuliani is best qualified to defend their way of life against 'œthe Islamic world,' they're prepared to overlook an occasional 'œcultural misdemeanor.'
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