This is the news cycle that never ends. Rudy Giuliani’s family problems keep coming up this week, though now the attention is shifting from his tattered relationship with his children to his multiple divorces. Giuliani will have a lot of work to do to win over white evangelical voters
A Southern Baptist leader said Tuesday that evangelical voters might tolerate a divorced presidential candidate, but they have deep doubts about GOP hopeful Rudy Giuliani, who has been married three times.
Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, told The Associated Press that evangelicals believe the former New York City mayor showed a lack of character during his divorce from his second wife, television personality Donna Hanover.
“I mean, this is divorce on steroids,” Land said. “To publicly humiliate your wife in that way, and your children. That’s rough. I think that’s going to be an awfully hard sell, even if he weren’t pro-choice and pro-gun control.”
Giuliani married his longtime companion, Judith Nathan, in 2003. They had dated publicly while Giuliani was married to Hanover. His first marriage ended in an annulment [The marriage was annulled because the Church did not approve of a marriage to a second cousin; this was fourteen years after they were first married].
One thing that Giuliani has going for him now (though this will change as the campaign progresses) is that 56% of voters don’t know his marital history. On the other hand, only 54% of voters are comfortable voting for someone who’s been married three times.
Land made clear that Southern Baptists don’t have as much of a problem with McCain being on his second wife.
Land noted that Republican presidential candidate John McCain has been married twice, but said the Arizona senator has acknowledged his part in the failure of his first marriage.
“It’s a molehill compared to Giuliani’s mountain,” Land said. “When you’re a war hero [like McCain], you have less to prove on the character front.”
For the “family values” crowd, marital history is a mark of character. McCain overcomes it through his war hero credentials. What will allow Giuliani to make clear that he is a man of upstanding moral fiber? I’d guess his pitch is going to involve lots of pictures of him in rolled-up shirt sleeves on a pile of burning rubble.
Technorati Tags: John McCain, Southern Baptist Convention, Rudy Giuliani
1 Response to “Evangelical: Giuliani Has A Divorce Problem”
Something to say?
blah blah blah up by double digits in every poll, leads every dem in every poll……cant smear your way to the white house liberals
Left by matt
March 9, 2007 at 1:40am