So the problem is that Republicans are losing their rising stars because of family problems that they bring on themselves. I question the value of finding ways for these men to stay closer to family. They already know the importance of family and the evils and dangers of straying, and yet they proceed.
Let’s consider another solution to this problem. You mention Giuliani, but does he belong in this crowd? He’s not viewed as the sanctimonious hypocrite the way Newt and Sanford are (although time has mellowed Newt’s image). Giuliani is not a problem for the GOP in the same way Sanford is.
I suggest two reasons for this:
1) Giuliani’s spectacular, messy marital collapse took place in the open and he never had any humiliating press conference, any need for a shocking revelation and apology. He lived with a couple of gay friends after his wife kicked him out and carried on his mayoral duties notwithstanding. It was something like publicly taking a wrecking ball to his marriage rather than secretly building it with sand rather than concrete and then having it fall down on his wife and kids and supporters.
2) Dare I say it. Giuliani is socially liberal. Fair or not, science-class creationist, anti-choice, and anti-gay stances are perceived as preachy and condemnatory. It’s like a conflict of interest; the mere appearance is an offense.
I’ve seen liberals coming around on the destructiveness to society of welfare; the numbers are there, the arguments are pragmatic. (A liberal friend of mine was shocked when I showed her how single women are rewarded for having more illegitimate kids and keeping fathers out of the house.) Saying “personal responsibility” to them on welfare and school choice doesn’t end the conversation the way quoting the Bible or invoking the collapse of civilization does on gay marriage and abortion.
But socially conservative Republicans ARE going to continue to engage in sexual immorality. Solving the problem of attrition can’t be solved by finding a way to make them stop; there is no such way. The only solution I see is for them to change their arguments on why the rest of us should conform. Or perhaps they should leave those arguments to churches and families and keep it out of our laws. Or is there also “no such way” on that?
