Terry Schiavo upset me, I didn't think the government should have gotten involved. I was accused of being a death monger, and many other things on this very site. But I don't think it would ever make me leave the Republican Party.
Stem Cell research could be a problem. As a Pro - Life believer, I do have an ethical problem with producing embryos only to destroy them for research, but I have no problems with using "left over" embryos that were destined for destruction anyway. I would love to see more legislation on the amount of embryos that can be created for in vitro tries, but since that isn't happening, I think they could be donated for good use. As long as there was no financial incentive, and the parents of the embryo donated them of their own free will, I don't see this any different than donating organs. I know that many Freepers disagree with this, but the reality is that they will never all be adopted out, and they will be destroyed, so if they can do more good I am for it.
But, I think your main premise is wrong, I think the two main issues that WOULD split the Republican Party are, gun control, and illegal immigration. And with the first one (Gun Control) Rudy fails miserably!!!!!
Your position on Stem Cell research is perfectly reasonable and yet most of the evangelicals would call you a NAZI for it. That's the whole problem.
Also, and this point was evidently lost, I don't actually want the GOP coalition to split up. I don't want to have to live under a Rodham-Clinton Administration but the evangelicals need to take it down a couple of notches or that's exactly what's going to happen.