If you want to know whay Giuliani's private life raises major problems for Republicans, both short and long-term, here are a couple selections from hardcore liberals that came out this week. I chose not to post them because of where they came from, but they're instructive of what will be coming.
From flaming lib Froma Harrop we have the following:
I'm hardly the first to note that the Republican Party — alleged keeper of family values — has as its two presidential favorites men with checkered marital careers. Indeed, the leader in the polls, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, holds the most dismal domestic record of any human being who has ever seriously run for president. Yet he remains immensely popular among social conservatives.
Could it be that 95 percent of the culture war was just a pretense to impeach Bill Clinton and tar Democrats?
...Land really has no choice. If the "family values" coalition can live with this behavior, then it's out of business. Link
This from the esteemed Bill O'Reilly stand up guy Rev. Al Sharpton:
"I'm not one that ever got into his personal life, but clearly I think that when you run for president it would be examined," said Sharpton. "Especially since the Republicans raised it so much with Bill Clinton." Link
Other leftwingers have stated that the nomination of Giuliani will be the end of the pro-life movement as a political force. Nominating Giuliani strips the GOP of the ability to be the "traditional values" party and that is a loss that it cannot sustain.
Exactly. A party can't withstanding alienating a large percentage of its base -- social conservatives, gun owners and those opposed to illegal immigration -- and not expect to suffer catastrophic consquences. Millions will stay home, vote third party or, at the very least, not be motivated to donate and tell others to vote for the GOP if they are alienated.
It's not possible to be a majority party and win elections by frightening voters into voting against members of the other party.