[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Reagan never cheated on his wives or dressed in drag. Jane Wyman initiated the divorce not him.

[Wombat101]

“Jane Wyman initiated the divorce not him.”

Who initiated it isn’t important. To many Christians, divorce is a sin, no matter who started it.

Apply the standards fairly and equally or drop the argument altogether.

[GraceCoolidge]

You beat me to the post! Jane Wyman divorced Ronald Reagan, and I believe the media of the day widely reported that the divorce was against his wishes. If I recall, he even said as much himself. I don't think the Reagan/Giuliani comparison is an entirely fair one. I don't think a child's estrangement from a parent is going to be perceived as a major negative-- it is too common. I think the source of the estrangement is the problem.

Giuliani's divorces were pretty messy ones, no doubt about it. To some extent, that isn't his fault; I don't think Donna Hanover was any prize. On the other hand, he really didn't use much sense by rushing into his relationship with Judith Nathan and announcing his divorce at a press conference.

I think there is an interesting point to be made that Reagan had some baggage, particularly given the standards of the time. The divorce, the children's actions, the fact that Nancy Reagan was pregnant at their marriage, all of those could have been major negatives. I think perhaps the difference is that with regard to his children, Reagan probably had the sympathy of a lot of parents who were struggling with their kids. Remember the famous (or infamous) Betty Ford interview on that topic? I don't think that voters hold their kids against a candidate.

With regard to the divorce and Nancy's pregnancy, I think the issue is that Reagan himself probably would have acknowledged these as failings or errors on his part (not that a child isn't a wonderful thing, but I am sure he would regret setting a bad example on premarital relations). Giuliani, on the other hand, doesn't seem even to recognize the importance of the moral standards he is flouting. I think it's one thing to acknowledge you have fallen short of your own standards, but another to deny those standards even matter. And yes, I do think the time elapsed has a big effect. Anyone can make a mistake. I don't think you can claim Reagan's mistakes constituted a pattern. Giuliani, on the other hand, has a history of a rather messy personal life.

[dcgard]

How do you try to reason that the situation was better if Reagan’s wife initiated the divorce? Usually the person initiating the divorce is not the person that screwed up.