Mar 11 2007

President Dad?

Rudolph Giuliani is probably running for President, but so far his son Andrew seems to be not so interested:

Rudolph W. Giuliani found himself distracted in the midst of his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination by questions about skeletons in the closet of a messy divorce. He had to respond to remarks last week by his son, Andrew, 21, that, as a stepson, he had “a little problem” with Mr. Giuliani’s wife, Judith Nathan, and had not until recently spoken to his father “for a decent amount of time.”

Mr. Giuliani told reporters, who bombarded him with questions at a California event, “It’s the kind of thing that I think affects a lot of families these days.” He also has a daughter, Caroline, 17, by his former wife Donna Hanover.

Mr. Giuliani’s case, some experts agreed, seems particularly tough because it comes with the considerable baggage of a public and bitter divorce. (Ms. Nathan is Mr. Giuliani’s third wife. His first marriage, to his second cousin, Regina Peruggi, was annulled.)

So after divorcing his second cousin (!), marrying Donna Hanover and announcing his divorce via press conference, then clearly having an affair while still married to Ms. Hanover and finally marrying a third time, Andrew is a little miffed at dad? We’ll buy that. If Guiliani does in fact run, it might be the first time in the history of the country that what kind of father someone is becomes a deciding factor in a Presidential election.

Voters Accept Divorced Candidates, but They Have Limits (New York Times)
A Family Feud That Is Familiar (New York Times)

Rudy Tuesday – What America Sees In Rudy (New York Magazine)