[Artemis Webb]

You're correct. Republicans are held to a much higher standard by the press (as well as by our own). If Rudy flip-flops it would just backfire on him. Best to go out there and show all his true colors...good and bad.

[HitmanLV]

Republicans are held to a much higher standard by the press (as well as by our own).

You are forgetting thet Dubya pretty much said early in his campaign that much of everything in his life prior to his 40th birthday didn't happen. While the media took some jabs (and came close to a TKO on election eve with the DUI story), that mandate pretty much stood.

Clinton's ratings were often said to be 'compartmentalized.' Dubya sucessfully compartmentalized his years between 1 and 39. This isn't a big deal in 2008.