Bush’s strategy seemed to work, especially with older women voters who were appalled by Clinton’s behavior. The impact helped Bush win one of the closest elections in history against Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore.
Since then, Republicans have suffered from bad behavior.
Perhaps the most damaging case was that of former Congressman Foley of South Florida, who left the House in an uproar in September 2006 when evidence surfaced of his over-friendly contacts with young House pages and interns. The revelation came just before an election when Republicans were reeling from an unpopular war in Iraq.
Then when memories of Foley faded, former Senator Craig of Idaho was suspected in 2007 of soliciting sex in a men’s room at the Minneapolis airport.
That same year, Senator Vitter of Louisiana was forced to acknowledge “a very serious sin’’ after he was linked to a prostitution ring.
See the full article from “Juice”