Recently we’ve seen attacks on both Michelle Obama’s patriotism and Cindy McCain’s wealth. Both the candidates have suggested that the other party should leave their families out of the fray. So, are the spouses of the presidential candidates fair game?
Panelist Tom Dec:
The spouses of the presidential candidates are fair game in that, they, like all other surrogates of the campaign, play a significant role and should be monitored by the press. I don’t know if you can neccessarily say that everything Michelle Obama says should be taken to be the word of Barack Obama, but I think its fair for them to be critiqued. In terms of Bill Clinton in the Democratic Primary, seeing as Bill is a Former President, he is an entity of his own and should be monitored – just like all other Former Presidents should be (and are), and Hillary knew this. If she didn’t want to attract the press, she wouldn’t have used Bill in any significant fashion (which now, in hindsight may have been a good idea).
We should keep in mind, however, that the election is about the candidates – not who who their spouses are, and we should focus primarily on the candidates. The press I think has been relatively good on this front. We heard a lot about Bill, a little about Michelle (especially her comments on being proud of this country for the first time in her adult life), and virtually nothing about Cindy. Lets hope it continues.
Panelist Matt Cavedon:
Choosing a spouse is one of the most crucial signs of a person’s judgment of character. There is no reason why we should not expect our president, with so many important positions to appoint, to select people of good merit in their personal life as well as their public career.
Where we have to be careful is in being superficial about it. If we focus on the looks, cooking style, religious professions, age, or other demographics of a spouse, rather than the content of their character, we are missing out on some really telling information. To suggest that Cindy McCain is far too young or that Michelle Obama is unpatriotic is stupid and distracting. To say that Cindy is unfaithful or that Michelle is unfeeling, however, is fair game for the campaigns if there is evidence behind it.
To expect a wall of separation between a person’s personal and public lives is to suggest that the person has two distinct personalities. If so, there are greater reasons to avoid them than poor choice in spouses.
