COLUMN: Leave candidates’ wives out of it
If you are already sick of the drama and constant campaigning for the upcoming presidential election, then it is time to take a political aspirin and brace yourself, because the party is just getting started. As much as I personally love this game, there are a few instances I believe American citizens and the media take it one step too far – personal attacks on the candidates’ family members.
Being the wife of a presidential candidate looks like one of the hardest positions to occupy. These women are beat to death by the media, hear harsh comments from constituents and work endlessly to push along a campaign for their husbands. It is a position that – no matter what political party you affiliate with – commands a certain degree of respect.
In the last few weeks, there has been heated attention over a comment made by Democratic strategist Hillary Rosen about Ann Romney, the inevitable Republican nominee’s wife. She said that Ann was not qualified to speak for women about the economy, due to “never having worked a day in her life.”
Of course this was immediately followed with a variety of upset Republican responses, particularly from housewives. One of these responses was a poster that emerged on Facebook with the title, “Liberal Logic 101,” at the top, and the following text over a picture of Ann said, “Married in 1968. Lived in a dingy basement apartment while her husband finished his education. Stay-at-home mom who raised five children while finishing her own undergraduate education by taking night courses. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. Obviously a spoiled, rich, white woman who never worked a day in her life,” with the final note concerning liberals, “Yes, they really are that stupid.”
Rosen’s comment did not shock me, nor did the viral Facebook responses via the mentioned poster, blog posts and status updates. I have heard equally or worse biting comments about Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and other female figures in the political hot seat. I find it unfortunate these comments did not shock me. Petty politics are commonplace.
After the negative comment about Ann Romney, I saw a lot of online bashing about President Obama and his comments about the choice his wife made to work outside the home. After defending Michelle Obama in a few different discussions, I was immediately ripped up for my comments and labeled a housewife hater. I am a Democrat, and I think that Ann Romney is a wonderful, phenomenal woman who has done incredible things in her lifetime. I also do not think she represents the general face of American women for many reasons, including the fact that her husband is running for President of the United States. Is Ann an expert on the economy? No. But are most of us? Nope. Let’s cut the overgeneralizations from both sides of the political spectrum and focus on the policy issues that matter most.
While it is easy to use the logic that if someone subjects him or herself to a national political run, they deserve the public scrutiny along with the public praise. I agree with this notion. As a citizenry, we deserve to know about the person who will be our leader. If you want to be president, you better be prepared to not only reveal every single skeleton in your closet but prepare for these skeletons to get hit, tattered and cut apart. Obviously a person’s significant other is a large part of who they are, and, consequently, they submit themselves indirectly to public scrutiny. That being said, there is a respectful and dignified way to convey our feelings to the opposition without belittling attacks.
Let’s focus a bit more on what we have in common and share civil dialogue and respect for our varying life choices. In the case of our presidential candidates’ wives, they are American women with energy and drive. They were educated at Ivy League schools and are mothers who ultimately want the best for their children. Whether they choose to work outside of the home or not is really none of our business, and their lives do not belong in political dialogue. Before we are so quick to criticize, let’s remember what the big issues are and stop being petty.
– Tyra Simmons is a senior majoring in sociology. This is the last of her series of columns for The Statesman. Comments may be sent to statesmanoffice@aggiemail.usu.edu.