I totally agree with you. In most cases, a candidate's spouse should not be a definitive, deciding factor in one's decision to vote for or against that candidate. However, like the rest of the facts we accumulate about the candidates in our minds over the primary season, information about spouses should be, and inevitably is, at least considered when we make our decision.

I am inclined to agree with you about Laura Bush. She is probably a lovely woman, and the fact that a lovely woman was willing to marry George W. Bush reflected positively on him, but not nearly enough to make me vote for the guy. However, I'm sure I subconsciously considered it in making my decisions, and that's a totally acceptable thing to do.

Plus, I'm not just talking about whether a spouse is "good" or "bad." Two highly oversimplified examples: if a candidate marries a very rich woman, it suggests (but does not prove) that he married for money. Similarly, if a candidate marries a woman who is his intellectual peer, it suggests (but again, does not prove) that the candidate views marriage as a union of equals. A voter who believes that it is immoral to marry for money or who thinks marriage should be a union of equals may very well take these circumstances into account.

You're right, we can never know why a candidate marries a particular person. However, we can make inferences about it, and these inferences of necessity inform our decision. After all, we can never really know why a candidate does anything - why should marriage be any different?

Posted at June 30, 2008 4:02 PM in response to Cindy McCain vs Michelle Obama

Oops, I meant "Schmedley" - sorry about that.

Posted at June 30, 2008 11:32 AM in response to Cindy McCain vs Michelle Obama

Schmedly, I respectfully disagree. A person's spouse reflects, to a certain extent, who that person is. I'm not saying that people are identical to their spouses, or even that they tend to choose spouses that resemble them. My point is that both candidates have chosen their spouses, and this choice, like other past choices made by the candidates, is an acceptable criterion to consider in casting one's vote.

This is not to say that I agree with the original poster's statements about Cindy McCain. I merely argue that the personalities and accomplishments of the candidates' spouses should influence voters' decisions. To ignore Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain (or to blindly assert that they are "off limits" for moral reasons, as many have done) deprives voters of important and relevant information.

Posted at June 30, 2008 11:31 AM in response to Cindy McCain vs Michelle Obama

Wow, all this fuzzy unity very nearly induced me to donate some cash myself.

Luckily, I remembered almost immediately that I would probably prefer to spend the money on me instead.

Posted at June 27, 2008 3:38 PM in response to Bill And Hillary Max Out To Obama, Giving $4,600 To His Campaign

I am pretty sure that Grover Norquist is the blue fuzzy guy from Sesame Street. After this comment, I'm never watching that show again ... especially the episodes that are brought to you by the letter W and the number 71 (going on 72).

Posted at June 27, 2008 2:34 PM in response to Conservative Activist Grover Norquist: Obama Is "Kerry With A Tan"

I suspect that my policies might shift somewhat between now and then.

Posted at June 26, 2008 7:44 PM in response to I am now officially sick of old people

Phoebe, don't be disheartened by some of the despicably geriatric responses you've been getting. I myself am 27, super-hip, uber-cool, hella-young, and you can feel free to party with our enviable set any day.

Plus, I think old people should be ground up and used as fuel.

Posted at June 26, 2008 2:57 PM in response to I am now officially sick of old people

"insofar" is one word. Otherwise, I am in total agreement with you.

Posted at June 25, 2008 6:29 PM in response to James Dobson, amateur God expert....

please note that it's habeas corpus, not habeus corpus. For those who care, habeas is a second-person present subjunctive.

Posted at June 19, 2008 4:41 PM in response to McCain: I Will Kill Bin Laden; Obama Won't Say What He'd Do

What a shame. I really wanted to see Issa get "physically removed" from the hearing. Indeed, it seemed like the perfect occasion to use excessive force - maybe involving a taser, some attack dogs, and good, old-fashioned billy-clubs.

Posted at May 20, 2008 5:15 PM in response to Johnson's Stonewalling Drives Waxman to Gavel-Pounding Distraction