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Political Wives: Women with the Power to Change America
- By Tony Smith
- Published 10/21/2007
- Politics, News & Issues
- Unrated
Tony Smith
Freelance writer Tony Smith lives in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania with his Friend of Friends and their Superbeagle Molly and hasn’t had a real firm grasp on reality since he was six-years old. Even when he does get a grasp on reality, he tends to act like a six-year-old.
View all articles by Tony Smith
While I'm no fan of the current presidential administration, I have to
say I was incredibly impressed by Lynne Cheney's Oct. 10 appearance on
the Jon Stewart show. Honestly, it was the first time I've heard the
lady speak in her own right, and I felt she responded to Stewart's
attempts to draw her into politically sensitive discussions with
uncanny tact and grace. While I may not agree with all the beliefs she
espouses, I have to admit that she's a far superior debater and public
speaker than her Vice-President husband. In my personal opinion, I
think the wrong Cheney is in office. Lynne Cheney came across as very
confident, fair, and a lot warmer than many other woman in politics. If
she were running for office, it would be arguable that Mrs. Cheney
could give Hillary Clinton a run for her money. What she may lack in
political experience, she makes up for with well thought-out reasoning
and good old-fashioned common sense - not to mention the lady has a
great sense of humor.
After the show I was thinking about how far the wives of politicians have come in the past 60 years. Before Eleanor Roosevelt, First Ladies and other politicians' wives were pretty much restricted to smiling in the background and trotting the children out for photo opportunities. They smiled, supported their husbands, and kept out of the limelight as much as possible. Along with all the other wonderful changes that have come along since Women's Suffrage ended, political wives are finally stepping out on their own - and in some cases even going on record in direct opposition to their husband's political views.
My favorite example is Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, who earlier this year took a direct stance against her husband on the subject of gay marriage. At the kick-off of San Francisco's Annual Gay Pride Parade, Elizabeth Edward declared her unwavering support for gay marriage - despite the fact that her husband is personally uncomfortable with it, but willing to support Civil Unions. In fact, Elizabeth Edwards is the first major candidate or spouse to openly support gay marriage.
Elizabeth Edwards did broach the subject of her husband's viewpoint, saying that, "John has been pretty clear about it, that he is very conflicted. That's up against his being raised in the 1950's in a rural southern town. I think
honestly he's on a road with a lot of people in this country are
on....They're struggling with this. Most of the gay and lesbian people
I know... have seen their friends and family walking down that same
road. It's frustrating, I know, but it's a long distance from where we
are now to the pews of a Southern Baptist church. So, John's been as
honest as he can about that.''
But, from Elizabeth Edwards' point of view, "I don't know why somebody else's marriage has anything to do with me. I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage.'' After comparing gay marriage to having a neighbor who paints his home a different color, Elizabeth Edwards also added, "If he's pleasant to me on the street, if his children don't throw things in my yard, then I'm happy. It seems to me we're making issues of things that honestly... don't matter.'' Very few politicians would have the courage to express such grass-roots support for such a hotly debated issue.
However, as with any good thing, there can be an inevitable backlash as well. Who could possibly forget the late 80's Tipper Gore/PMRC debacle that nearly strangled the first amendment rights of the music industry? Tipper Gore, wife of former Vice President Al Gore, heard her eleven-year-old daughter listening to Prince's Darling Nikki and upon realizing the lyrics were about teenage masturbation, promptly "freaked out." But, unlike most indignant parents who don't like the music their children are listening to, Tipper Gore actually had the power and political connections to take on the entire music industry. Artists like Frank Zappa, Dee Snyder and John Denver publicly denounced her crusade and argued that she was infringing on their constitutional rights. However, in the end Tipper Gore and the PMRC did ultimately change the music industry by convincing nineteen record companies to put Parental Guidance: Explicit Lyrics labels on all questionable titles.
With the good comes the bad, but it's very clear that these women are no longer a silent force in American politics. Indeed, many of them are becoming even more opinionated and outspoken than their husbands; taking powerful stances on the issues that matter to them with or without their spouse's support. As with any change, it's different and sometimes difficult to accept, but I for one am glad the clichéd days of a politician's wife displaying nothing more than glittering pearls and a vapid smile are long behind us.
After the show I was thinking about how far the wives of politicians have come in the past 60 years. Before Eleanor Roosevelt, First Ladies and other politicians' wives were pretty much restricted to smiling in the background and trotting the children out for photo opportunities. They smiled, supported their husbands, and kept out of the limelight as much as possible. Along with all the other wonderful changes that have come along since Women's Suffrage ended, political wives are finally stepping out on their own - and in some cases even going on record in direct opposition to their husband's political views.
My favorite example is Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, who earlier this year took a direct stance against her husband on the subject of gay marriage. At the kick-off of San Francisco's Annual Gay Pride Parade, Elizabeth Edward declared her unwavering support for gay marriage - despite the fact that her husband is personally uncomfortable with it, but willing to support Civil Unions. In fact, Elizabeth Edwards is the first major candidate or spouse to openly support gay marriage.
Elizabeth Edwards did broach the subject of her husband's viewpoint, saying that, "John has been pretty clear about it, that he is very conflicted. That's up against his being raised in the 1950's in a rural southern town. I think
But, from Elizabeth Edwards' point of view, "I don't know why somebody else's marriage has anything to do with me. I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage.'' After comparing gay marriage to having a neighbor who paints his home a different color, Elizabeth Edwards also added, "If he's pleasant to me on the street, if his children don't throw things in my yard, then I'm happy. It seems to me we're making issues of things that honestly... don't matter.'' Very few politicians would have the courage to express such grass-roots support for such a hotly debated issue.
However, as with any good thing, there can be an inevitable backlash as well. Who could possibly forget the late 80's Tipper Gore/PMRC debacle that nearly strangled the first amendment rights of the music industry? Tipper Gore, wife of former Vice President Al Gore, heard her eleven-year-old daughter listening to Prince's Darling Nikki and upon realizing the lyrics were about teenage masturbation, promptly "freaked out." But, unlike most indignant parents who don't like the music their children are listening to, Tipper Gore actually had the power and political connections to take on the entire music industry. Artists like Frank Zappa, Dee Snyder and John Denver publicly denounced her crusade and argued that she was infringing on their constitutional rights. However, in the end Tipper Gore and the PMRC did ultimately change the music industry by convincing nineteen record companies to put Parental Guidance: Explicit Lyrics labels on all questionable titles.
With the good comes the bad, but it's very clear that these women are no longer a silent force in American politics. Indeed, many of them are becoming even more opinionated and outspoken than their husbands; taking powerful stances on the issues that matter to them with or without their spouse's support. As with any change, it's different and sometimes difficult to accept, but I for one am glad the clichéd days of a politician's wife displaying nothing more than glittering pearls and a vapid smile are long behind us.