Never underestimate the role of family values.

I think Giuliani's campaign is pretty much dead since he came out as a pro-choice candidate. He was already very weak on the family values front with the whole living with one woman while married to a different woman, and estrangement from his children, but now to top it off he's pro-choice! No way he's winning many primaries, I'd be surprised if he won any. His only hope is if the Republican field is split among several strong candidates and he gets a decent percentage from the more moderate wing of the party. But so far it doesn't look like that'll be the case.

Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, recently scaled back her job in order to spend more time as the obligatory adoring candidate's wife. It is unfortunate that a high powered, very successful woman doing a job she seems to love has to basically quit because her husband is running for president. Presidential candidates have frequently been criticized for the actions or words of their spouses, and an outspoken, or absent, or too smart spouse can mean trouble for a candidate. Just ask John Kerry, Howard Dean, and Bill Clinton. Instead of working full-time as VP for Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals, she now has to work full time talking about domestic life. Despite her background, she hasn't even spoken out on health care policy yet, probably taking a lesson from a certain first lady, now presidential candidate, who received a lot of flack over her attempt at tackling US health care policy.

This is a little old, but a few weeks ago Hilary said that if she were president she would appoint Bill to be some kind of roving world ambassador. I am displeased that Hilary is trying to subtly campaign on a two for one deal. Elect me, and you'll get Bill back too. As the first serious women candidate, it is annoying that she is using her husband as a way to woo over reluctant voters who loved Bill but aren't too sure about Hilary. I'm also frustrated that Bill gets to galavant all over, giving speeches on the lecture circuit, without any serious expectations that he be there at the end of every debate to give Hilary a hug, or smiling and schmoozing at every fundraiser like the wives of the other candidates are.
It's all part of the reason why I'm fully convinced that America is much more ready to elect a black man as president than a woman of any skin color.