Also appealing is the fact that the first lady and Mrs. Romney can strike a somewhat more positive tone, standing apart from some of the bare-knuckled punches that have been thrown in recent weeks. The campaigns have been on the attack, with Romney team accusing the president of lying and the Obama camp suggesting that the former Massachusetts governor may have committed a felony if he misrepresented his role at Bain Capital on official documents. When the Romney campaign sought an apology for that assertion, the answer was a flat “No.”
Apparently, when the wives are involved, though, there are limits as to what’s deemed acceptable. The Democratic National Committee recently used video of the Olympics-bound dressage horse co-owned by Mrs. Romney to suggest that her husband was dancing around the issues. But after Mrs. Romney reminded that her equine hobby had helped ease her multiple sclerosis symptoms and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty threw in a “shame on them,” the DNC backed off and even expressed a degree of regret.
Still, Mrs. Romney and Mrs. Obama aren’t entirely off limits when it comes to public scrutiny. They occasionally face unsolicited critiques of their wardrobe choices. And, much like their husbands, they can’t afford even a modest verbal misstep, a fact that was underscored Thursday when Mrs. Romney’s interview was broadcast. A small dust-up ensued after she emphasized that the campaign won’t be releasing any more tax returns. While the audio wasn’t entirely clear, some thought she said, “We’ve given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation.”
For these rival campaigns, the challenge during the next few months will be to play to each woman’s strengths. The goal will be to humanize their husbands, highlight key themes and build enthusiasm among the party faithful while limiting the possibility of straying too far from the script.
As the busy travel schedules of Mrs. Romney and Mrs. Obama make clear, both campaigns consider the candidate’s spouse a key to victory.
Apparently, when the wives are involved, though, there are limits as to what’s deemed acceptable. The Democratic National Committee recently used video of the Olympics-bound dressage horse co-owned by Mrs. Romney to suggest that her husband was dancing around the issues. But after Mrs. Romney reminded that her equine hobby had helped ease her multiple sclerosis symptoms and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty threw in a “shame on them,” the DNC backed off and even expressed a degree of regret.
Still, Mrs. Romney and Mrs. Obama aren’t entirely off limits when it comes to public scrutiny. They occasionally face unsolicited critiques of their wardrobe choices. And, much like their husbands, they can’t afford even a modest verbal misstep, a fact that was underscored Thursday when Mrs. Romney’s interview was broadcast. A small dust-up ensued after she emphasized that the campaign won’t be releasing any more tax returns. While the audio wasn’t entirely clear, some thought she said, “We’ve given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation.”
For these rival campaigns, the challenge during the next few months will be to play to each woman’s strengths. The goal will be to humanize their husbands, highlight key themes and build enthusiasm among the party faithful while limiting the possibility of straying too far from the script.
As the busy travel schedules of Mrs. Romney and Mrs. Obama make clear, both campaigns consider the candidate’s spouse a key to victory.