Presidential Wives

And the Visceral Gut Checks.

As the campaign unrolls further and further we are going to get speeches and subtextual messages on roles of women in politics and america. Conservatives aren't famous for support of
professional women, there is only one running for President and none of the wives of the male contenders has a profession independent of and outside the home. Karen Santorum apparently did go to law school and has a JD but who has time with the homeschooling seven kids to work any job other than for her husband. Calista is a musician and choir singer, not sure if they pay those people at the Basillica...that might be the only independent job a contender's spouse has if they do. Romney's wife doesn't need to work anything other than the bridge party set up or junior league bake sales.

Karen Santorum looks authentic. Like someone you could run into in a grocery store asking where the peanut butter is on sale. Her hair looks natural. This says a lot believe it or not to other women. This is a woman who looks like she had to watch a budget and would shop at Marshalls or TJ Max or Ross or wherever they had the best sales to dress and feed a large family. Calista looks too scRipted and hollywood and like she just spends too much money on herself. It looks too lady MacBethish, too polished, too fake. Karen Santorum looks relatable that way, Calista looks like someone who wishes she were a princess and wants people treating her like one. It's the catholic version of what used to be called "Jappy." Please forgive me my Jewish friends.

Karen Santorum looks like she knows how to bake yeast bread and make a great sweet potato caserole and roasted vegetables with whatever grows in her garden. Calista looks like she orders Turkey from Harrods for Thanksgiving. This all matters. People don't want to see the three pearl Saks Fifth Ave Tiffany's Princess model in a First Lady. It doesn't inspire envy it inspires rage in these economic times and it looks like insecurity on her part. Does she own a pair of khakis?. Little children in many Southern States have nothing to eat two days a week when they don't get school lunches and they don't want to see McLean Tiffany's Papal Princess sporting her three pearl Saks get up while peddling a children's book. Something too offensive for words that doesn't sit well.

Michelle Obama became an instant hit when sporting GAP clothing- because it's affordable and casual chic. She is a person who ran a family budget. You can tell. Once you are first lady you will get all the offers in the world to grace the covers of Vogue and Town and Country. When you are running you better know that Target and H&M sell clothes for the masses of people who vote.

We can talk later about whether contraception bans imprison women as sex slaves or whether anti abortion statutes are forced peonage enslaving women to their offspring, etc.....My new test for Presidential wife is, would she be embarassed to wear a plaid flannel shirt at a baseball game?