January 19, 2016

Candidate’s Spouse Is a Secret Weapon

A brief history of a bad cliche.

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Hillary Clinton was nodding to tradition when she jokingly referred to her husband Bill, the former president of the United States, as her “secret weapon.” Puff pieces that describe a candidate’s spouse as the campaign’s “secret weapon” are as much a part of presidential campaigns as kissing babies and self-important Iowans.

Here is a brief history of a bad cliche:

Jane Sanders

 

The Week

Heidi Cruz

Reuters

Columba Bush

The Hill

Melania Trump

CNN

Neither of Trump’s two previous wives are considered secret weapons by the political press, but his daughter, Ivanka—whom Trump has said he would consider marrying if they weren’t related—is:

Ivanka Trump

Daily Mail

Kelley Paul

CNN

Anita Perry

MSNBC

Mary Kaye Huntsman

Houston Chronicle

Carol Paul

Wall Street Journal

Callista Gingrich

New York Times

Karen Santorum

CNN

Michelle Obama

Christian Science Monitor

Ann Romney

US News and World Report

Cindy McCain

Los Angeles Times

Todd Palin

Washington Times

Jill Biden

Vogue

Teresa Heinz Kerry

Boston Globe

Elizabeth Edwards

McClatchy

“Edwards has been variously described as her husband’s ‘stealth fighter’ or ‘bulletproof cannon’ or ‘the most interesting person in the presidential race right now,'” McClatchy reported. “If not the dominant voice, Elizabeth Edwards has become the most provocative one.”

Judy Dean

Cox Newspapers

Laura Bush

Baltimore Sun

In a dig at previous secret weapons, the Baltimore Sun reported that Bush had the added benefit of not being fully weaponized: “[t]he candidate’s wife, who said one day she hoped to see a woman president, was careful not to sell herself as a striving political wannabe or a back-room adviser to her husband.”

Tipper Gore

Lawrence Journal-World

In addition to his wife, Tipper, Al Gore had a second secret weapon—his oldest daughter, Karenna. It’s a wonder he ever lost:

Daily Mail

Ernestine Bradley

New York Magazine

New York Magazine described the wife of the New Jersey Democrat as “slight, with birdlike features and luminous blue eyes,” with “a waifish, spritelike appearance” that gives the air of “a Teutonic Audrey Hepburn.”

Barbara Bush

New York Times

Hillary Clinton

Los Angeles Times

Elizabeth Dole

King Features

Just about the only major candidate for president or vice president whose spouse was not considered a “secret weapon” was Dick Cheney’s wife, Lynne. Obviously Dick Cheney’s secret weapon is a shotgun.

 

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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