The Politics of Divorce

In a week in which John McCain and Barack Obama have gone at each other over tax policy, health care and Iraq, the buzz in the blogosphere concerns a very different subject.

Her name is Carol McCain.

Anyone who has followed the Arizona senator's career knows that he did not behave well with his first wife. He readily admits it, blaming himself for the breakup of the marriage and not disputing that he was starting an affair with Cindy while still married. He has never tried to duck responsibility for what happened.

But 95 percent of the country probably knows nothing about this. Should it be fair game?

My own sense is that voters are far more concerned about the war and the housing market than what McCain did in his personal life more than 30 years ago. It smells like Swift-boating. But a British paper, as I mentioned earlier this week, has put the episode in play.

The ugly part for McCain is that Carol waited for him during his 5 1/2 years of captivity, then was injured in a car accident, after which he began courting the current Mrs. McCain. The fortunate part is that his first wife has never bad-mouthed him or tried to hurt him with the divorce. And McCain has never run as a family-values conservative. So maybe this will blow over quickly.

The piece in London's Daily Mail did include this harsh quote from Ross Perot, who paid Carol's medical bills: "McCain is the classic opportunist. He's always reaching for attention and glory. After he came home, Carol walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona. And the rest is history."

TalkLeft's Jeralyn Merritt recounts the tale and asks:

"So, water under the bridge? Or will the thought of a man who leaves the disfigured wife who raised his kids for a younger, rich woman be a turn-off for women voters?"

At the blog Cogitamus, Nick Beaudrot notes that one GOP candidate didn't get a pass on such matters:

"If you think a candidate's behavior in his or her personal life bears relevance to his merits as a presidential candidate, McCain's dalliances with other women and near gold-digging appear fundamentally disqualifying, roughly on par with anything Rudy Giuliani did to his spouses."

Carpetbagger's Steve Benen sees a potential double standard: