All in the Family

I was about to start fulminating about how the media are covering the spouses of White House aspirants more intensively than the candidates themselves, but now it turns out that kids are being dragged in as well.

A week after the New York Times ran a lengthy front-page profile of Chelsea Clinton, Slate informs us of some breaking news involving Rudy's teenage daughter:

"There's one vote that Rudy Giuliani definitely can't count on in his 2008 presidential bid: his own daughter's. According to the 17-year-old Caroline Giuliani's Facebook profile, she's supporting Barack Obama.

"On her profile, she designates her political views as 'liberal' and--until Monday morning--proclaimed her membership in the Facebook group 'Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack).' According to her profile, she withdrew from the Obama group at 6 a.m. Monday, after Slate sent her an inquiry about it."

So: an outrageous invasion of privacy by a voracious media? Not this time. These days, posting something on your Facebook profile is the equivalent of standing in Times Square with a banner. Especially if you're the daughter of a presidential candidate. Yes, technically it's only supposed to be visible to your friends, but remember the groping photos of Miss New Jersey? Everything gets out in the digital age. Not only is Caroline not backing her father, she's switched parties!

Rudy declined comment yesterday, but Barack was loving it: "That's very nice. We think it's wonderful that we are attracting support from young people all across the country. I can't wait to meet her."

Now back to the spouse question. I'm not saying that women, especially women who play active roles in their husbands' campaigns, should be put on some kind of pedestal and shielded from media inquiry. But let's face it: much of this has to do with the titillation value.

What are these women really like? Who did they sleep with before their current husbands? What is the nature of their marriages? Do campaign officials resent them?

On Sunday, the New York Times had a front-page piece on Judith Giuliani, The Washington Post had a front-page piece on Jeri Thompson, Newsweek also ran a Jeri piece, the Chicago Sun-Times carried an interview with Michelle Obama, and the Los Angeles Times explored the vital issue of sexuality in campaigns.

Yes, they're all running to be first lady, but the gossipy nature of these pieces, and the Vanity Fair profile of Judith, the former mayoral mistress, suggests we all just want a break from competing health care plans and debates over whether to invade Pakistan.

"In March," reports the LAT, "an aspiring Republican presidential couple -- Rudolph W. and Judith Nathan Giuliani -- appeared in a fashion layout in Harper's Bazaar that accompanied an interview with Mrs. Giuliani. The most striking thing about the feature, a coming-out of sorts for Judith Giuliani, was their pose. Sitting on the arm of her husband's chair, eyes closed, she tipped her head down, caressed his face and planted a kiss that looked like a precursor to something steamier . . .

"A couple of months later, after seeing a photograph of presumed presidential hopeful Fred Thompson's much younger wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson, in a low-cut gown that would be modest on a Hollywood red carpet but could be shocking at a Washington social event, MSNBC talk show host Joe Scarborough quipped, 'Do you think -- think she works the pole?' . . . Not long after that, Cindy McCain, wife of presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), gave Fox News talk show host Greta Van Susteren a tour of the couple's new Phoenix condo. Mrs. McCain wore a pink blouse with a plunging neckline, and heavy makeup that would not have been out of place at a black-tie event.