Republican candidates: This holiday season, the wives are working overtime.
In a new ad touting her husband鈥檚 海角大神 values, Anita Perry 鈥� in eye-popping royal blue 鈥� tries to make the case that Rick Perry鈥檚 family and American roots are as deep as those of the giant tree towering behind her.
鈥淲hen Rick鈥檚 tour of duty as a captain in the Air Force ended, he returned home to farm with his dad and asked me to marry him,鈥� she says of her high-school sweetheart.
It鈥檚 one of several political ads making the rounds this week featuring Republican candidates鈥� wives. And spouses have hit the campaign trail too, chatting with voters as they munch on pizza or practice target shooting.
On Wednesday Mitt Romney tweeted: 鈥淢y wife Ann is a remarkable woman 鈥� she has been my biggest champion....鈥� and he included a link to a new ad full of black-and-white photos from their family life. In it, Ann Romney says in part: 鈥淵ou can never predict what kind of tough decisions are going to come in front of a president鈥檚 desk. But ... if you really want to know how a person will operate, look at how they鈥檝e lived their life.鈥�
Newt Gingrich and his wife (she鈥檚 decked out in royal blue, too) put out a happy holidays ad Dec. 19, complete with soft music and images of candles aglow. 鈥淚s there anything more inspiring than American towns and neighborhoods brightly lit for the holidays?鈥� says the perfectly quaffed Callista Gingrich. Then candidate Gingrich says that it鈥檚 a reminder 鈥渙f the fire of freedom that burns bright in the America we love.鈥�
鈥淐ampaigns are about policy and character, and the family comes in for the character part,鈥� says Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University in New Jersey. 鈥淚t is a softer side of the campaign, but one that can have a bite in some cases.鈥�
An earlier Romney ad featuring his marriage of 42 years, for instance, is designed to contrast him with Mr. Gingrich, for whom Callista is the third wife 鈥� a relationship that started as an extramarital affair.
While Gingrich may be hoping to project more confidence among voters by showing his wife鈥檚 support, it may instead 鈥渉ighlight one of his vulnerabilities,鈥� says Jennifer Lawless, a government professor at American University in Washington, D.C.
It鈥檚 not surprising, Professor Lawless says, that if one candidate puts out an ad featuring his wife, others hasten to follow. In a Republican primary, it might matter to voters 鈥渋f the candidates are emphasizing traditional family values and traditional conceptions of family structures,鈥� she says.
Wives can play a role in a candidate鈥檚 ability to continue a campaign. Gloria Cain helped her husband hold onto many women voters when she defended him against allegations of sexual harassment. But she also may have influenced his decision to step out of the campaign after facing accusations of an affair.
Jon Huntsman鈥檚 wife, Mary Kaye, has been campaigning for her husband in New Hampshire recently, and she鈥檚 been enthusiastic from the start, The Boston Globe reports.
Messages from male candidates鈥� wives are sometimes more persuasive to female voters. Case in point: Gail Bourque, an independent in New Hampshire, told NHPR radio that she was won over to Ron Paul鈥檚 campaign because of a recent mailing from his wife, Carol. 鈥淚f you want to get the woman vote, have your wife send out the message,鈥� Ms. Borque said.
And don鈥檛 forget the husband on the campaign trail: Michele Bachmann鈥檚 husband, Marcus, stirred up controversy earlier in the race because of his work counseling about homosexuality.
But lately he鈥檚 been touring Iowa with a group of conservative 海角大神s to promote his wife. He stopped off recently in Evansdale for a photo opp at a shooting range and touted US Representative Bachmann鈥檚 belief in Americans鈥� right to bear arms, according to the Cedar Valley news website wcfcourier.com.
But in the general election, while spouses can be helpful campaigners, they鈥檙e not usually the reason people cast their vote, Lawless says.
