The XX Factor: Slate women blog about politics, etc...

Words, Words, Words

I agree, Emily, that we don't have to go to Lady Macbeth territory over Michelle Obama's ill-considered remark. (If only she had said, "I am really proud of my country" instead of "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.") But the first job of a spouse on the campaign trail is: Don't embarrass the candidate. How much damage a spouse can do is evident by the work of Bill Clinton. But as this smart column by Carol Marin points out, an Obama campaign's central belief is that "words matter"—so it matters what Michelle Obama says. Now Barack himself is giving a defensive explanation of her remark. Wouldn't it be better to have Michelle say that of course she is proud of her country and that she expressed herself poorly?

And speaking of Hillary, how can she lose nine (now 10) in a row and make no mention of it in her "victory" speeches? I have a different take, Dahlia, than that the problem is that Hillary makes us respond in sexist archetypes. Watching her last night, I began to wonder about her ability to talk about, and to face, difficult truths. Sure, she has to plaster on a game face, but she's so plastered, she starts to make you worry that the caulking is going to crack. (These post-rout speeches have given me a better understanding of her marriage: ignore painful reality until it bites so hard you're forced to scream.) But it's one thing to be resolute and tough; it's another to come off as if you prefer to stay oblivious when things are bad. Don't we want a president who can deal with reality, even if it's unpleasant?