a front row seat

This article, an op-ed by Frank Bruni, discusses the role of wives in politics. According to Bruni, there has been some buzz about First Lady Michelle Obama entering into politics as a senator for Illinois. This is unlikely seeing as she seems to be focused on her campaign against obesity and, says Bruni, "she's repulsed.. by Washington." This article uses this possibility to discuss wives' involvement in politics. Often, first ladies, whether wives of governors or wives of presidential candidates, do not choose to pursue political careers of their own. The author of the article argues that perhaps women in such positions should involve themselves in policymaking of some sort.

I thought that this article was thought-provoking. It is true that wives are rarely a part of the policymaking process, despite the fact that sons and daughters often use their blood relations to their advantage. I'm not sure how plausible it would be for wives to have completely independent political careers, though, and I think that the author of this article neglects the fact that often first ladies have important behind-the-scenes roles in their husbands' campaigns. I do think that first ladies should start to make more substantive efforts, though. I commend Michelle Obama for her efforts against childhood obesity, but I think it would be even better for a first lady to take on big challenges, like getting people to vote or working for women's rights. Overall, women are gravely underrepresented in the realm of politics, at great cost to society.

{via The New York Times}