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Words are powerful - Thoughts shape - Ideas have consequences

Sharon Hughes

The Center for Changing Worldviews
Posted August 16, 2004

America Looks at the Wives
It's about class and character

Did you catch Bill O'Reilly's interview with Laura Bush last night? How about Teresa Heintz-Kerry's response to Bush supporters chanting "4 more years"? Her response - "4 more years of hell!" Quite a contrast between the two.

America is evaluating the choices, not just for President, or Vice President, but for First Lady also. One democrat interviewed on the news said, "Can we have John Kerry for President and Laura Bush for First Lady?" That says alot. Laura has class and was very gracious about Teresa's remarks. I'm afraid John Kerry will continue to have to make excuses for his wife's responses. You can only say "she's just outspoken" so many times.

Now, I know it's not easy being the wife of someone running for office. When my husband, Duane, ran for Congress in 1994 and 1996 in California's sixth district against Lynn Woolsey (the incumbent "welfare mom" affectionately acknowledged by Bill Clinton in one of his State of the Union addresses, and part of the Barbara Boxer think-alike club) sometimes I couldn't wait for a day to just stay at home in my jeans, curl up in my favorite chair and read a good book. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week, especially the last three months of a campaign, meeting and talking to the people, can be tough. I can only imagine what it must be like when it's a race for the Presidency.

Having said all that, we know it's the tough times, the challenging times, that bring out the real person. So, we want to take seriously the comments and attitudes of those running for office and their spouses because they are no small matter, they reveal character...all excuses aside. What's inside does come out. And America is taking note.

© Sharon Hughes 2004

Sharon is the President of The Center for Changing Worldviews, and hosts Changing Worldviews TALK Radio which is heard on KDIA AM1640 San Francisco/Vallejo; KGDP AM660 Santa Maria, CA and WITA AM1490 Knoxville, TN, as well as online daily at Oneplace.com. Her column appears on several online news sites including CaliforniaRepublic.org, ChronWatch.com, MichNews.com, NewsBull, NewsWithViews.com, RenewAmerica.us and others. For further information go to www.changingworldviews.com or comment at http://changingworldviews.blogspot.com
Contact sharon@changingworldviews.com