While I’m normally a fan of my colleague Kevin Williamson’s writings, I didn’t quite see eye to eye with him on the latest, “Like a Boss.”
So, as a female voter, let me say this: It’s great that Mitt Romney has five sons — and it’s also great that Barack Obama has two daughters. What has always appealed to me about both men on a personal level is their obvious dedication to their children, and their commitment to their wives.
Romney’s business record is no doubt hugely impressive. But when I talk to other women about Romney, here’s what I hear: admiration that he’s still married to (and clearly very much in love with) the same woman he wed 43 years ago, and praise for his devotion to family life, whether it’s the easy rapport he shows with his sons or the photos of him flocked by grandchildren. In other words, women have enthusiasm for those very ways in which he has bucked the evolutionary instinct, such as not cavorting about with some 20-something babe.
And putting aside the question of how women do select dating partners, I don’t see any reason to believe that most women pick a politician to vote for the same way.
And regardless of how many people ogle Jay Leno’s car collection, I think it would be a terrible political tactic for Romney to campaign as “RMoney.” Think of those photos of John Kerry wind-surfing. Did they endear him to Americans in 2004? Did people say, yes, this is a man we like and trust to promote good policies that will bring about economic prosperity? I don’t think Americans hate the rich, or want to take their money away and redistribute it. But at the same time, by avoiding ostentatious displays of wealth, Romney shows an empathetic tact. Only a callous person would meet an old friend, down on his luck, by showing up in designer clothing and expensive jewelry. Instead, out of sensitivity, normal clothes would be worn. That’s how Romney should be presenting himself to the American people: making no apologies for his wealth, but also earnestly trying to show he understands how lousy this economy is and how much it’s hurt so many people.