The Wife Guys of the Democratic Party
After watching the Republican National Convention and the first half of the Democratic one, voters may be asking themselves: Fellas, is it liberal to love your wife?
Many of the men speaking at the DNC have married well and they know it—and they sure aren’t shy about saying it. On Tuesday night, second gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke after a touching video narrated by his son, Cole, introduced him to the country. Much of his speech was, of course, about his wife, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. He talked about her in glowing terms: “Whenever she’s needed, however she’s needed, Kamala rises to the occasion,” he said. He described her as a fighter, a person who cannot stand bullies or injustice, and a warm presence who has helped blend both their families and their faiths. And while Emhoff was charmingly self-deprecating, particularly when he recounted his awkward initial efforts to ask Harris on a date, the introduction from his son emphasized his fruitful legal career and his accomplishments as the first (!) second gentleman. The overarching picture was of a successful, ambitious man who is a great father—and who centers and backs his wife without hesitation.
After Emhoff, convention-watchers heard from Michelle and Barack Obama, a couple whose political life is more traditional than the Harris–Emhoffs—he ran for office and eventually won the White House; she served as first lady—but has nevertheless been a decadeslong model of mutual respect (and mutual talent, although Michelle’s often go underrated). Michelle Obama’s speech was, in my opinion, the best of the convention so far, and when Barack took the stage, he rightly noted that she is not an easy act to follow. Luckily, he’s a once-in-a-generation political talent himself and one of the greatest orators in modern life. What’s particularly stunning, though, is that his wife’s rhetorical talents are on par with his—and that both Obamas clearly admire the other and constantly talk them up.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AdvertisementAnd it wasn’t just the politically famous men who showed up with and for their wives at the DNC. On Monday, Amanda Zurawski walked onstage with her husband, Josh, to talk about how Texas’ strict abortion ban had nearly killed her after she miscarried their daughter, Willow. It was Josh who spoke poignantly about not........
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