Download the Politics Daily Toolbar
Our new toolbar integrates the latest news and analysis into your Web browser and installs in seconds. Download it now!

Politics DailyPolitics Daily

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • COLUMNISTS
  • TOPICS
  • THE CAPITOLIST
  • WOMAN UP
  • DAILY FLOTUS
  • JUST IN
  • THE CRAM
  • CONTACT

    Stay in Touch

  • Inside Politics Daily

    Jeri Thompson, No Mere Trophy

    Posted:
    10/4/07
    Jeri Thompson is still feeling defensive. That is understandable, given the harsh, sexist criticism from those who continue to see her as nothing more than a "trophy wife." In a new interview with People magazine, Mrs. Thompson directly addresses the accusation that has dogged her for some time:
    "I almost think they had to fabricate that trophy-wife stuff because there's nothing interesting to say."
    Nothing interesting to say? Talk about damning with faint praise.




    Get the new
    PD toolbar!

    Come on, Jeri, you can sell yourself better than that. Or maybe not. It turns out that Mrs. Thompson isn't really a lawyer, as so many of her defenders claimed (as proof that she possessed a sharp mind). Clearly, Jeri, who is 24 years younger than Fred, is a guiding force behind her husband's campaign. The real question is, is that good thing?

    For better or worse, a candidate's spouse steps into the spotlight when his or her mate runs for office. This election cycle, we've seen the spouses out front like never before. Collectively, they represent a capable and dynamic group, delivering speeches, raising money, guiding the overall message.

    It is true that you can tell a lot about a person by who he or she chooses to wed. But love is also mysterious, and if you're on the outside looking in, you may never understand the reasons it strikes. Take the Thompsons:
    To hear her tell it, the then-U.S. senator from Tennessee was standing in line with a can of beanie weenies and half a premade tuna fish sandwich.

    "I looked at him and said, 'I'm so sorry,'" Thompson says.





















    Updated: Here's a video from an interview which ran on 10/3...


    Follow PoliticsDaily On Facebook and Twitter,
    and download the new Politics Daily toolbar!

    David Knowles

    A journalist, musician and novelist, David Knowles has covered politics at AOL for the past two and a half years...more

    Contact David Knowles

    subscribe to: RSS email: David Knowles
    • Happening Right Now

       
    Politics Daily on Facebook

    Other News

     
    News Logo