I hate when they attack the wives or the family. Cindy McCain had a stroke a few years ago, and here she is out functioning. Is that our general response. The more people attack, I think, the more the ordinary person will dig in their heels and vote for what’s right. I think part of this groundswell is because people are sick of attacks, gossip, division. I can’t say much in a small space and my views probably appear simplistic. But it takes courage to be a First Lady; enough already!

I’m rooting for the Democrats to capture the White House, but everything will be fair game from here on out, whether we like it or not. The Obama’s will need a thick skin, because the Republicans are going to play the patriotism card to the hilt. And they’ve only scratched the surface so far. Obama will be painted as a sinister anti-Semitic collaborator with rogue Hamas and other leaders, and the ‘God-bleep America’ and other Rev. Wright video clips/soundbites will be played in political commercials ad nauseum. Obama just needs to stay calm and collected, and not let McCain & Co. make the election about patriotism and war heroes instead of the economy and body bags. It does appear that both the Obama and Clinton campaigns have begun to make the very gradual transition from combatants against each other to allies, with the focus shifting more towards uniting the Democratic party and taking aim at McCain. Obama and Clinton need to make this transition as graceful as possible. Contrary to what many (most?) opine, I still believe an Obama-Clinton ticket is possible.

Absolutely — fair game. If you put yourself out there during a political campaign you should be able to take the heat or get out of the kitchen. All of these candidates have “handlers” — I’m sure they tell them what to say, how to dress, etc. And, if they decide to go off on their own — so be it. As for Mr. Obama saying to “lay off my wife” — my question would be “Or what”? As for Cindy McCain — no, don’t release information if you feel it could be harmful to your family. I really felt the remarks about Chelsea were rotten. Calling her a ‘pimp’ for her mother was outrageous and asking her questions about her father’s infidelity was WAY out of line.

Truman - Can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. If your out campaigning for your husband (or wife) your fair game. The children should not be part of bad media remarks.

My Mother used to always say “Birds of a Feather flock Together”. If you want to judge a person, look at those closest to them in their inner circle. However, that being said - if you judge make sure you get the ENTIRE story. It gets frustrating when things get taken out of context like Michelle’s comments on her pride in her fellow Americans who showed up in force to make a difference… High school never ends…

Thank you, Lily, for clarifying this silliness. I, too, saw the interview and the message I got, was that when you tangle with Michelle you’d best be prepared. After all, she’s an attorney, educated in oral argument, an independent thinker, smart as a whip, and dedicated to making the campaign successful. Aren’t those the very qualities all of Sen. Clinton’s supporters are lauding her for? No one has to agree with what Michelle Obama says, but, at the very least, she should get proper credit for being a strong woman. I thought that’s what all of us wanted to see in the White House - either as President or as First Lady.

All adults need to be accountable for their comments,especially those running for public office. I think Barack didn’t want Michelle’s comments to become an overblown issue that doesn’t really have anything to do with the problems we are facing as a country. The media wastes time on useless information, at the end of the day, does it really matter ? I am sick of this campaign, will be glad when it is over and we have a candidate. We should be focused on who is the most qualified person to run this country ! Why do we have such a long drawn out process ? It is such a waste of money !

Michelle Obama makes campaign speeches and of course she is liable for the consequences. But,Liz Smith, her comments are absolutely pertinent, unlike Mrs Reagan’s wardrobe. It is clear that Mr Obama’s skin is not only black, but very very thin. Michelle Obama should face the consequences of her actions,,,,Cindy McCain’s money is pertinent because it affects the campaign and federal campaign finance laws. ie, providing jet transportation, etc.

The question should be not whether a spouse is “off limits”, but what is transparency, what is propaganda and what is acceptable to us, as Americans. These are 2 completely different issues. In the case of Cindy McCain, this is a question of where her money ties lead to and if they present potential conflict of interest. Whereas this example of Michelle Obama is an attempt to smear her as unpatriotic, by taking a few words out of context and them playing them over and over again, while feigning righteous indignation. Michelle Obama : What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback. And let me tell you something — for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I’ve seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it’s made me proud. Obama’s response to Tennessee GOP’s claim that his wife is unpatriotic.: “If they think that they’re going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful. Because that I find unacceptable. The notion that you start attacking my wife? Or my family? Michelle is the most honest, the best person I know. She is one of the most caring people I know. She loves this country. For them to try to distort or to play snippets of her remarks in ways that are unflattering to her I think is just low class and I think most of the American people would think that as well.”

Context is everything. Listen in entirety to what Obama and Michelle said (as opposed to reading edited out-takes). Spouses are an integral part of who our candidates are. Transparency is critical to keeping the process open and honest. (at least as much is possible within the political process!) Full disclosure is the only way to keep positions of power from being abused.

You’re asking the wrong question. It’s not about “fair game” it’s about taking words out of context and then using them in a twisted fashion to make illogical assumptions about the person speaking. My husband and I watched Michelle’s speech in its entirety and found it to be filled with her love of this country and its blessings upon her … If people would stop with the sound-byte mentality, all candidates could talk to us about the issues. The question should be, when are the American people going to stop judging based upon brief statements taken out of context?