Vashti and Charlie Dent's Toes

If you watched the Democratic National Convention you might remember, just after Michelle Obama’s speech, that her husband, Sen. Barack Obama, joined the convention on video from Missouri and told his daughters that their mom (a Harvard Law School grad) looked “cute.” You might remember all the talk about Joe Biden’s wife Jill (a PhD college professor) being gorgeous. If you are old enough you might remember a televised event during Bill Clinton’s presidency at which he brought out his wife (currently the junior senator from New York) and said “Doesn’t Hillary look wonderful tonight?” (or something like that). I do. And while I am all for a married couple having a robust and satisfying personal life, I don’t think the American viewing public should be asked to watch.

Where does Vashti come in? You probably won’t remember this, but it is what comes to my mind often when watching or hearing the events listed above. Many of you will have heard of the Biblical Esther, wife of King Xerxes of Persia. She doesn’t actually come in to the Book of Esther until chapter 2, though. In chapter 1 Vashti is the queen. Xerxes throws a feast for his officials and servants, princes and nobles. Vashti hosts a similar event for the women of the palace. Towards the end of the week long party Xerxes and his buddies get a little buzzed and he sends an order for Vashti to come over so they can all see how beautiful she is. She refuses and gets demoted. End of chapter 1. I do wish that every once in a while a political wife would refuse to participate on some of these rituals but perhaps Vashti’s example still resonates.

If Hillary were the nominee would Bill have come out on stage in a baby blue tux, nipped in at the waist, with a match cummerbund and done a little twirl? I kind of doubt it. If Sen. McCain is elected can we expect Todd Palin to parade around in evening wear? Not likely. Note this paragraph from the Wall Street Journal (“Cindy McCain to introduce herself,” by Elizabeth Holmes and Jonathan Kaufman, 9/05):

Thursday, before her speech, Mrs. McCain attended a lunch in her honor. She entered the room with a surprise escort: Todd Palin, the husband of her husband’s running mate. Wearing a red dress, her platinum blonde hair pulled back and four strands of pearls around her neck, Mrs. McCain beamed as the crowd jumped to its feet.

What was Alaska’s “First Dude” wearing? Posterity will be left to wonder as no mention is made of his clothes, though we presume he was wearing some.

Where do Charlie Dent’s toes come in? Well, more than one media outlet has reported that at the Republican National Convention Gov. Palin wore red shoes that showed some of her toes. Furthermore, this brand of shoes, Naughty Monkey, is also favored by Paris Hilton. Something to add to her list of credentials. I call sex discrimination though. If you look at the campaign website for the incumbent Republican congressmen from Pennsylvania’s 15th district, and click on the “Meet Charlie Dent” tab, you will see a photo of Dent and his family. Note that he is wearing sandals and almost all of his toes are in clear view. Yet there’s been nary a peep about his piggies. No word on what kind of pedicure, if any, he had, or what kind of sandals he’s wearing, or whether any celebrities favor the same brand. What gives? Are political toes newsworthy or not?

That's my literary and political mashup for the evening. You are now free to return to your previously scheduled broadcast.