By Thom Little, Ph.D.
One of my favorite parts of my job as the Director of Curriculum Development and Research for the State Legislative Leaders Foundation is the opportunity to meet many very interesting people. As I have been preparing for our upcoming program on public service at The Carter Center (September 26-28) I had the opportunity to sit down with two such people: Dr. Scott Kaufman, a professor at Francis Marion University, and Josh Carter, the grandson of President Jimmy and First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Both will be speaking at our conference.
Two weeks ago, I had lunch with Dr. Kaufman, the author of Rosalynn Carter: Partners in the White House and then this past week, I had a great conversation with Mr. Carter in his office at VEO-IBD, a nonprofit dedicated to educating and supporting families of those with Early Onset Irritable Bowel Disease, a rare illness suffered by his son. Both conversations highlighted the role that Mrs. Carter played in her husband’s meteoric rise from a peanut farmer to the Georgia state senate to the presidency. Both acknowledged that without Rosalynn Carter, there would have been no Jimmy Carter.
Those comments reminded me of the importance of political spouses and the role they play in the success and impact of their significant others. So, based on more than thirty years of working with state legislative leaders and my conversations with Dr. Kaufman and Mr. Carter, here are some thoughts on the very important roles of political spouses.
Supporter. First and foremost, it is critical that any political candidate, from dog catcher to president, have the whole-hearted support of their significant other. A commitment to public service places a significant time, financial and emotional burden on any relationship.
Cheerleader. Politics is a tough business- it always has been. Those who run and hold public office are going to have bad days- a debate does not go well, a poll shows them behind, a bill does not pass, or a constituent goes after them on social media. It is at those times that a significant other can be there to remind their partner why they ran for office in the first place- to improve the lives of those around them which is an objective worth fighting for.
Defender. Politics is not for the faint of heart, but for those who, as Teddy Roosevelt said, are willing to get in the arena and whose face is “marred with blood, and sweat and dust.” Candidates and officeholders will find themselves under attack from the left or the right, from the other party or within their own party or by the media. Attacks are inevitable in today’s political world. In such cases, if the attacks are indeed false, the spouse is expected to stand up for the candidate or officeholder.
Confidant. We all need someone we can trust, a statement that is especially true for those in the often cut-throat world of politics. Every public servant needs someone they can trust with their ideas, positions and proposals. A public servant’s spouse should be someone they can confide in that will not be posting on social media or broadcasting across the internet.
Sounding Board. Politicians are full of ideas or else they would not seek office. Like all of us, some of their ideas are very good, some are okay and some are just plain bad. A spouse can serve as a sounding board, listening to those ideas and offering constructive advice. They can listen and offer thoughts or raise concerns that can help their spouse refine and improve the ideas.
Constructive Critic. It is not enough that a political spouse be willing to listen and offer advice to improve the work of their significant other. It is just as important, and perhaps more so, that they be willing to call them out when their ideas are bad, unethical or wrongheaded. Unfortunately, elected officials are often surrounded by people who are unwilling to tell them when they are wrong. A good spouse will have the courage to do that.
To sum up all these roles, an elected public servant can only be successful if his or her significant other is a willing partner. They must be in this together. They share ideas about how to win elections and how to govern effectively. Their partnership means that decisions that affect both of them are made together so that the partnership will last long past the days of elective office.
Legislative leaders and their spouses are invited to join us in Atlanta on September 26-28 to learn more about the impact of Rosalynn Carter and share ideas on the significance of political spouses.
