The Role of Presidential Candidates' Wives in the 2004 Election

Throughout America’s history, one of the key players in the game of the presidential campaign is the wife of each presidential candidate. In today’s America, the importance of the role played by these women has grown even stronger due to the significance of the woman voter. In recent elections, the concern for capturing women voters has grown enormously, and the effect of this growth has impacted the wives of each candidate to a great extent. One of the most important events for the wives of the candidates, as well as the sector of women voters, is the convention. During this short time period, the wife of each candidate has a chance to voice her opinions on the issues at hand, and the women of the population have a chance to listen to these viewpoints. As outstanding women in this country, the wives of the presidential candidates have a colossal impact on the votes of many women in America. The National Conventions give these outstanding women a chance to capture a major section of the voting population in a very short amount of time. 

During the 2004 conventions, America was presented with two very different women, with two very distinct outlooks: Laura Bush and Teresa Heinz Kerry. While both women attempt to capture the same demographic sector throughout their addresses, the language and style of each speech, as well as the issues discussed, vary tremendously. As each oration unfolds, new views and opinions are introduced to the women voters of America, and the obvious contrast between each presentation leaves these women voters with numerous interpretations and decisions to be made, but the variety offered between to two speeches also leaves these women voters with two distinct choices at the polls.