Marianne Gingrich becomes the latest non-wife of 2012 campaign

Candidates’ wives always play an integral role in political, particularly presidential, campaigns. Whether it’s Cindy McCain’s soft hand in 2008 or Hillary Clinton standing by her man and promising a hands-on approach to being First Lady during the 1992 race, political wives are an essential component to any campaign. They prop up their ambitious husbands, always supportive and generally shilling for the man in their lives.

This election is no different: Ann Romney rehashed heartwarming family memories to help chip away husband Mitt’s icy facade; short-lived candidate Tim Pawlenty’s wife Mary appeared in a commercial explaining their faith; and Rick Perry brought his wife along during a CafeMom event earlier this week.

But what is different about this campaign is the seemingly oversized role non-wives are playing — women who have made headlines for their past dalliances or associations with a White House hopeful. Marianne Gingrich is but the latest: the former wife of House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Marianne will appear on ABC News’ “Nightline” tonight to regale shameful, embarrassing stories of a man to whom she was married for 18-years.

In the interview, the erstwhile Mrs. Gingrich will say her ex lacks the “moral character” to be commander-in-chief and that the family values crusader asked her to have an “open marriage” so that he could continue carrying on with his current wife, Callista. Two days later, he delivered a moralistic speech called “The Demise of American Culture.”

ABC News offers details of the marriage’s dissolution:

In her most provocative comments, the ex-Mrs. Gingrich said Newt sought an “open marriage” arrangement so he could have a mistress and a wife.

She said when Gingrich admitted to a six-year affair with a Congressional aide, he asked her if she would share him with the other woman, Callista, who is now married to Gingrich.

“And I just stared at him and he said, ‘Callista doesn’t care what I do,’” Marianne Gingrich told ABC News. “He wanted an open marriage and I refused.”

Marianne described her “shock” at Gingrich’s behavior, including how she says she learned he conducted his affair with Callista “in my bedroom in our apartment in Washington.”

“He always called me at night,” she recalled, “and always ended with ‘I love you.’ Well, she was listening.”

This was the period, of course, when Gingrich was enacting political revenge by pillorying President Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky, perhaps the most famous non-wife in political history, though her name popped up during a presidency, rather than a campaign. (Predecessors Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones, of course, played the non-wife role during the 1992 and 1996 elections, respectively.)
Marianne Gingrich is simply the latest non-wife in the 2012 campaign. Before her, the viewing public has seen a parade of non-wives from Herman Cain’s since-failed campaign. Karen Kraushaar was one of the first two women to accuse the candidate-turned-Colbert sideshow Cain of sexual harassment. Then we heard more details from Sharon Bialek, and a fifth accuser, Ginger White, stole the show by claiming a 13-year affair with Cain. He left the presidential race soon after.

Non-wives appear to be playing a larger role this election cycle than any other in recent memory. Critics will try to smear these women — Cain’s campaign tried to paint Bialek as a “troubled,” “opportunistic” hysterical stereotype and Gingrich has already called his ex-wive’s sit-down as “tawdry and inappropriate,” WaPo reports — but that should not diminish their role in the campaigns and their varied relationships with the candidates.

Regardless of what motivates these women to come forward — Marianne Gingrich says she agreed to an interview because she didn’t want to appear as a victim (Gingrich left her soon after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis) and to expose the candidate as a hypocrite and fraud. “How could he ask me for a divorce on Monday and within 48 hours give a speech on family values and talk about how people treat people?” — they’re flexing their muscle, showing politicians that their position does not mean they can treat people, in this case women, like disposable accessories.

Image via The Australian.