re: #97 Occasional Reader

I may be wrong, but I think Obama has refrained from invoking his daughters (much, at least) in the name of plumping his agenda. So in that sense, he hasn’t “opened the door”. I would certainly strongly object to any publicity campaign that used his daughters’ names and/or images in a way that was insulting. But that’s not the case here.

(In this vein, I recall one of Rush Limbaugh’s lowest moments, when he referred to Chelsea Clinton as a “dog in the White House” when she was all of, what, 12 years old, I believe. Truly ignoble.)

Agreed, what Rush did to Chelsea was incredibly stupid and tacky. And no, I don’t think Obama has used his kids other than for the same wholesome photo ops that all politicians do. The one thing I’ll give the Obamas is that they seem to be good parents. I don’t think you’ll ever see one of those girls pull an Andrew Giuliani-style tantrum in public.