Sarah Harte: Standing by your man is no longer the first duty of a wife in politics

It’s a tough station, being a political wife, because it seems to be a delicate balance of stepping up but only in a narrowly prescribed way and staying in your old-fashioned lane

President Joe Biden, left, prepares to speak as first lady Jill Biden looks on at a campaign rally, Friday, June 28, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Over the last week, political wives have featured heavily in the news. Who would be a political wife, because it brings a strong element of damned if you do and damned if you don’t?

Jill Biden is currently in the hot seat for having transgressed the political spouse’s ‘show up, shut up, and smile’ paradigm. At the heart of what is fast turning out to be an American tragedy, she stands accused of encouraging Joe Biden to continue with his bid for the presidency.