Cindy McCain Advises Political Spouses: Be Ready for Bad Rap

Cindy McCain, wife of Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, has some advice for spouses of 2012 candidates. Get ready for criticism, she writes in Newsweek. “Everything you do is scrutinized, which is a hard thing for me to swallow,” McCain explains.

“Sometimes the spouses get a bad rap, because we are the gatekeepers. I think we’re misunderstood by staff and others when we’re trying to be a good spouse.”

She recommends following the advice of Nancy Reagan. “’Always remember you’re his eyes and ears. You have a very important voice in this, because you’re the one person he can trust,’” McCain writes. “That’s very true. When you are the closest person to him, you hear and see things. Telling him what you think becomes a very important role.”

And how to deal with the pressure? “You’re going to find times when you just need to pull off the trail, get home, recharge for a couple days,” McCain says.