I live in a non-nuclear family -- and I vote. So campaigning on a platform of family values does worse than leave me cold -- it leaves me out.

If American politicians didn't so strongly identify their family status with their worthiness, they wouldn't appear so fraudulent when, like John Edwards and Sarah Palin, they are caught out.

European leaders don't flaunt their families anywhere near to the extent that American ones do; they divorce, they have mistresses, they argue that their personal lives have little to do with their leadership ability. I agree.

 Maybe if Americans weren't so suspicious of anyone living outside of the nuclear family ideal, our politicians wouldn't have to puff up their family status only to have it deflated.