Well she's not that young, but she's 24 years younger than Fred, and there's an article about it at the NY Times. The article suggests that this will be a problem for his campaign. (As this photo demonstrates, Jeri Thompson is cute in a pleasantly plump sort of way--or maybe she was just pregnant when that photo was taken.)
So it seems that all of the Republican candidates with a chance of winning the nomination have weird wife issues:
Fred Thompson - trophy wife
Rudy Guiliani - was married to second cousin
Mitt Romney - Mormon polygamy [great-grandfather]
UPDATE
Here's a photo of Democrat Dennis Kucinich and his six-foot-tall British wife who is 31 years younger than him. She's not the type of girl you'd see featured in Maxim magazine, but she has an elegant WASPy look about her, and she's certainly way out-of-league for the average sexagenerian.
Yet another case in which the Times simply Doesn't Get It. They say that a stereotypical trophy wife, among other things, is "accomplished in her own right" when she marries the older big shot. Wrong! The stereotype of a trophy wife is that she brings nothing to the marriage except T&A ... no, I'm not that clever, someone else said that first. Jeri Thompson does not qualify as a trophy wife as she was quite professionally accomplished before the marriage. In addition, there's the fact that Fred Thompson was divorced for many years (he was married for the first time at age 17) before he met Jeri, which doesn't square with the usual pattern in which the big shot dumps his first, loyal wife in favor of the trophy wife. I also don't consider the 24-year age difference all that significant. If you apply the usual "half your age plus seven years" rule, at age 40 Jeri is one year older than the 39-year-old minimum that applies to Fred (64/2 + 7 = 39).
Thompson supporters ought to be more concerned about his health. The sort of cancer he has is very slow-progressing, something that might not bother him for many years, but on the other hand it's not easily treatable and not curable at all.
Getting back to candidates and trophy wives, Democratic long-shot Dennis Kucinich is quite an amusing case. His wife is 31 years younger than him, stunningly beautiful, and at least six inches taller than he is (admittedly not a difficult accomplishment).
Posted by: Peter | July 10, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Word up about Kucinich's wife. What's the deal with that? She's a supermodel! And he's a troll!
Posted by: The Engineer | July 10, 2007 at 12:03 PM
40 is not a trophy wife! A 30 year old dating a 20 year old is not the same as a 20 year old dating a 10 year old. A 40 year old woman can basically date any age group without any sort of controversy.
Kucinich is a 60 year old married to a 20 something year old. That really is a trophy wife. 20 year old women can't date men 20+ years older men like 40 year old women can.
Posted by: Rain And | July 10, 2007 at 12:17 PM
Whoa- whats Romney's problem? He has only has one wife.
Posted by: Turambar | July 10, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Giuliani's wife problems extend far beyond just being married to his second cousin. The number of marriages and the way he handled his divorces and affairs will really make him look bad.
I would agree with Peter that Thompson's younger wife doesn't seem to be much of a liability.
Posted by: bbartlog | July 10, 2007 at 12:34 PM
By the way, as a 20 something year old male, I won't be voting for a politician who "steals my women" anytime soon! I think trophy wives (and "trophy affairs" with much younger women) are a good indication of propensity to abuse power. Politicians show their character and service to the public good by sticking with expired companion wives their own age. American politicians need to be unlike rockstars and African politicians in that the public good comes first.
That said, I suppose these guys won't be going through a midlife crisis anytime soon.
Posted by: Rain And | July 10, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Mitt Romney has only one wife. His father had only one wife. His grandfather had only one wife. His great-grandfather was a polygamist (5 wives). But who the heck cares what someone's great grandfather did? You may have valid reasons not to vote for Mitt because he's a morman, but the polygamy issue shouldn't be it. Seriously, can you name all of your great grandparents?
When JFK ran, people said he would obey the Pope more than his country, but JFK wasn't really all that loyal to the Pope, and he certainly wouldn't have followed the Pope's commandments or whatever. Can you say the same about Mitt and the head of the LDS church, who is supposedly a living prophet (at least in Mitt's eyes). I am not so sure. I am not mormon, but I still like Mitt: I think he's accomplished, intelligent, and he's had private sector experience. He knows what makes companies work, and I don't think he'd be a bad president. But that mormon thing is a bit weird.
Guiliani may have married his second cousin, but I think it's his serial marriages that's more of an issue. Most people can't really describe what a second cousin is (you share one set of great grandparents).
As for Fred Thompson, who knows how this will play out. I guess they may try to make her look a little more matronly...
Posted by: GMR | July 10, 2007 at 12:51 PM
When JFK ran, people said he would obey the Pope more than his country, but JFK wasn't really all that loyal to the Pope, and he certainly wouldn't have followed the Pope's commandments or whatever.
JFK actually dealt with a variation on the trophy wife controversy when he ran. While it was his first marriage, some people were a bit disapproving of the fact that his wife was more than ten years younger and, unlike prior First Ladies, glamorous.
Posted by: Peter | July 10, 2007 at 01:20 PM
lol, i can't get over Kucinich's wife....he must, like Dustin Diamond, be all nose and hose.
Posted by: Hank Bonds | July 10, 2007 at 02:00 PM
While it was his first marriage, some people were a bit disapproving of the fact that his wife was more than ten years younger and, unlike prior First Ladies, glamorous.
I was going to say that marrying a beautiful women is generally an easy way to ensure that he'll be loyal and faithful to his wife, but JFK's indiscretions shot that theory down.
OTOH, his choice of a beautiful wife implies that he has taste in women, and he has something resembling social skills. In contrast, I'm starting to think that Bill and Hillary Clinton's marriage is an emotional one where they love each other as "friends" because of their mutual interests, but have no real interest in each other physically, hence Clinton's numerous indiscretions. A longer-term version of the relationship I had with Wellesley Queen until recently, IMHO.
As for Fred Thompson, who knows how this will play out. I guess they may try to make her look a little more matronly...
That would be sad, IMHO. He shouldn't have to hide his beautiful wife to placate to the peasants who are unable to get beautiful women.
Posted by: David Alexander | July 10, 2007 at 02:05 PM
Kucinich's wife is way overrated -- she has long legs and an OK face (with a man-jaw). But: no shape, ruddy / pinky pallor, and do I need to say it again, no shape!
I never thought I'd defend the blonde bombshell type, but Thompson's older, blonder wife is a fox compared to Kucinich's.
Posted by: Agnostic | July 10, 2007 at 02:47 PM
Kucinich's wife is way overrated -- she has long legs and an OK face (with a man-jaw). But: no shape, ruddy / pinky pallor, and do I need to say it again, no shape!
People are making such a big deal of their relationship because nobody would expect Kucinich to attract a young decent looking woman. She may not be hot, but she's still out of his league given his age, wealth, power, and height.
Posted by: David Alexander | July 10, 2007 at 03:15 PM
So there is hope for DA yet!
Apparently she spent the first month in America visiting with a Texas death row prisoner she had been corresponding with. Conclusion: she is romantically attracted to lost causes.
Posted by: Turambar | July 10, 2007 at 04:19 PM
Apparently she spent the first month in America visiting with a Texas death row prisoner she had been corresponding with
OMG, you got a link for that?
Posted by: Rain And | July 10, 2007 at 04:37 PM
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1030-04.htm
Elizabeth arrived in the United States in April, one month before meeting Dennis. She spent part of her first month visiting an Austin, Texas, death-row prisoner with whom she had corresponded.
and she is used to caring for mongrels
That same year, Elizabeth graduated from high school and took a plane to Agra, India - site of the Taj Mahal - where she had signed up to volunteer at one of Mother Teresa's homes for India's poorest. children.
I really dont have anything against the girl and I hope that these two are happy. But I do have to snort at this:
They really shouldn't have met, these two people, with oceans and three decades between them. But they did share some things: a desire to work for peace, concern for the environment, a strong spirituality girded by Eastern traditions and - the thing that brought Elizabeth to his office last spring - a belief that monetary reform can offer a solution to poverty.
"monetary reform can offer a solution to poverty"?
Dennis: Elizabeth, I have been meaning to ask you something but I dont know how to start.
Elizabeth: Anything! Just say it!
Dennis: Well... I...
Elizabeth: squee!
Dennis: I have been thinking about us
Elizabeth: and
Dennis: and poverty
Elizabeth: ?
Dennis: Do you think that indexing currency to a fungible asset would unnecessarily reduce liquidity and attenuate monetary cycles?
Elizabeth: Oh I've been hoping you felt the same way!
Posted by: Turambar | July 10, 2007 at 04:57 PM
Word up about Kucinich's wife. What's the deal with that? She's a supermodel! And he's a troll!
Actually, any Kucinich kids would be labeled "half-elves," I believe. ;-)
Posted by: tommy | July 10, 2007 at 05:19 PM
Thanks. The article doesn't make it seem like she's one of those hopeless death row skanks, but rather one of those hopeless air-head leftists who fall for the worst causes imaginable. She was probably consoling some black cop killer who a bunch of drug poisoned college kids perversely thought was a good poster boy against the death penalty.
Posted by: Rain And | July 10, 2007 at 05:59 PM
So there is hope for DA yet!
Come on, how would my political views prevent me from admitting that relationship has an imbalance in terms of their respective looks? Even leftists can be womanizers...
Posted by: David Alexander | July 10, 2007 at 06:39 PM
I didnt mean that "there is hope" because you finally cottoned on.
I ment that "there is hope" because there is apparently a pool of hot women who will overlook your disqualifying shortcomings and will date and marry you because of some Florence Nightingale complex they have. And they cant leave you for an alpha because those guys arent attractive to them since they dont need anything. You only competition will be death row inmates and those guys wont be getting out.
Now that has to make even you optimistic!
Posted by: Turambar | July 10, 2007 at 08:58 PM
Fred's wife is "legitimately hot". Even at 40.
Kucinich has an attractive wife. Many will bump her into the "hot" category because she's tall and slender, but she comes up just short of "hot" (though she has the potential).
Posted by: DML | July 10, 2007 at 11:31 PM
And here's something to ponder - there's nothing wrong with trophy wives. If both of them are happy and no one is being hurt, why should we care?
People criticizing them usually do so out of jealousy. I'd say that percentage is roughly 90%+, but I don't have any official studies backing me up. :)
Posted by: DML | July 10, 2007 at 11:33 PM
I saw this YouTube ad from Giuliani that purports that Hollywood Fred's wife is actually a tranny. It might explain a lot. OK, maybe it's not really from Giuliani's campaign, but it is funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ZmZizWTy4
Posted by: KurtzSig | July 10, 2007 at 11:54 PM
People criticizing them usually do so out of jealousy.
They're frequently criticizing it for ideological reasons. The right criticizes it because it so often involves a prior divorce and physically (if not financially) abandoned family. The left criticizing it because it doesn't conform to their idea that a marriage should be between relative equals.
Posted by: trumwill | July 11, 2007 at 12:07 PM