By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer 

Posted Oct. 29, 2007 –Most Black women can recall every romantic moment of a relationship whether it last 30 days or 30 years.  So when I read that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) was hard-pressed to come up with a “romantic moment” in her marriage, it told me a couple of things about the woman who wants to be the commander in chief: first, that her ideal of romance and mine are completely different; second, that she’s a politician above anything else.

I’m not expert on either topic, and she isn’t the first person to come under scrutiny on a relationship question.  But for Black women who read this article, they may have more questions than answers about her relationship with their beloved Bill Clinton.

Her responses to some of the touchy-feely questions remind me of the lack of  passion  Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis during the 1988 presidential campaign when he was asked how he would respond if his wife were raped. Dukakis botched the response to the question because it was thoughtful, stoic and politically correct but displayed little emotion or compassion for his wife.
  
I found the same lack of passion in Clinton’s response.
 
In the upcoming issue of Essence magazine, Clinton was asked, “What was the most romantic thing her husband had done for her. After hesitating for an uncomfortably long time, she responded, “Oh he’s so romantic. He’s always bringing me back things from his trips. He brought me a giant wooden giraffe from Africa. Oh, he bought me this watch,” she said, holding out her left wrist to show off a Chanel watch, its bracelet made of white cubes shaped like elegant dentures, if you can picture it. “I had dental surgery, and he said it reminded him of teeth.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but if my husband brought me a gift related to dental surgery, I’d be a little pissed.  Let’s say nothing of the giant wooden giraffe.

Now in all fairness to Clinton, maybe her staff hadn’t prepped her on the romance questions, but should they have to?  Relationship questions are important; they give voters insight and often something they can relate to.
 
  Women love to talk and hear about romance, relationships, and if candidates want to appeal to them for their vote, they need to grasp the concept. 

Since Dukakis’ blunder, the men get it.  They’ve all embraced the delicate balance between strength against our enemy and passion for their spouses.
 
Just last week, at  a fundraiser honoring Hillary’s 60th birthday, in front of  some 3,000 folks, her husband, Bill, and their daughter, Chelsea, joined her on stage. .He said, “We love you, and I am proud of you – Happy Birthday.”

When asked about her marriage, she told Essence, “I know the truth of my life and of my marriage, my relationship and partnership, my deep abiding friendship with my husband. “

Where’s the love?
 
All relationships change, and Clinton’s romantic recall was much better going back to their first meeting:  “I would see him in the hallway, and I would look at him, but I had never met him. And I thought he was very attractive. I mean, he was tall. At that time, he had long hair and a red beard. His hair was much more red-gold, and it was curly, and he had this Vikingesque beard.”

Now, that sounds like a woman in love.