Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama vowed Thursday not to make the marital and other personal troubles of political rivals a campaign issue.
“Absolutely not,” Obama replied when asked in an interview on NBC’s “Today” show whether he would raise personal issues in the race.
“Everybody has personal issues,” Obama said. “And I think, ultimately, what people want to know is what are you going to do on behalf of the American people — and that’s how it should be.”
Among the Republican presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been married three times and is estranged from his children, and Arizona Sen. John McCain has been married twice.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is weighing a bid for the GOP nomination, has been married three times and recently acknowledged that he was having an adulterous affair while pursuing impeachment of former President Clinton for lying about his relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky.