Potential 2008 Presidential Kids

Mitt Romney may owe his recent win in the Iowa straw poll to five handsome young men who scoured the state for votes in a custom-wrapped RV. The young men? His sons, aged 24 to 35, all tall, square-shouldered, with winning smiles.

Many of our candidates in this electoral run-up are displaying their children, allowing their children to help campaign, or treating their children as virtual partners, while others keep the young ones in the background. How does a possible presidential kid affect our candidates' changes of winning the seat in the end?

The Roster

Romney's Sons: These young men, consisting of two real estate developers, a doctor, a music producer, and a Dodgers manager - fill an RV with male pulchritudity. In a recent interview with Greta von Susteren, the young men came across as not only engaging and handsome, but also as completely down to earth when their road food was revealed to be all the snack foods Mrs. Romney no doubt discouraged them from eating from their childhoods. Grade as possible Presidential kids: A, if only because they'd add some real interest to the White House.

Barack Obama's Daughters: Obama's pretty little girls are still very young. Sasha, aged 6, and Malia, aged 9, have been most noted on the campaign trail when a sleazy pedophile published their picture on his website, expressing his admiration for them. This did not last long, as Obama quickly had his lawyers send a cease-and-desist. Otherwise, they've been on the campaign trail off and on with Daddy, more off than on as their parents wisely protect them from the scrutiny of the press and public. Grade: A, mostly because their dad's cautiousness about exposing them to the public reflects very well on him.

Chelsea Clinton: Everyone remembers this young lady, even watched her grow up in the shadow of the White House. Today, she seems to be a poised and ambitious young woman, and some Clinton fans are gushing about the possibility of her mother winning the White House, then passing it down to Chelsey when she gets old enough. The girl is smart enough to keep her mouth shut about this, gaining her points. Grade: B, mostly because it's been done before, but also because her mother seems to be taking pains to get her in promotional shots. Come on, Hillary, everyone knows Bill did most of the raising!

John Edwards' Children: The Edwards family is marred by a tragedy; their oldest son Wade was killed at the age of 16 in a car accident. The Edwards subsequently chose to have more children, and their very cute daughter Emma Clair (aged 9) and Jack (aged 7) add a picturesque air to their photos. Like Obama, whose children are of similar ages, the little Edwardses are protected from the limelight to a large degree. Grade: A

Giuliani's Kids: Rudy Giuliani has a problem. His children don't approve of his new young wife, and they have no problem letting the public know about it. His oldest child, Nathan, who plays golf very well at Duke University, admits that their formerly close relationship has grown chilly. His daughter Caroline will be attending Harvard starting in Fall 2007, and has gone so far as to begin using her mother's maiden name, instead of her father's name. She has also implied she may be an Obama supporter, though she will not talk about it. Hm. Grade: D

John McCain's Chips Off The Old Block: As everyone should know by now, John McCain is a genuine war hero, captured during Vietnam and badly tortured for over five years by his brutal captors when he refused to provide them with the information they sought. Hopefully, his sons John (Naval Academy) and James (US Marine Corps) will not have such a dramatic incident as they serve our country, just as their dad did. McCain's kids, adopted (two for his first wife, a third from one of Mother Teresa's orphanages) and natural (five from two marriages) seem to be holding a low profile, but in no way appearing to be anything but fine upstanding people. Grade: B+, with potential depending on how his military sons perform their duties.