Reply #62: When the Constitution was drafted,

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women did not have the right to vote, let alone hold public office. For that reason, I don't think one can presume that they thought it through and decided to allow it.

Brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters of former presidents are verging on crossing the line, in my view, but I'll concede that the framers did not foresee a problem with it. One theory I have is that in their view, the pool of potential leaders was fairly small in the nation's infancy.

Marriage is a much more intimate arrangement, in that both spouses presumably reside under the same roof, share living space, and make decisions together. One would have to try hard to find even an appearance of executive autonomy in such a situation.

On a side note, I would think the VP's job would also be a bit more frustrating. It would have to be someone who not only has to defer to the president when it comes to policy matters, but to her husband, as well. There is absolutely no chance that Bill would allow himself to be a passive bystander in the running of the country. Not that his involvement would necessarily be a bad thing, but it does raise the question of the intentions of our nation's founding fathers.