Purplepeony - I'm totally going to give your post the benefit of the doubt, and assume good will in your intentions.
Yes, there is a ridiculous image thing going on with the "politicians wives" BUT
We, particularly we women of mumsnet, have a heavy duty upon our shoulders, we are the army of resistance. We have to refuse the role allotted to us - as judges of this image of womanhood/femininity and its implicit degradation of politics.
We have to resist - actively resist - the allure of this stupidity. To call it by the name of stupidity. And to fight it back - publicly - and in the battleground of our own heads.
There are many, many reasons for this resistance.
The first is that it impacts on US. We, women, are still fighting for the right NOT to be judged on our appearance/by how well we achieve that slippery, tiresome beast "femininity".
We have to have the right to look actually downright ugly sometimes - because we have other important attributes.
Heck, i love clothes, and looking nice - but it's a game - there is other stuff, and when I'm doing other stuff, I don't want my shoe-choice coming into the equation.
Another reason is that this is targetted at us - women- mumsnetters - and it's f*ing patronising. They - the political marketers - obviously think we're a bit dim. Let's prove we're not.
A last reason is that it absolutely reduces the political sphere - in many ways - it "dumbs it down" to use a popular phrase. And we must resist that.
So, purplepeony - I can assume you're coming from a well-intentioned place - perhaps picking up on the importnace all of this is assuming - but I say to you - It Is A Battleground - Resist.