The surreal lives of political spouses

For many people, marriage is a deep and powerful bond.

But for politicians, those relationships are often far more complicated.

Because the person they decide to marry can also make or break their careers.

The comms director for the Republican Party said something like all political campaigns are screwed up.

They're just screwed up in different ways.

And the ones that are screwed up worse are screwed up at home.

The spouses of successful elected officials must be fully committed to the cause.

It's a strange and demanding role that's very public.

And on the campaign trail and at home, it increasingly mirrors our deepening political divide.

I did have a

phone call of a threat personally to me against my life.

I'm not looking over my shoulder, but it's in the back of your mind all the time.

I'm Anissa Khalifa.

This is The Broadside, where we tell stories from our home in North Carolina at the crossroads of the South.

This week, we pull back the curtain from the surreal lives of political spouses.