From Freakonomics blog:
In the U.K., however, Conservative leader David Cameron — the likely winner, per the prediction markets, in the yet-to-be called election — has just unleashed a doozy: his wife Samantha is expecting the couple’s fourth child. Their first-born, Ivan, recently died at age 6 from a rare neurological condition. It is hard to imagine that a pregnant wife won’t help Cameron a bit more.
“It’s hard to imagine”? Not that hard. I can well imagine that voters in Britain (as in the U.S.) will choose their candidates based on their records, their party positions, and so forth. Also I’ve heard that the economy can be a factor. I’m not saying Freakonomics is wrong, I’ve just never heard of the pregnant-wife-wins-votes theory before. The hidden side of everything, indeed.
That said, I’m not current on the political science literature, so maybe there’s something I’m missing here. Perhaps our readers could educate me on this one?