Cindy McCain rarely strays from her campaign script and almost never says anything political. So when the 53-year-old wife of the Republican presidential candidate remarked in February: “I don’t know about you ... but I’m very proud of my country,” people took notice.

Although she did not mention Michelle Obama by name, Mrs McCain’s remarks were aimed at the 44-year-old wife of the Democratic frontrunner. Mrs Obama (pictured below with her husband) had sparked a fire-storm earlier that week when she said: “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country, not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”