“For now, the rule is simple: Hug your running mate, kiss your wife.” Today’s NY Times looks at how times have changed in terms of business etiquette between the sexes.  Seems like McCain prefers to hug his new running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, over a warm handshake.  We thought it might be interesting to see how things have changed over the years.

NY Times: “It has been nearly a quarter century since Walter F. Mondale almost never touched Geraldine A. Ferraro in public when they shared the Democratic presidential ticket in 1984, and it is safe to say that times have changed. Back then, Mr. Mondale had a strict “hands off” policy and did not even put his palm on Ms. Ferraro’s back when the two stood side-by-side and waved with uplifted arms.

Anything more, and “people were afraid that it would look like, ‘Oh, my God, they’re dating,’ ” Ms. Ferraro recalled in a brief telephone interview on Monday, of what now seems like a political Victorian age.”

Parental Playground Newsletter: “Be formal. Being formal is classy. In business, you need as much class as you can get. Start with a handshake and if you’re being introduced to someone, stick to using a title (Mr., Ms., etc.) until you get an invite for a first name. Logically, the handshake doesn’t apply to a telephone conversation, but the name rule certainly does.”

The Wall Street Journal: “‘I would be rude if I didn’t kiss my female colleagues from Mexico,’ says Mr. Higgins of his routine single-cheek kisses. He triple-cheek-kisses at the company’s Zurich headquarters. In the mixed company of kissers and shakers, he faces a split-second dilemma: What to do with the cheek of the female head of Nestlé’s Hispanic ad agency. “I’m thinking, are there other people in the room who won’t get this?” he says.”

Etiquette Expert: “There’s some good news for all you “germ-a-phobes” who don’t like to shake hands. It’s called the hand pound or “pound” for short. And it has been endorsed by Barack Obama.

When Obama captured the Democratic nomination last Tuesday night, he did more than just hug and kiss his devoted wife, Michelle. He affectionately gave her the “pound,” which I think is kind of cool. This handshake, also known as the fist bump, is formed when you clinch your fist and tap knuckles with another person. It is generally used when someone does something good. So go ahead and bump away! You can tell others that an etiquette expert told you it was politically correct! “