Rachel Maddow: Media Should Leave Candidates' Families Alone (VIDEO)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rachel Maddow insisted that the media should leave candidates' families alone as much as possible in a sit-down with MSNBC's Alex Witt that aired on Saturday.

Maddow was speaking about the female vote, and said that the media's coverage of policy has been lacking.

"We cover these candidates so much as personalities," she remarked. "Whether or not they have good late night conversations with comedians, whether or not they're smooth in their speeches and when they meet voters out on the campaign trail."

When asked if the media should draw a line when it comes to covering candidates' personal lives and families, Maddow said she thought there should be.

"In general I feel we should avoid it," she said, adding one caveat. "Unless people are campaigning on policy that they want to pursue for the nation that's based on their superior family values… unless there's a hypocrisy issue there, I don’t care.”

While Maddow objected to media coverage of political spouses and children, she said it was difficult to avoid in part because "the candidates keep putting their families on the political stage" and leaving them vulnerable to scrutiny.

"I'd rather they didn't," she opined. "You can't say 'this is my family, this is how I interact with my family, and that's why you should vote for me and also don’t report on my family.'”