I agree with darkangel in that if you hire someone who is competant and a good fit for your office, it won't matter what their politics are.
If you want a qualified, mature, professional person then that's what you interview for.
If the previous person "interviewed great" but turned out bad, then what you thought was "great" was perhaps not really important.
So examine that failed interview and see where it went wrong and what you misjudged. That will probably tell you more about what you should change about your interview process than anything we say here.
I would also guess that a bit of Googling can help regarding the interview process and how to hire dependable people that you can work with.
Also maybe it's just me but I think dinner with family/husband should only be the very last portion of hiring decision, if at all.
Thanks. Yes, there was certainly many ways i can improve the interviewing process. I just have this strong gut feeling that a lefty is a bad fit and this would be valuable to know.