What makes a great First Lady?
 

And what makes a bad one?

The most notable First Ladies of the last couple of generations have been:

Hillary Clinton
Nancy Reagan
Lady Bird Johnson
Jackie Kennedy
Maimi Eisenhower
Eleanour Roosevelt

Which has been the best? Why? And why do some (IE Hillary) elicit so much hate?

It's problematic.
Why? I suppose it's the clash of roles.
Personally, I'm not predisposed to estimating someone by their relationship to someone else - especially women in relation to "their men".
Even that title - "First Lady" smacks of some old-form chauvinism that is really a useless way to look at things.

I think this is part of the reason why we have such uninteresting things to say about them in general. When interesting things are said it's still - by definition - always in relation to the old man. What woman really wants to be viewed that way?

I could not have said it better myself.

I think alot of them do especially when power,wealth, ego and celebrity are attached. There certainly is no shortage of women chasing the money trail for whatever their reasons or motives. Some are blatant about it, some are not. Much of the time too, money marries money, to make the connection less obvious.

Interesting though, have you ever seen a highly visible man of wealth and power (to whatever degree and pedigree) not having a wife on his arm? Whether one likes it or not, that womans function is to be supportive of her husband, unconditionally. Some may call her an accessory, others the foundation of his being. Either way the husband comes first in relation to the other.

Laura Bush (I had to try and remember her name, is it Laura?) is a good example. Supportive yet for the last 4 years, hardly a peep from her.

Just a question: what if a woman is elected President of the US (as if!)... Would her husband be expected to "support his wife"? Or would he be allowed to have a job of his own, and to speak out if he feels like it?

The King must have a Queen!

Seriously, I almost feel sorry for these "first Ladies." For their husbands ambitions they get to become potential political fodder. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that Laura Bush has escaped most of this. The shots at Theresa Heinz-Kerry by Rush and his ilk are rapidly esacalating, though. I find smearing family members of politicians to be completely tasteless, although it seems to be fairly common.

In Canada we have a Governor General, a figure head of the Queen. She is married and her husband is a writer/philosopher and speaks his mind, not that anyone cares what he has to say.

Before she could be take the job, the then prime minister of Canada told her she needs to be married to be instated, so she got married. They both carry out their roles as expected and would do so if the roles were reversed. I especially like calling her excellencies husband Mr. Adrienne Clarkson rather than his name of John Ralston Saul.

I REALLY like Laura. She's loved here in Texas for good reasons. She doesn't agree with her husband on a lot of issues (gay rights, pro-choice, etc.), but she supports him through everything. She's stated before that she's not too fond of campaigning on behalf of him, and that he's never asked her to, but she does it because she loves him. That is a great wife.

About Heinz, well I'm sure she's a good wife. She allowed Kerry to borrow 5 million from her to run for president, but her voice just makes me grind my teeth. That Mass. accent, with the holier-than-thou tone mixed with the monotone talking during her speech just made me change the channel out of cheer annoyance.

It's political convention that our candidates trot out there wives and families and make us listen to them. Let's try not to react too strongly to this, these people are not their spouses and should be treated a little more gently.

I feel sorry for the so called "first ladies".

They somehow are expected to be June Cleavers in order for Americans to accept them.

Hillary had to be the best example of this. It seemed like so many people hated her guts and I think a big part of it was that she was NOT your traditional June Cleaver first lady.

I can remember one year around Christmas time, the spin doctors had her on TV baking chocolat chip cookies as if to show all the boys are boys and the sheep are nervous types that Hillary was indeed not a woman you had to worry about.

Talk about degrading for her to have to bake fucking cookies! The woman had a couple of degrees behind her, was a successful lawyer, extremely intelligent and a non traditional woman and they put her in a kitchen to back cookies!!!

Shame on Bill, shame on all of them.

NO MORE KETCHUP FOR YOU. cheers:lol:

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. -- Ephesians 5:22-24


Yeah, that's just wrong.

What I like in women isnt from the bible, nice try though.

Supporting ones spouse is not being subjected by him/her. If a woman wants to go back to work after pregnancy, and the man may think it's not wise, but a real man would let her make the decision. He would SUPPORT her, it is not one and the same with agreement.

If a man wishes to change jobs because he is not happy with his, although it would lead to a pay reduction, a good wife would support him even if she thinks the pay cut would hurt their lifestyle.

I wasn't trying to say what you like in women is from the bible. A woman who supports opinions she doesn't believe in because her husband holds them is lying to herself, is selling out, has no integrity. She is not what I want in a wife. I want a wife who is honest with me, who has character, who stands up for what she believes in. If I wanted a wife like Laura I could just get a Realdoll.

No, she makes it well known where she stands on these topics, to the public, to press, and to anyone who asks. Supporting her husband does not mean she changes her own opinion.

Once again about my example earlier. A man may not think that women working is a good idea, but an honorable one would support her decision through it.

That about sums up my feelings for Bush jr. Different accent of course. And he is president...

What does that have to do with the "First Ladies"?

But back to the subject. I particularly like Lynne Cheney, while she agrees with her husband publicly she tells him to stick at home. I don't know if you are all aware but the Cheney's have a gay daughter and she has openly disagree with the president on his stance on gay marriage and I agree with her. She later had to recant what she said so not to throw a wrench in things but I like her balls. So to speak.