This might just blow your mind, but if Barack Obama is elected in
November, Michelle Obama will be the second First Lady who has a
post-graduate degree and who has worked up until inauguration. Guess
who was the first.
What exactly does the First Lady of the
United States do? She's married to the President, shakes a lot of
hands, always looks awesome and keeps a fairly low profile. But is
there a contractual obligation for the wife of the president-elect to
life in the White House and carry out "First Lady" duties?
The
answer is yes. The spouse of a presidential candidate has to agree to
the duties before the candidate announces his presidential run.
Imagine the chances of a Presidential Candidate whose spouse didn't
want to speak to the Press or speak publicly on behalf of her husband.
He'd never make it past the primaries. The wife of any potential
president has to make an interesting sacrifice: become a famous third
wheel and put your career on hold when (and if) the time comes.
Wikipedia notes
that the First Lady "carries no official duties, and receives no
salary". Interesting, since she has always acted as an ambassador and
participant in many domestic and international functions, as well as an
advocate on behalf of literacy, health care, conservancy, and many
other issues. This doesn't sound like the life of an indulgent
housewife--it sounds like a pretty tough job, even in the cases where
she has to sit in place of the President. All with no salary
and no choice of opting out, since "there is a strong tradition against
the First Lady holding outside employment while occupying the office."
I
think both the title of "First Lady" and spotlight on a candidate's
spouse should be dissolved. Why would the President's wife, whom he
loves and respects, live at his office and work with him without pay?
It could be worse, but her life becomes examined under the microscope
just as closely as his does, and her name isn't even on the ballot.
When the Monica Lewinsky scandal surfaced and Bill Clinton apologized
profusely to his family and the nation in a very public ordeal, Hillary
Clinton couldn't have left the White House even if she wanted to,
simply because of the incredibly submissive view of how a First Lady
would handle an unfaithful spouse. And, to put icing on the Clinton
cake, ten years later, the thought of Bill Clinton as First Gentleman
was laughable, since he'd already been president. People literally
didn't know what Bill Clinton, a man and a former president,
would do as First Gentleman. Most people I knew assumed he'd either
butt heads with Hillary in a never-ending power struggle or have more
affairs with White House interns.
Until lawmakers clearly
define the role of First Lady, society shouldn't ask her to make so
many sacrifices. If she wants to be there, great: give her a job
description, a salary, add her name to the ballot, and you'll get her
in office along with the President. But until then, we should stop
expecting the First Lady to work without pay or freedom to do what she
wants for four years.
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