Hello Dynamite,
Originally posted by DYNAMITE
In your mind who was the best 1st lady? What makes a good 1st lady?
(Please refrain from making this a Hilary bashing session)
For me, it would have to be Eleanor Roosevelt...
To my mind it would probably be Abigail Adams, but that may just be because I've enjoyed reading her letters to her husband so much.
To my mind there are several qualities that make a good first lady:
First and foremost she remembers that she was not elected by the people, and that first lady is not an elected office with governing power, neither was she called to be part of an executive team. She remembers that it was her husband that was elected, and that she can actually serve the American people best by supporting him in his office, and helping him to handle the stresses of this high position. She can be especially helpful if she does not
add to his burdens by entangling herself in party politics, garnering a cadre of controversial friends, or creating scandals of her own. Throughout his time in office she must be a woman of tact, reserve, and decorum.
If she is wise, she can assist him by privately making known her opinions, or what information she has gathered, as an example Abigail assisted her husband greatly via her thoughts and actually by providing valuable intelligence in her written correspondance during the Revolution.
She can also be invaluable in handling the myriad of social affairs that attend the office and as a person who can meet with and entertain foreign dignataries. Also, while he is running the government, it is very difficult for a President to also adequately handle the affairs of his own family and estate. During his years in the presidency, a woman who can take over those duties (as did Martha Washington, for instance) is a gem.
Personally, I'm curious why so many people think of Eleanor as the best first lady. What qualities did she have that make her a better first lady than say Martha Washington or even Mamie Eisenhower?
- SEAGOON