First Ladies | No Handbook | 6

First Ladies of the United States take on a role that is filled with intense public scrutiny, expectations, and a unique set of challenges that require forging their own paths without a formal guidebook.

First Ladies face intense public scrutiny and a lack of privacy in their roles

The White House serves dual purposes as a public office and a private family home, which complicates the ability of First Ladies to find moments of normalcy and solitude. An anecdote involving Michelle Obama revealed how a casual comment about her husband's smoking habit led to a flurry of media attention, underscoring the meticulous scrutiny faced by the First Lady.

Every first family contends with the challenge of maintaining privacy within the White House due to a resident staff of roughly 100 people. Staff members aim to make the family comfortable, discreetly completing tasks and withdrawing from private family moments. For instance, Hillary Clinton once desired undisturbed pool time during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, necessitating the assistance of an usher to ensure her solitude.

As public figures, First Ladies like Hillary Clinton have attempted to experience normalcy by wandering the city in disguise, whereas Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama's mother, enjoyed relative anonymity to venture to public places like CVS and the mall.

The First Lady position has no formal training or protocol, leaving each individual to navigate their own path

First Ladies are often seen as a softening image for their presidential spouses, a role that emerges without clear guidelines or prescribed training. They balance personal interests, public duties, and family dynamics while navigating a highly visible, uncharted position. Kate Andersen Brower points out that First Ladies turn the White House into their own space in vastly different ways, demonstrating the personal nature of this public role.

First Ladies also engage in political activities, such as relaying public sentiment to the President, further emphasizing the multifaceted requirements of their positions. Additionally, raising children or, in the case of the Bush family, having grandchildren in the White House, presents unique challenges, such as security clearances for friends and extensive background checks, highlighting the abnormal circumstances the ...

First Ladies have a unique bond reinforced by the shared experiences of their role. They often support and advise each other to help ease transitions and overcome shared challenges.

Outgoing First Ladies often give tours and advice to incoming First Ladies to help ease the transition

Transitions between First Ladies include a critical and symbolic White House tour. After the election and before the inauguration, the outgoing First Lady welcomes the newcomer to share insights about the private residence. Melania Trump received her tour from Michelle Obama, and Barbara Bush gave one to Hillary Clinton. The tour can be emotionally taxing, particularly noted by Betty Ford, who struggled to tour Rosalynn Carter after her husband was a one-term president.

The tour of the White House's private residence allows new First Ladies to visualize their family's new home

The tour provided by outgoing First Ladies to their successors allows the incoming First Lady to envision their family’s new life, an important step in the transition of the private role with extensive public expectations. This can sometimes be set against the backdrop of emotional tension, as former First Ladies and their staff often must set aside the disappointment of political defeat.

First Ladies develop empathy and camaraderie for one another, even across party lines

Despite the political differences, First Ladies often share a deep empathy and camaraderie. Lady Bird Johnson, who shared friendships with multiple First Ladies such as Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Jackie Kennedy, was very empathetic in her correspondences, particularly highlighted in her letters to Caroline Kennedy after the death of Jackie and John Jr.

Lady Bird Johnson's correspondence with Jackie Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy after JFK's death showed her compassion

Lady Bird Johnson's letters to Jackie and Caroline Kennedy reflected her compassionate nature and the universal sorrow over the Kennedy tragedies. She wrote about the public’s admiration for John Jr. and the deep sense of loss following his untimely death.

First Ladies find ways to support each other informally, such as Pat Nixon helping Jackie Kennedy return to ...

The public and private lives of First Ladies balance immense visibility with the quest for normalcy, advocacy, and strategic use of their influential positions.

First Ladies employ various strategies to create a sense of normalcy and privacy within the fishbowl of the White House

Despite living in the White House's public fishbowl, First Ladies like Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama employ various strategies to maintain a sense of normalcy and privacy.

First Ladies like Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama have found ways to sneak out and experience ordinary activities

First Ladies have taken measures to experience life outside the White House walls. Hillary Clinton managed to have undisturbed moments to herself, like the time she needed assistance to enjoy privacy at the pool or when she walked around the city in disguise. Similarly, Michelle Obama and her family engaged in activities such as biking or golfing to momentarily escape the White House's constraints. The private residence, spanning the second and third floors, including the solarium, provides a more informal space for relaxation and family life away from the public eye. Michelle Obama is known to have used this private space to manage stress through exercise, and Pat Nixon maintained her privacy by avoiding news consumption, especially during the period of Watergate.

First Ladies use their platform to advance causes and shape public perception of their husbands

The position of First Lady offers a significant platform to influence policy and public perception.

Rosalynn Carter's weekly meetings with President Carter allowed her to advocate for issues important to her

Rosalynn Carter was noted for her weekly meetings with President Carter, in which she conveyed questions and concerns from the public. Her advocacy in these sessions led to tangible initiatives, such as a focus on mental health from the administration. She came prepared with a binder full of questions, ranging from the economy to the president's actions, illustrating her active role in shaping the priorities of her husband's administration.

First Ladies also undertake apolitical projects or campaigns, such as Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign to combat childhood obesity, using their platforms to promote s ...