Throughout history, every president’s wife has had a different interpretation of what their role as first lady entails. Traditionally, the role of first lady has been to take care of the president so that he can perform his duties to the best of his ability. For a long time, most presidents’ wives were content with sitting back and letting their husband run the country while they stood silently by his side and continued their job as family caretaker. Lady Bird Johnson, wife of 36th President Lyndon B. Johnson, said, “The first lady is, and always has been, an unpaid public servant elected by one person, her husband.”
However, that is not so much the case now. In more recent years, the role of first lady has evolved into a very demanding and multi-faceted job. It’s an obligation to be a social advocate for the citizens of the United States. First ladies have the potential to create influential organizations and to sponsor important social initiatives. During the 2012 presidential campaigns, it seemed like the first lady and her platform were in the political discussion almost as much as the presidential candidates themselves. So what exactly do Michelle Obama and Ann Romney stand for?
Michelle Obama
Michelle, who grew up in the south side of Chicago, is a public school success story. She defied odds and was accepted to Princeton, where she majored in sociology and African-American studies. She attended Harvard Law in 1988, where she met Barack. Before she was first lady, however, Michelle had already decided that her life purpose was to serve others in her community. She held many service leadership roles back in Chicago, such as assistant commissioner of planning and development. She was also heavily involved in organizations that focused on preparing youth for public service. The White House cites her platform and most important concerns as “supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, promoting the arts and arts education, and fostering healthy eating and healthy living for children and families across the country.”
Her biggest contribution as first lady has arguably been the Let’s Move! Campaign. When the campaign launched on February 9, 2010, Michelle said, “The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake.” Her goal during her husband’s term has been to drastically reduce childhood obesity in our nation and to help foster healthy environments at home and in school. She encouraged Americans to pledge to live a healthier life, as healthier lives will allow us to solve many other pressing issues. In 2011, Michelle collaborated with Jill Biden to create Joining Forces, an organization that aims to “raise awareness of military families’ unique needs.” Michelle and Jill spoke at Penn last April about this initiative and how they want to engage all sectors of society in taking care of our service members.
Ann Romney
Ann Romney, wife of Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, is still trying to find out where exactly she fits into the equation. She has been battling for the women’s vote by assuring women that Romney’s proposed cuts will not drastically harm them. For this reason, some have called her Romney’s greatest asset. At the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Ann “talked about her loneliness as a young mother and struggles with breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.” She even took the lead in claiming that you’ll always hear the women “sighing a little bit more than the men” because “it’s the moms who always have to work a little harder, to make everything right.”
However, in an interview in Iowa, Ann declined to answer questions about her views on birth control and same-sex marriage. Her reasoning was that these issues “weren’t what the presidential election would be about.” In a speech she gave in August, Ann tried to reassure voters that she and her husband are “no different than the millions of Americans who quietly help their neighbors, their churches and their communities. They don’t do it so that others will think more of them. They do it because there is no greater joy.” They both pride themselves on being family-focused, and Ann would be quite the nurturing, motherly figure if she was to inherit the role as first lady this Tuesday. Romney told Good Housekeeping “the campaign issue closest to her heart is taking on teachers unions and dismantling public education as we know it.” She claims that “the charter schools have provided the answers.”
While both these women may have different political focuses, they have shown that Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing: fashion. Ann and Michelle were both visions in hot pink on October 16th at the second presidential debate. They left America wondering if their coordinating outfits had been planned–both ladies chose the same shade of electrifying magenta. Michelle wore a crepe Michael Kors sheath with a cropped jacket, plus a single strand of pearls. Ann paired an Oscar de la Renta cap-sleeve, knee-length dress with an aqua glass-beaded necklace and a few golden bangles.
In testament to their similar tastes in feminine, powerful style, they both showed up in similar outfits again at the last presidential debate on October 22nd. Ann chose another cap-sleeve Oscar de la Renta number, but this time is was emerald-green and paired with a waist-cinching belt. Michelle also chose to accessorize her custom gray Thom Brown cap-sleeve, lace overlay dress with a black belt.
Obsessed with the current first lady’s style? Don’t worry, so are the creators of “Mrs. O,” a blog dedicated to “chronicling the fashion and style of First Lady Michelle Obama.” If there is one thing that both Ann and Michelle know, it’s that their public image is more important now more than ever. Julia Tyler, wife of incumbent one-term President John Tyler, put it well when she said, “I very well know every eye is upon me…and I will behave accordingly.” American women are looking to these ladies for help on clarifying the definition of today’s “modern woman.” Whoever will take over the role of America’s first lady on Tuesday will be given the responsibility of showing both young and old women what exactly they can become and achieve in today’s country.