Democrats send the first lady on the campaign trail- In what is looking to be a rough and tumble midterm campaign for Democrats; they have chosen to send First Lady Michelle Obama out to reassure the American people that the Democrats have it under control. It is very interesting that the Democrats chose to send Mrs. Obama out on the campaign trail without her husband. President Obama certainly isn’t the most popular political figure in the world right now, and many candidates do not want him anywhere near their campaign. However, the First Lady is still relatively popular, something that the party does not want to overlook. I think that ultimately not only is the Obama camp worried about losing the significant majority, they are also worried that the President could become a non-entity early on. When the incumbent President who was hugely popular is now unwelcome on the campaign trail, that is a signal to many that something is wrong. However, this move is also representative of the large role that First Ladies have taken on since the early 1900’s “The expanded publicity surrounding the first lady, coupled with journalists’ framing of her as the personification of American womanhood, fashioned her as an important public woman.” (Burns 44). It is also very interesting that Mrs. Obama maintains a high approval rating while her husband’s has plummeted over recent weeks. I also find it interesting that many are willing to let Mrs. Obama come campaign, but not the President. This is going to be a move that many political analysts and enthusiasts will be watching closely. If it works, this could be the beginning of an interesting trend. If this fails, however, the Obama administration could be in an awfully uncomfortable spot if things don’t turn themselves around. Sources- CNN- http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/21/first-lady-to-campaign-for-democrats/?iref=allsearch
Burns, Lisa- First Ladies and the Fourth Estate.
In 1932, the responsibilities of the first lady included, “The President’s wife must be a silent partner. The unwritten law is that the First Lady give no interviews, makes no public utterances…” (Burns 77). During the 1900’s the First Ladies were used as way to convey the family guy image to the public rather than making bold political statements. However, in today’s day and age, First Ladies are no longer seen as a simple way to boost the image of the President, but instead they are viewed as strong and independent political figures that play a much more influential role.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Lisa M Burns, in First Ladies and the Fourth Estate: Press Framing of Presidential Wives, “first ladies had begun to seek and to attract more press attention legitimating their status as public women without fear of reproach” (Burns 79). This quote exemplifies the drastic change that the role of first lady has undergone throughout the years. Today, President Obama is depending on his wife to help campaign and endorse Democratic candidates across the nation in an effort to advance the candidates in various midterm elections.
Many Democratic candidates that are running for midterm elections in key swing states do not want President Obama campaigning for them, instead they want the First Lady, Michelle Obama. According to Dennis Goldford, a political scientist at Drake University, “she is very popular and she doesn’t seem to polarize people” (Mason). Because of Obama’s dropping poll numbers, many candidates have opted for Michelle Obama’s who popularity is much higher than her husbands. An interested point that is raised in this blog is the idea that “this is going to be a move that many political analysts and enthusiasts will be watching closely. If it works, this could be the beginning of an interesting trend.” First Ladies foster an image of independent women that possess a voice. Michelle Obama’s efforts on the campaign trail during the midterm elections could ultimately reshape the image and role of First Ladies.
Source - Mason, Julie. "Michelle Obama Will Campaign Where Husband Is Less Popular." WashingtonExaminer.com. 24 Sept. 2010. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. .
I too also find this recent decision very interesting. While I myself dislike everything dealing with President Obama, I feel as though this is a very conscious move in a time of disarray before the midterm elections. The Democrats are slowly losing support and to be honest not many people want to see the President taking time off to go on the campaign trail. By him taking off, people could perhaps criticize him since he could be doing much more usefully things with his time. In light of the decision, Michelle Obama, who still has a decent approval rating, will be joining the campaign trail in the next few weeks. According to an article posted by The Sun Times, “She will raise millions of dollars for Democrats by headlining at least nine fund-raisers in seven cities in six states.”
ReplyDeleteThe role of the First Lady, according to Adam, has recently developed into a large role since the early 1900’s. It is due to “the expanded publicity surrounding the first lady, coupled with journalists’ framing of her as the personification of American womanhood, fashioned her as an important public women” (Burns 44). Due to this recent interest in the First Lady, Michelle Obama is now able to play a huge role in the upcoming campaign unlike what was expected of the First Lady several years ago. Perhaps this could be the starting of a new movement regarding women’s involvement in the White House.
Sweet, Lynn. "First lady returns to campaign trail, hits Chicago on Oct.13." Sun Times n. pag. Web. 28 Sep 2010. .
I find it slightly puzzling that First Lady Michelle Obama is being sent out on the campaign trail. Sending the first lady out on the campaign trail may be more strategic than sending out the president whose recent approval ratings reflect that Americans are not happy with his job performance, but President Obama is the elected official, not his wife. In any other job would an employee send out their spouse rather than a more qualified co-worker in the case of their absence? With the midterm elections approaching, many politicians are looking to distance themselves from the president with low approval ratings, but there are many other experienced politicians that are more popular with voters that can easily take President Obama’s place on the campaign trail. I find it interesting that Michelle Obama is reentering the political spotlight at this time after being shielded from speaking obligations for controversial comments that she has made in the past.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not agree that the first lady is the most qualified person to speak on behalf of other politicians and to endorse candidates, I think this is a turning point for first ladies. It’s amazing to see that only a little over one hundred years ago one of the roles of the first lady was based on domesticity. In “First Ladies and the Fourth Estate” Lisa Burns discussed that first lady “candidate” Mary Bryan was “a good housekeeper and a good mother” (42). Although Mary Bryan “personified the new woman of the era” (42) it was still important for voters to see that first lady potentials remained focused on household responsibilities. Burns stated, “Press coverage of first ladies established these women as highly visible public figures and role models for American women by circulating their images.” “This group of women forged new roles for the first lady as an active presidential partner” (43). I think it is important to note that the “public woman” was really only established in 1900 and to also see how much more of a level of prestige that first ladies have gained since they are now speaking on behalf of the highest elected official of the United States.
When I learned that Michelle Obama would be going on the campaign trail I remember thinking the same thing that was brought up in this blog. Having the First Lady doing the President’s work is extremely risky. It is not at all surprising that she is more popular than her husband though; Gallup Polls have been stating for months that she far more popular among the American people. I personally feel that having Michelle in the Democratic spotlight will help President Obama in the long run.
ReplyDelete“First Ladies and the Fourth Estate” by Burns often talks about the ever changing role of the First Lady, and how they handle the media and press. Michelle Obama would have been in good company if this was the early twentieth century. When reading about these earlier First Ladies I constantly had Michelle in the back of my head. From Florence Harding vocally supporting her husband’s political career (59) to Ellen Wilson’s involvement in policy making (60) First Ladies are often seen as the helping hand a President needs.