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While partly true, much of the LBJ family's wealth was expanded over decades by Lyndon's owner, Brown & Root.
Mrs. Johnson, while very much a gracious Texas lady, was driven to alcoholism by her philandering husband who probably outscrewed JFK & WJC combined. In spite of that she was a very good 1st Lady with a positive enduring legacy in the State of Texas.
1st place has to go to Eleanor Roosevelt, followed closely by Dolly, Martha, Abigail, Jackie, Barbara, Laura, & Mrs. Carter. Nancy was too pushy. Michelle is an embarrassment with her luxury vacation ways & dislike for America. Down near the bottom is the unbalanced shrew Mrs. Lincoln. Hillary is fit only to mop the smelly floors of a Benghazi prison latrine, where she belongs.
Well, actually I'm hoping Trump won't be elected because the thought of a First Lady doing a centerfold spread like Melania makes me rather sick to my stomach.
Please take your thinly disguised remarks about politics to the politics forum. They do not belong here. This is not only true for you, it is true for a number of people who seem to have an irresistible impulse to talk politics rather than history. All of you, please leave this forum.
It will eliminate my need to say nasty things about a certain crude bigoted man who is running for President.
If you are looking for first ladies that accomplished the most in terms of public service I would give Eleanor Roosevelt first prize. I'd also give great credit to Lady Bird Johnson who lead a campaign to eliminate things like billboards and litter along highways.
If you focus purely on style, good looks, and etiquette than the award for best first lady would go to Jackie Kennedy. I also felt Laura Bush did well in this department.
Michelle Obama has focused on some important things like getting young people to eat more nutritious foods and supporting veterans. I wouldn't call her service particularly great though.
Different people have a different concept of what qualities are desirable in a First Lady.
Here are some first ladies that did not particularly impress me:
1. Pat Nixon. All her public behavior was completely unnatural and contrived. She desperately needed to do something else.
2. Mamie Eisenhower. Practically a non-entity during Ike's eight years in the White House.
3. Bess Truman. Actually abandoned Harry in the White House and spent much of her time in Independence, MO. She simply rejected the role of First Lady most of the time.
4. Rosalynn Carter. I can't remember anything she did as First Lady.
I agree with you about Eleanor Roosevelt (good) and Rosalynn Carter (forgettable).
I also agree with you about Pat Nixon. She let Dick walk all over her and she did little for the country.
I don't agree with you about Mamie Eisenhower. I remember thinking very highly of her. But she hearkened back to the "old-fashioned" type of First Lady (despite E.R. before her) who played an almost matronly role and represented stability...a sense of stability was greatly needed after the Great depression followed by WWII followed by the Korean War.
I don't see how you can discuss First Ladies without mentioning Edith Wilson. She pretty much ran the federal government when her husband was disabled during the last year and a half of his second term.
I'd disagree with you for this reason -- the people elected Woodrow, not Edith. He should have been removed from office instead of Edith participating in the worst coverup in White House history. Watergate pales in comparison.
I don't see how you can discuss First Ladies without mentioning Edith Wilson. She pretty much ran the federal government when her husband was disabled during the last year and a half of his second term.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phetaroi
I'd disagree with you for this reason -- the people elected Woodrow, not Edith. He should have been removed from office instead of Edith participating in the worst coverup in White House history. Watergate pales in comparison.
I agree with Mensaguy, Edith Wilson acted as White House chief of staff for the remainder of her husband term in office, not much of a cover up because it was well known at the time, not front page as it would be today, but well known at the time nonetheless.
Then my vote goes to Eleanore Roosevelt who was as important during the Depression as her husband for the policies that she pursued particularly in terms of expanding New Deal programs to underserved communities... African Americans. And of course remember that she served as head of the UN Commission on Human Rights in the post war years.
No matter who wins the election this fall, the next first lady will be very interesting.
If it is Hillary Clinton, then Bill gets the job and we will have a media watch fest trying to catch him fooling around with someone other than the president.
If Trump wins, then the position becomes a revolving door as he discards them for younger First Bimbos on a serial basis. I wonder what Vegas has as the over/under line for the number of first ladies Trump has in his first term.
I agree with Mensaguy, Edith Wilson acted as White House chief of staff for the remainder of her husband term in office, not much of a cover up because it was well known at the time, not front page as it would be today, but well known at the time nonetheless.
I'm standing behind Pat Nixon as the finest first lady we've ever had (after Dolley). Up to that point in time, Pat was the most traveled first lady in history. She accompanied Richard on his trips to Russia and China, and took solo trips to Africa and South America. She entered the combat zone in Vietnam, and lifted off in an open-door helicopter, armed by military guards with machine guns, she gained the title "Madame Ambassador" for all her travels. She even visited a leper colony in Panama.
In the 50's, as always, she was a great wife to Richard Nixon. As reported by the NY Times, "Pat was a paragon of wifely virtues, whose efficiency makes other women feel slothful and untalented". Pat Nixon was named Outstanding Homemaker of the Year (1953), Mother of the Year (1955), and the Nation's Ideal Housewife (1957), and once admitted that she pressed all of her husband's suits in one evening". What a gal !
Oh, and I was just having a few more thoughts on Eleanor Roosevelt. It's too bad she wasn't born a Romanian about 30 years later. She would have been the perfect first lady to Nicolae Ceausescu, much better than his real wife, Elena. What a perfect couple they would have made, not much to look at, but WOW, what they could have accomplished together! Constructing all those commie block apartment buildings, issuing ration cards, preserving income equality for all, the tears roll from my eyes at what they could have done together.
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