Which 1st Lady Was More The President Than The President?

[ovcatto]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

The thread title was seeking first ladies who were "more the president than the president."

Oooo another smack down by superior intellect. Between you and NJgoat I have to spend more time checking my comments than writing them.

[Fleet]

Originally Posted by nitram

Modern times, Nancy Reagan. She was always standing nearby and whispering in Ronnies ear what to say and do. It is known that she was involved in all his decisions and was instrumental in keeping him from saying dumb things. Ronald Reagan, an actor whose acting skills paid off.

Ronald Reagan was also a governor of the most populous state in the country.

And it was Ronald himself who would frequently changed what was written in his speeches.

[AishaGurl91]

Eleanor Roosevelt. No question. She was a smart, capable, and considerate human being who did more for our country than any other First Lady. An example for how Americans should be.

The worst First Lady IMO was that selfish, spoiled, narcissistic b**** Jacqueline Kennedy. She just sat around and smiled like some dumb trophy wife while criticizing civil rights and feminism. And basically while her husband was alive, she had no opinions of her own. And to think she went to college? (At least her sister-in-law Eunice wasn't afraid to voice her opinion. While not a feminist, Eunice Kennedy at least did good things for the disabled.)

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by AishaGurl91

The worst First Lady IMO was that selfish, spoiled, narcissistic b**** Jacqueline Kennedy. She just sat around and smiled like some dumb trophy wife while criticizing civil rights and feminism. And basically while her husband was alive, she had no opinions of her own. And to think she went to college? (At least her sister-in-law Eunice wasn't afraid to voice her opinion. While not a feminist, Eunice Kennedy at least did good things for the disabled.)

Jackie had PLENTY of opinions of her own and expressed them in the appropriate venues. When JFK met with DeGaulle Jackie acted as translator through some very difficult negotiations. She visited India and Pakistan at the urging of the ambassador of India. She charmed the socks off a number of foreign leaders including Khrushchev.

After the Bay of Pigs Jackie addressed the brigade of soldiers who landed in Cuba. In fluent Spanish.

Following the President's funeral she asked to meet privately with a number of world leaders in the White house. She urged them to help maintain normal relations between their nations and the United States. (She also changed the paintings in the room to works by American artists she considered the meetings so important and vital.)

During the Cuban Missile Crisis JFK considered her one of his most trusted sounding boards. He had small silver calendars made and he gave those to the people he considered most vital during those dark days. He gave one to Jackie.

Saying she was just a trophy wife who just sat around is simply not true and history tells us otherwise. It does a great disservice to both her and her efforts as First Lady.

[tijlover]

Having read Don Regan's book, covering his time when he worked for Reagan, Nancy would give him a calendar for the year, and she had dates blocked out by her astrologer, inoportune times for meetings, travel, etc. And any candidate to fill a post with Reagan was scrutinized by her astrologer, who would decide whether or not he'd be the man for the job.

She even had astrological profiles done on important figures visiting the White House. On a meeting with Gorbachev in Geneva, she had a profile done on Raisa to see how they'd get along or not. Well Gee Whiz, knowing enough about Astrology myself, would you expect would happen? Two egotistical control freaks, both Cardinal signs (Cancer/Capricorn), leaders/directors, never happier than when they're running the show, my-way-or-the-highway-types! They fought like cats and dogs!!!

When Reagan was in Walter Reed Hospital for an operation one time, the public hadn't seen him for a long period of time, why? Her astrologer kept saying: the timing isn't right, the timing isn't right, everytime Don Regan tried to schedule a press conference! Nancy wouldn't even allow him to show his face on his birthday! Bad timing, bad timing!!!

And voters aren't at all concerned about any future First Lady, the Presidentress?

[Fred314X]

Well...nobody has made a case to invalidate the posting on the very first page. Edith Wilson was the de facto President for almost a year and a half. No First Lady has been more Presidential than that!

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by nitram

Modern times, Nancy Reagan. She was always standing nearby and whispering in Ronnies ear what to say and do. It is known that she was involved in all his decisions and was instrumental in keeping him from saying dumb things. Ronald Reagan, an actor whose acting skills paid off.

And we all know how that turned out...

[2nd trick op]

With regard to the ability to assist in the running of a nation in crisis, no one else comes anywhere close to Edith Bolling Galt Wilson. Unfortunately, she was married to a political lightweight, whose naivete' and faith in Big Government sent us much further down the wrong path. Only Jackson and Lyndon Johnson did more damage than Woodrow Wilson.

For anyone seeking a closer picture of daily life inside FDR's White House, I'd recommend Doris Kearns Goodwin's No Ordinary Time. Goodwin's personal views can be characterized as Mainstream Establishment Liberal, but she rightly depicted Eleanor Roosevelt as a would-be activist whose limited understanding of the delicate alliances that define the world of realpolitik occasionally embarrassed the Roosevelt Administration.

[Clark Park]

Originally Posted by city_data_poster

Late in Woodrow Wilson's second term in office he suffered a stroke, which incapacitated him to the point, where, for all intents and purposes, he should have been removed from office.
But it was his second wife Edith who kept that from happening...and consequently, she basically ran the show until his term in office officially ended!

Of course, this was all hush-hush vis-a-vis the press and public....so at the time nobody outside of the White House had a clue as to what was really going on in the White House!

My vote goes to Edith Wilson.