Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree with Dolly Madison in first place, but I also liked Laura Bush. She was definitely classier that her husband.
Laura Bush
As a Texas state first lady she successfully lobbied for the state funding of early reading, literacy and early childhood development programs. She also supported breast cancer awareness, and raised nearly $1 million for public libraries.
During her first term as first lady, Laura Bush continued to lend support to education, childhood development and teacher training. In January 2002, she testified before the Senate Committee on Education, calling for higher teachers' salaries and better training for Head Start programs. She created a national initiative called "Ready to Read * Ready to Learn" to promote reading at an early age. Additionally, she lobbied to continue work on saving America's national treasures, and supported the "Preserve America" campaign.
In her second term as first lady she increased her activities by leading initiatives in health, literacy and gender equality. She traveled to Afghanistan to promote a new teacher-training institute for Afghan women. In 2005, she spoke at the World Economic Forum, emphasizing the link between education and fostering democracy.
Throughout the final years of George W. Bush's second term, Laura continued to support women's health. In 2007, the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health was founded at Texas Tech University. Traveling around the county, Laura spoke at events on the importance of early detection of heart disease. In October 2007, she traveled to the Middle East in an attempt to improve America's image by highlighting concern for women's health and promoting breast cancer awareness.
Just to stir the pot, and I like to be contrary at times, how about Varina Howell Davis, wife of the only President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Finis Davis, whose first wife was the daughter of U.S. President, Zachary Taylor.
19 years Davis's junior, Varina endured long periods of separation while he was out politicking, and making speeches, and also when he left to fight in the Mexican War, 1846-1848.
The Davises lost their 5 y.o. son, Joseph in 1864, when he fell from a balcony in the Confederate White House, Richmond, VA, and broke his neck.
She moved to New York City after the Civil War, and wrote articles for the World newspaper.
While I like Michelle Obama a lot, even as a Democrat I would give my votes to Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush. The former because she went through a lot of hard times being the wife of a President with Alzheimers, and Barbara Bush because she had the backbone to publicly disagree with her husband, and later her son, when she disagreed with them.
She stayed behind and helped evacuate the White house of historic documents while the Redcoats were only a few miles down the road heading towards the city.
If someone could provide the criteria which describes the first lady's duties and obligations, then we would have a basis for judging them.
That's just it.
Anyway, most people see 'best' and respond with the ones they like the best (because most people are unable to differentiate between what they subjectively prefer and what is objectively better).
And most of the time, in the instance of First Ladies, their partisanship will take over and the 'best' will just end up being 'the ones married to the Presidents I really liked!'.
The first lady should never appear to not be on the same page as the president. She should not grab the spotlight for any reason that deviates from the president's political positions/policy, nor do anything that embarrasses the president in any way. Mary Todd Lincoln was the worst of the worst. Elanor Roosevelt was also too big for her britches, she pushed for things that could have hurt FDR politically, she pushed for an early version of HUD type housing that failed miserably and wasted a lot of money. Betty Ford the lush also stepped on her husbands toes and caused him embarrassment.
Also, I tend to judge them over a lifetime, not just their time as first lady. For this reason, I mark down Jackie O for being a gold digger and marrying a foreigner, Aristotle Onassis. She was a good first lady, but a widowed first lady should never marry a foreigner, even if it was a big pay day for her. It looked bad. Also, that remark a couple years back by Barbara Bush about "no more Bush's should be elected" is a pretty dumb thing for her to say. It pretty much says she does not take pride in her husband and son's presidency, and it knifed Jeb Bush right in the back.
I've heard Nancy Reagan called Fancy Nancy, but I have to disagree with that. Just because she wanted to replace the old broken presidential dinnerware, and not live in some old dump the state of California was passing off as a governors mansion, this was an unfair thing to say about her. She was powerful and influential behind the scenes, but publicly gave a submissive appearance at her husbands side. And now as we go forward with our streets being flooded with heroin and cocaine because Barack does not care, Nancy Reagan's words "just say no" are all we really have left to protect our kids from a drug overdose and/or having drug related health problems and a screwed up life. Heed those words from Nancy Reagan and teach them to your kids, teach them WHY to just say no.
Without Nancy molding and shaping Ronnie, and pushing him to ever greater heights, Reagan would never have run for president. Some men do not need their wife's meddling, Ronnie did, it was a good thing for the country that she pushed Ron along and watched out for his best interests in the white house. She was a great first lady.
Oh, and talk about loyalty, Pat Nixon was awesome and she made a great meatloaf. The Nixon family was very tight knit and well adjusted. She stood by Richard in the darkest hour, it don't get any darker than that (without assassination), and she was very supportive, as was his daughters Julie and Trisha, actually encouraging him NOT to resign and supporting him all the way. She was the best first lady of all time right after Dolley Madison.
The first lady should never appear to not be on the same page as the president. She should not grab the spotlight for any reason that deviates from the president's political positions/policy, nor do anything that embarrasses the president in any way. Mary Todd Lincoln was the worst of the worst. Elanor Roosevelt was also too big for her britches, she pushed for things that could have hurt FDR politically, she pushed for an early version of HUD type housing that failed miserably and wasted a lot of money. Betty Ford the lush also stepped on her husbands toes and caused him embarrassment.
Also, I tend to judge them over a lifetime, not just their time as first lady. For this reason, I mark down Jackie O for being a gold digger and marrying a foreigner, Aristotle Onassis. She was a good first lady, but a widowed first lady should never marry a foreigner, even if it was a big pay day for her. It looked bad. Also, that remark a couple years back by Barbara Bush about "no more Bush's should be elected" is a pretty dumb thing for her to say. It pretty much says she does not take pride in her husband and son's presidency, and it knifed Jeb Bush right in the back.
I've heard Nancy Reagan called Fancy Nancy, but I have to disagree with that. Just because she wanted to replace the old broken presidential dinnerware, and not live in some old dump the state of California was passing off as a governors mansion, this was an unfair thing to say about her. She was powerful and influential behind the scenes, but publicly gave a submissive appearance at her husbands side. And now as we go forward with our streets being flooded with heroin and cocaine because Barack does not care, Nancy Reagan's words "just say no" are all we really have left to protect our kids from a drug overdose and/or having drug related health problems and a screwed up life. Heed those words from Nancy Reagan and teach them to your kids, teach them WHY to just say no.
Without Nancy molding and shaping Ronnie, and pushing him to ever greater heights, Reagan would never have run for president. Some men do not need their wife's meddling, Ronnie did, it was a good thing for the country that she pushed Ron along and watched out for his best interests in the white house. She was a great first lady.
Oh, and talk about loyalty, Pat Nixon was awesome and she made a great meatloaf. The Nixon family was very tight knit and well adjusted. She stood by Richard in the darkest hour, it don't get any darker than that (without assassination), and she was very supportive, as was his daughters Julie and Trisha, actually encouraging him NOT to resign and supporting him all the way. She was the best first lady of all time right after Dolley Madison.
This appears designed to prove the points made by Unsettomati in the post above yours.
Without a doubt. She worked very hard for her husband and for the people who had few or no champions.
"I am my husband's legs."
She may very well have been the greatest First Lady. I think that Dolley Madison and Lady Bird Johnson both belong in the discussion as well, but Eleanor redefined (or more accurately, recreated) the role of First Lady. Truman once referred to her as "First Lady of The World," and it's hard to imagine a more fitting appellation.
I liked Laura Bush the best. Sweet, dignified woman in interviews and always so gracious, not controversial, who obviously loved her husband.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
