First Ladies

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden A Major Asset To Her Husband And The Nation

Ronald Leave a comment

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden is the oldest First Lady to enter the White House, with Barbara Bush at age 63 the oldest First Lady until 2021. And today, June 3, is her 71st Birthday!

Dr. Jill Biden adds dignity, intelligence, compassion, and empathy to the First Ladyship, just as her husband, President Joe Biden, does to the Presidency.

She is the first First Lady to continue to work while First Lady, as she is a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College since 2009, after having been an English and writing instructor at Delaware Technical and Community College for fifteen years, and before that, an English and reading instructor at the high school level for thirteen years. So she has taught for more than 40 years, an amazing record of accomplishment.

She has a bachelors degree, two masters degrees, and a doctorate in education, with the bachelors and doctorate from the University of Delaware.

She has had more years of experience high in government, with only Barbara Bush and Pat Nixon having been both Second Lady and First Lady before her in modern times for an extended period of years.

Elegant, Intelligent First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Restores Stature Of Her Position After Melania Trump

Ronald Leave a comment

Dr. Jill Biden, the First Lady, has restored the stature of her position after the disaster of Melania Trump.

Dr. Biden is elegant, intelligent, compassionate, dignified, in line with former modern First Ladies of the past 50 years, including Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter, and Betty Ford.

Melania Trump was an aberration, who demonstrated how unqualified she was to be First Lady, and will go down in First Lady history as one of the bottom few. She showed a lack of class, or any concern for the responsibilities of the position, and even did harm to the White House Rose Garden in her last year in the position.

Plans are moving forward to restore the Rose Garden to the way it was under Jacqueline Kennedy.

Donald and Melania Trump were a blip in the history of the Presidency, and Melania will disappear into the background when history of the First Ladies is updated and chronicled in the future!

Rating “First Ladies” Since 1933, And Now Dr. Jill Biden!

Ronald 2 Comments

The position of “First Lady” has become a role of growing significance in the past century since The New Deal years of Franklin D. Roosevelt, with all scholars agreed upon that Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest serving First Lady (1933-1945), was by far the most active and engaged of all First Ladies, and setting a standard for the century since the Great Depression.

We have had 13 First Ladies since Eleanor Roosevelt.

If one were to rank First Ladies in significance after Eleanor Roosevelt, the list, while debatable, would likely be in the following order:

Hillary Clinton
Jacqueline Kennedy
Lady Bird Johnson
Michelle Obama
Betty Ford
Barbara Bush
Rosalynn Carter
Nancy Reagan
Laura Bush
Pat Nixon
Mamie Eisenhower
Bess Truman
Melania Trump

And now, we have Dr. Jill Biden about to become First Lady, and assuredly would be high on the list, based on her past activities as “Second Lady” and her credentials as an educator, and a very supportive wife and mother.

One thing is certain, that the First Lady position, which has been in total collapse under Melania Trump, will be restored with dignity under Dr. Jill Biden, just as Joe Biden will restore the dignity of the Presidency, which has been in total collapse under Donald Trump!

The Trump Family Is The Most Disgraceful And Corrupt Presidential Family In American History!

Ronald Leave a comment

The history of the Presidency shows some Presidential relatives have been far from ideal in their behavior.

Just in recent times, we had Roger Clinton, the half brother of Bill Clinton, being given a pardon from a drug conviction.

We had Billy Carter, who caused grief when he visited Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi during his brother’s Presidency.

Others had siblings who were drunkards, and some had relatives engaged in some questionable business dealings, as some of the sons of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

But no Presidential Family can match that of Donald Trump.

It has been leaked that Trump’s three oldest children, all with his first wife Ivana, are potentially about to gain pardons.

This includes Donald Trump, Jr; Ivanka Trump; Eric Trump; and Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, all of whom have engaged in shady business dealings, and potentially more to be uncovered.

Even pardons will not prevent prosecution of Trump’s children and son in law in New York City and New York State, so there will be plenty of headlines about these disgraceful Trump progeny!

Trump himself may be the second President, after Richard Nixon, to be pardoned, or even try to pardon himself, which is doubtful legally.

In any case, if any of Trump’s children, or Trump himself, accepts a pardon, it is a sign of guilt, as Gerald Ford said after pardoning Richard Nixon in 1974.

And add to this list, third wife Melania Trump, who has displayed disgraceful behavior and a mean spirit, and has contributed nothing positive to the history of First Ladies!

With seven weeks to go until Joe Biden and his wonderful wife, Dr. Jill Biden, take over the White House, we cannot easily wait out the nightmare of that much more time with the Trumps as the First Family!

Barbara Bush: The Maker Of Two Presidents

Ronald 2 Comments

The death of First Lady Barbara Bush, the wife of George H. W. Bush, and the mother of George W. Bush, is a major loss to the nation in so many ways.

Without Barbara Bush, neither President Bush would have become President, as she was the driving force behind her family.

Barbara Bush committed her life to public service, promoting the fight against cancer, which took her three year old daughter Robin, who died of leukemia at age 3 in 1953; and also making the advancement of literacy her major commitment in the White House.

Bush never cared about her public appearance, and used to joke that she was old and fat, and had white hair, which had turned gray at a young age, in response to her daughter’s tragic death.

She was unpretentious, and made people she met feel comfortable.

She had ability to say controversial things at times, but she was able to win people over for her directness, and her honest assessments of people and situations.

Her marriage of 73 plus years was a model no longer followed by most Americans, as she was totally devoted to her husband, marriage and family, and in the world of 2018, that seems, sadly, old fashioned.

May she rest in peace, and likely, very soon, her husband will join her, and they will be together, at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas, on the campus of Texas A & M University.

Barbara Bush will stand out as one of the more prominent and public First Ladies for all time.

Presidential Family Members And The American Presidency

Ronald Leave a comment

The growing influence of Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, is a significant factor in Donald Trump’s approach to the Presidency.

His reliance on and loyalty to his daughter and son in law demonstrates the power of family.

Other Presidents have also utilized family members as follows:

John Adams relied on John Quincy Adams as Ambassador to Prussia.

Woodrow Wilson had his second wife, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, conduct cabinet meetings after he had a stroke in October 1919.

Franklin D. Roosevelt relied on his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, for advice on so many domestic and foreign policy issues, and in his last two years, his daughter, Anna, also was available to assist him.

Dwight D. Eisenhower used his son John Eisenhower as a staff aide in the White House.

John F. Kennedy had the most prominent relative in his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, serving as Attorney General of the United States for the entire time of the Kennedy Presidency.

Lyndon B. Johnson leaned on his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, for much advice.

Ronald Reagan followed the advice of his wife, Nancy Reagan, on a host of issues, including developing a relationship with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Bill Clinton utilized his wife, Hillary Clinton, on a proposed national health care program, as well as a host of other issues.

Barack Obama capitalized on the advice of wife Michelle Obama, as they were a very close couple.

But notice how mostly it was First Ladies who were engaged in helping their husband, with only John Quincy Adams, Anna Roosevelt, John Eisenhower (children) and RFK (brother) as important aides to the President, and Ivanka and Jared are in many ways unique in their growing role, with only RFK being of an equal or greater significance.

The Incongruity: Second Most Prominent “First Lady” Challenged For Presidency Twice By “Unlikely” Rivals, And Could Lose Chance To Be First Woman President!

Ronald 15 Comments

When history is written, the incongruity of what has been happening will make a great tale.

The second most prominent “First Lady” in American history is challenged for Presidency twice by “unlikely” rivals, and could lose her chance to be the first woman President.

The first time, a first term African American Senator from Illinois, with an African name and the middle name “Hussein” challenges this “First Lady”, and ends up as the 44th President of the United States, and employs the former “First Lady” as his Secretary of State.

The second time, after having served as Secretary of State. the former “First Lady” is challenged for the Presidency by an elderly Jewish Senator with strong democratic Socialist views, an independent from the small state of Vermont, and defeats her in New Hampshire, and could go on to be the 45h President of the United States!

Never before had we seen a woman seen as so serious a challenger for the Presidency!  Never had we seen an African American President!  Never had we seen a man over 70 by five years, and with clear but Socialist views, and of the Jewish faith, on the road to possible election as President of the United States!

American politics continues to be unpredictable!

The Era Of The Elderly Running For President: Possibility Of Three Candidates Past 70 Competing For White House In 2016!

Ronald 3 Comments

We may be witnessing an event that has never happened in the history of Presidential elections–three candidates, or even if only two candidates, all over the age of 70!

The only two cases of a President serving in his 70s are Ronald Reagan, who came to office 17 days short of age 70 and left office nearly 78 years old; and Dwight D. Eisenhower, who left office at age 70, three months and six days of age.

We also have had Senator John McCain running at age 72 in 2008, and Senator Bob Dole running at age 73 in 1996.

Now we have the potential for Donald Trump, who would be 70 years seven months and six days old on Inauguration Day; Bernie Sanders, who would be 75 years four months and twelve days old on Inauguration Day; and Michael Bloomberg, who would be 74 years 11 months and six days old on Inauguration Day!

And even if Hillary Clinton were to replace Bernie Sanders, she would be 69 years, nine months and six days old on Inauguration Day, so would reach age 70 after less than three months in office!

With two former Presidents alive at age 91 (Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush); four consecutive Presidents having reached age 90 (Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, additionally); and four former First Ladies since 1963 having reached age 90 (Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush); and with the average American living much longer and in better health, it should not be surprising that we have Presidential candidates in good health, running at an older age than ever in American history.

But one requirement is that younger Vice Presidential nominees be available as backups in case fate occurs, and the older Presidential winner dies in office!

Since World War II, many of the Vice Presidents have been older than their President, as with Harry Truman and Alben Barkley; John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson; George W. Bush and Dick Cheney; and Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

So now the opposite may likely happen.

The “Power Couples”: Presidents And First Ladies

Ronald Leave a comment

Only a few of our Presidents and First Ladies can be seen as “power couples” who had an impact on their times and after the Presidential years.

It was difficult for the public to relate to either Presidents or First Ladies before the age of modern communication, so therefore the true “Power Couples” can be seen as five in number:

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt 1933-1945

John and Jacqueline Kennedy 1961-1963

Ronald and Nancy Reagan 1981-1989

Bill and Hillary Clinton 1993-2001

Barack and Michelle Obama 2009-Present

Each of these Presidents had a great impact on their times, but also their wives played a major role in the success and accomplishments of their husbands.

If one were to rank these five “Power Couples”, the order that makes most sense are the Roosevelts first; the Clintons second; the Kennedys third: and then the debate of who is fourth and fifth can be argued between the Reagans and the Obamas!

40th Anniversary Of Gerald Ford Becoming President: A Blessing For The Nation!

Ronald Leave a comment

It has been 40 years since Gerald Ford became President, upon the resignation of our most dangerous President, Richard Nixon, due to his impending impeachment and trial in Congress, based on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice in the Watergate Scandal.

The 25th Amendment, only ratified and added to the Constitution in 1967, allowed Ford, who had replaced the corrupt Vice President Spiro Agnew, to become our 38th President.

Ford helped to end the great national nightmare of a corrupt President and a corrupt Vice President. He was the right man for the time, well liked and well respected, and not ambitious to be President. All Ford had wanted to do in his 25 year career in the House of Representatives was to become Speaker of the House.

Suddenly thrust into the responsibilities of the Presidency, Ford showed courage and guts in his selection of Nelson Rockefeller as his Vice President; the pardoning of Richard Nixon, which probably helped to defeat him in a close race for the Presidency in 1976 with Jimmy Carter; his handling of the Mayaguez Affair with Cambodia, which save captured hostages; and his brilliant appointment of Associate Justice John Paul Stevens.

Ford knew how to cross the aisle, and make friends of rivals, including President Carter, with the two men becoming fast friends once Carter left office, and with Carter giving the eulogy at Ford’s funeral in 2006.

Ford also gave us one of the greatest First Ladies in American history in Betty Ford, and his moderate conservatism is what one would wish for now from the much further right wing Republican Party of 2014.

It is well worth a visit to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the Ford Presidential Museum, as this author and blogger did a year ago, which caused him to gain growing respect for the 38th President of the United States, who showed up at the precisely proper time when the Presidency itself was under attack!