If the wives of other US Presidents had run for President, would they have had the same reaction as Hillary?

Question

I have been curious to this for some time - considering that Hillary Clinton is garnering so much press, positive and negative.

If, say, Eleanor Roosevelt or Jacqueline Kennedy or Barbara Bush had decided to run for President in their times (OK, you can pretend this happened after their hubbies had ceased to be President), what would the reaction have been like? The same as Hillary is getting now? Come to think of it, would they even have been allowed to run back then...

I welcome all your thoughts and opinions on this. :)

Answer 1

these are special times in history, and women have now gained the knowledge, education, experience and clout, etc. to be able to even run for that office here in the US, and the glass ceiling is what's stopped them in the past. Hillary's case is special since her husband was in office. Kudos to Hillary.

Those from the past like Eleanor, Jacqueline, Barbara all had the education, second-hand knowledge, and came from wealth or wealthy atmosphere, but the clout they had didn't come from their own identity nor did they have the political experience in their backgrounds so they could not lead a country. But they came from eras (the way they were brought up from the times they were brought up) wherein women were told to "know their place/station in life" and theirs were not to be country leaders, they didn't even show an interest in leading a country. No, they would not have had the same reaction from the public as Hillary has.

Answer 2

Had Eleanor Roosevelt Ran for president she would have won. People knew she was informed, fair, and tough. She was also an experienced campaigner. Few other First ladies have been as active in the everyday politic of our nation. Hilary is perhaps even more active in day to day politics than Eleanor was. The only other first lady who might have been president would have been Dolly Madison. She was even more popular than he was. Some claimed her husband James Madison rode his wife's skirts into office. So of all the first ladies in American history maybe three could have been president and maybe one will.

Answer 3

Not even close. All the First Ladies of my lifetime with the exception of Hillary have been very classy women. Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, Roselyn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush are all statuesque women who are nearly above reproach on just about everything. They have all understood that they were not elected officials, and they had no authority to fire people, (the travel office mess,) or try to grab power either dishonestly or unethically. Yet look at what they have each accomplished, while their husbands were in and out of office.

To compare them to Hillary is to insult them, plain and simple.

"J" - It doesn't show character. It shows she'll cling to any shred of power she can use, and make no mistake, she has used Bill, a MAN, to get everywhere she has gone. She was the only woman in the Rose Law Firm, and every last one of them went to jail except for her. That means she was either involved in the illegalities, she knew about them and looked the other way or she was genuinely too stupid to know what was going on in her own firm. It's one of the three; which would you rather it be?

It flat-out astounds me that there can be one single intelligent, thinking, non-self-loathing person out there who can support this woman's candidacy for President. Astounding and scary at the same time.

Answer 4

She is an egotistical maniac! She needs the status for herself. To win as HILLARY and not by using potential of bill. have confidence me she HATED to be the "first lady". She concept that grow to be a job that purely grow to be below her!!! She effective did no longer correlate that she already has BEEN President because of the fact of her husband! that must be super if shall we are saying that!

Answer 5

No.

Republicans hold a special hate for the Clintons for many reasons.

Plus like other politicians, both Democrat and Republican, she's whacked enough in judgment to deserve some of it. So some people keep the beating going.

Answer 6

No. Most people hate her for very specific reasons, such as that she stayed with Bill even after Monica, or that she moved to New York just to set herself up for the presidency.

Answer 7

.They do say that behind every great man that is a great woman. I think the fact that she stood behind her man and went through the Monica incident with her husband show character. And i think that the public can relate to her more because they believe that because of the incident they feel connected to her.

Answer 8

There is an especially strong, irrational hatred that the right has reserved just for Hilary Clinton. No matter what she does, they hate her. If she discovered the cure for cancer they would still vilify her

Answer 9

its doubtful...other wives were not a knowing willing particpant of this type of behavior

- The only president ever impeached on grounds of personal malfeasance
- Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates*
- Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation
- Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify
- Most number of witnesses to die suddenly
- First president sued for sexual harassment.
- First president accused of rape.
- First first lady to come under criminal investigation
- Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign contribution case
- First president to establish a legal defense fund.
- First president to be held in contempt of court
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions from abroad
- First president disbarred from the US Supreme Court and a state court
most had ethics.

Answer 10

Powerful leaders, in any field, generally invite immense controversy.