The Politics of the President鈥檚 Wife
President of the United States is a two-person job.
Before he performed 鈥淎mazing Grace鈥� at President Joe Biden鈥檚 inauguration, country singer Garth Brooks joked he might 鈥渂e the only Republican at the ceremony.鈥�
A late addition to the lineup, Brooks was personally invited by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. It was a calculated move by a woman with decades of experience in political life, said Professor MaryAnne Borrelli, who was interviewed by CBS News regarding the role of first ladies.
鈥淚t meant a lot to have a multi-platinum icon of country-and-western music鈥攌nown for outreach to conservative whites鈥攑erform 鈥楢mazing Grace鈥� at the inauguration. It鈥檚 this deep story written by the captain of slave trade ship who realizes the horror he has perpetrated. It鈥檚 a white sea captain, and it was a white icon of country music up there in his blue jeans and his cowboy hat. There are layers of symbolism,鈥� Borrelli said.
鈥淎nd Brooks was there because of Jill Biden.鈥�
Borrelli, the Susan Eckert Lynch 鈥�62 Professor of Government, has spent her career studying presidential power and the inner workings of the White House. Early on, she discovered that most researchers had largely overlooked the political influence of the East Wing.
鈥淗istorically, first ladies were not understood as officers within the White House,鈥� she said.
But they absolutely are, Borrelli argues in her book, The Politics of the President鈥檚 Wife. Her groundbreaking work details the growth in power and organizational complexity of the East Wing from the time of Lou Henry Hoover. The Politics of the President鈥檚 Wife solidified Borrelli as a national expert on the role of America鈥檚 first ladies.
Wielding powers both formal鈥攕he has an office, staff and a budget鈥攁nd informal, a first lady can serve as a presidential surrogate, a gender role model, a chief communicator, a policy advocate, and a mediator between the president and the public. Like all White House positions, the role has no formal charge but instead is based on 鈥渨hat the president requires, expects and allows,鈥� Borrelli said.
鈥淭he presidency is really a two-person job. These people have usually had lengthy careers in politics, so they have that balance figured out,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he Bidens have been married a long time. He鈥檚 been the vice president; she鈥檚 had eight years as second lady. So, for Dr. Biden, that box is checked.鈥�
Jill Biden holds a Doctor of Education degree and has enjoyed a long career as an educator. During the Obama administration, she became the first second lady to hold a paying job outside of the White House, teaching writing at Northern Virginia Community College. She has signaled she may continue teaching as first lady.
Security concerns aside, that will be a difficult juggling act, Borrelli said.
鈥淎s the first lady, she already has a job鈥攁 really demanding job. She鈥檚 the chief of an important unit within the White House. But if anyone can do it, it is Jill Biden, because she has seen it and recognized it; and she鈥檚 experienced it [before].鈥�
If the first lady continues teaching, will it lend authenticity to her policy proposals or distract from them?
鈥淸President Biden] is working on the pandemic and economy, and education is a pivot point between them鈥攁nd there鈥檚 Jill Biden. If she is able to continue teaching, not only does that satisfy her heart, and her vocation, it gives her on-the-ground credibility,鈥� Borrelli said.
The idea that her multiple roles could distract the public from Dr. Biden鈥檚 position as first lady began before President Biden鈥檚 inauguration, when Joseph Epstein wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, arguing that 鈥淒r. Biden鈥� should drop her title of 鈥淒r.鈥� because, Epstein wrote, it 鈥渇eels fraudulent, even comic鈥濃�攕ince her doctorate is in education.
While the op-ed was widely condemned, it reveals the scrutiny under which first ladies operate.
鈥淒r. Biden鈥檚 title rankled, and why did it rankle? She wasn鈥檛 tough enough? The only people tough enough to be 鈥楧octors鈥� are white men? But really, that piece was less about Jill Biden and more a master class in 鈥榣et me air all of my [the author鈥檚] insecurities out in public,鈥欌�� Borelli said.
鈥淭he fact that a woman has this title 鈥� there are two issues: one, she is inverting the hierarchy that he finds appropriate. The second is that he feels there is some injustice.鈥�
Dr. Biden, the accomplished college professor, and first lady Jill Biden, the mother, grandmother and supportive wife of the president, will appeal to different audiences, Borrelli added. That might help Biden win popular support for her husband, an important part of the job.
鈥淎 first lady is a potent communications resource,鈥� Borrelli said. 鈥淛ill Biden, whose task will be to 鈥� mediate the president鈥檚 message to the public, will want to sustain the base but also reach out to moderates and lower the temperature in this 鈥榰ncivil war鈥� [taking place in our politics]. The 鈥榝irst lady鈥� title can provide some cover for folks [on the moderate right] who are ready ... but want to be reassured. 鈥楧r. Biden鈥� can reach out to others [on the left] who are willing ... as long as the promises aren鈥檛 dropped.鈥�
Borrelli is closely watching the new administration to see exactly how power is shared between President Biden, the first lady, Vice President Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, the first-ever 鈥渟econd gentleman.鈥� That term 鈥渃arries a whole bunch of gender, race, class, cultural markers鈥攖hey are flaming bright,鈥� Borrelli said.
That鈥檚 not only because of the obvious disruption to the traditional gender roles, but also because of the Bidens鈥� long tenure as Washington insiders, and Vice President Harris and Emhoff鈥檚 much shorter tenure.
鈥淯sually, the president is a Washington outsider鈥擳rump, Clinton, both Bushes, even Obama was a relative newcomer, for example鈥攁nd the vice president is the Washington insider who does a lot of the mediating within the Washington community. It鈥檚 a division of labor that emerges gradually and consistently,鈥� Borrelli said.
鈥淭his administration is different. I have no doubt Harris will be influential, but how will she use and develop political capital and political resources in terms of not overwhelming Biden鈥檚 desk? Harris knows [how to] negotiate political divides, and she has a strong and clear sense of her own identity. And next to her, Harris has a white guy. How is he going to present and message and communicate?
鈥淚t will be interesting to watch how the gender balance works and how power is distributed across the four in this administration.鈥�
Image credit: Phil Roeder, Creative Commons