Jacqueline Kennedy is not only remembered as an admirable first lady, but also as one of the most notable fashion icons of all time. Her wardrobe often consisted of Chanel, Dior and Givenchy; she introduced women of the ‘60s to wool suits, bright dresses and large round sunglasses.
The Kennedy family is a symbol of wealth. Sailing in Nantucket while wearing Breton striped sweaters, Sperrys shoes and Ray-Ban sunglasses was a luxury that most Americans in the ‘60s couldn’t afford and still can’t today. This is only one example of the wealth that most presidents possess.
According to The Spokesman-Review, Nancy Reagan, who was also quite the fashionista, once spent over $200,000 on new china place settings for the White House. More recently, according to MediaMatters.org, George W. Bush spent over $20 million of taxpayer money to fly to his homes in Texas and Maine during his presidency.
It's not exactly breaking news that our presidents and their families have lived lives of luxury over the years, often losing touch with the American people. Obviously, the Obamas are no exception. According to the Hawaii Reporter, the president’s most recent vacation — after taking into account travel and security expenses for his family and staff — cost $4 million.
Why are people so surprised by such spending habits? Furthermore, why is Rush Limbaugh attacking Obama over an “Alice In Wonderland” themed Halloween party he threw at the White House in 2009?
Given, it probably wasn’t an inexpensive party and it was during the crux of a recession. But this only goes to show that Obama is like his predecessors. There is no need to single him out and say that he is the one ruining the country’s economy because of a lavish Halloween party.
Take Christmas at the White House, for example. With over 50,000 guests, a 390 pound gingerbread house and more than 150,000 cookies made, Christmas is easily the largest celebration of the year at the White House. This years’ price tag is still unknown, but when over 30 Christmas trees are involved, it can’t be cheap.
However, Christmas celebrations at the White House have been fairly consistent since the ‘50s; it’s a holiday that never gets skipped. Not until recently have I overheard complaints about how expensive Christmas at the White House is, or any real negativity toward the Obamas for their heavy holiday spending.
Perhaps the recession has taught us to be more conscious with our money and we want our president to do the same.
Michelle Obama has shown us that she isn’t just another privileged first lady; she pushes for families to be self-sustaining by planting their own gardens and has been an advocate in the fight against childhood obesity. She has even been seen wearing H&M, the Gap, J. Crew,and Target-brand clothing.
She peppers her relatively low-cost wardrobe with items from Comme des Garçon, Jason Wu and Alexander McQueen.
After all, can you really expect someone to be wearing a dress from the Gap when they meet Nicolas Sarkozy?
Reach the columnist at obrunaci@asu.edu
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