Michelle Obama gave one of her most distinguished speeches as first lady of the U.S. on Tuesday. It will go on to mark either her last notable moment as first lady, or the beginning of a promising second term. Similar words can be used to describe Ann Romney’s speech last Wednesday. Romney, poised and beautiful, appealed to her audience’s sensibilities and latched onto their political frustrations.
It’s important to remember that the position of first lady isn’t a political office. One cannot campaign for the position. First ladies aren’t accountable for implementing policies. They hold no executive power and yet political pundits — both professional and amateur — hyper-analyzed their speeches and regarded them as predictions of their performance as first lady. What would the White House look like with Ann Romney in office? How does the White House currently look, with Michelle Obama?
The left revered Obama for her speech, considering it passionate but reasoned, while the right admired Romney’s speech for her relatability and lighthearted banter.
The power of the first lady exists not in policy, but in name only. The position symbolizes not a center of authority, but rather perpetuates a myth of celebrity around the woman closest to the man in charge. Ann Romney perfectly fulfills the role of celebrity when she addressed enthused members of the audience as “(her) fans.”
So did Michelle Obama, with her designer-dress as she strode onstage to the roar of applause. Both women left the stage to music — Michelle Obama to Beyoncé’s “Get Me Bodied” and Mitt Romney met his wife onstage after her speech to “My Girl” by the Temptations. Would President Barack Obama think of Michelle as his “girl?” Does former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney look like he listens to Beyoncé?
Is the President’s wife merely a vehicle through which he drives his policies home, or is she also responsible for guiding America? We have a long history of first ladies as role models. After all, Eleanor Roosevelt served her office with vehement social activism and Jackie Kennedy worked to promote the arts in America. Wives of Republican presidents, Barbara and Laura Bush, fought drugs and illiteracy, respectively.
The woman closest to the President is perhaps a softer, less politically charged version of himself. Both Michelle and Ann were relatable in their demeanors, appealing to their audiences as normal every-day women — not wives of political giants. Obama reiterated how she and the President only recently finished paying student loans, and Romney shared how the former governor ate tuna sandwiches off an ironing board.
In November, when voters find their way to the polls, the most important thing on their minds is who they’re electing as Commander in Chief, but it also might be important to consider who we’re electing as first lady.
After all, is that not the next best place to look for a powerful female role model when no woman has ever held the top executive position in America?
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