2 Reasons Jill Is A Better First Lady Than Melania
A new First Lady?
Of course, you can’t actually vote for Jill Biden or Melania Trump, because neither of them will be on the ballot this November 3rd.
Make no mistake though: When America casts its vote for either Joe or Donald, it will also be placing a great amount of power and influence in the hands of one of these two women.
While the role of First Lady does not have a formal definition, it has come to include responsibilities such as the management of the White House, involvement in the President’s political causes, championing of specific social causes, and even ambassadorial-type responsibilities around the world.
With recent polls showing VP Biden leading in double digits over the current occupant of the White House, it is looking more likely that the FLOTUS Twitter handle will change hands shortly.
So let’s take a moment to explore a few critical reasons why that may be a good thing.
1. Credibility: teacher or pretender?
While Melania Trump dropped out of the University of Ljubljana after one year of studying architecture, Jill Biden is an educator who holds two Masters degrees and one Doctoral degree.
This is not to say that degrees are the only measurement to determine how one will perform in life, but they are one way. If Mrs. Trump had spent her husband’s first Presidential term proving otherwise, we could say that her incomplete education is irrelevant.
It is relevant though, but not for the reason you may think. It isn’t as much a reflection of her intelligence, as it is about her lack of desire. She doesn’t seem to care about this role, and like her husband, when she doesn’t care about something, she does it poorly or doesn’t complete it. (Think healthcare, here.)
Mrs. Trump’s tenure as First Lady has been marred by 3 very spectacular failures that highlight her deficit of dedication and credibility:
1-Her speech at the Republican National Convention in 2016 that some have noticed was, in part, plagiarized from a speech that former First Lady Michelle Obama gave at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
2-Her visit to the Mexican border to supposedly observe the living conditions of young migrants, where she purposefully wore a jacket that had the words “I don’t really care, do you?” emblazoned on the back.
3-Her establishment of the ‘Be Best’ anti-cyberbullying program which, to date, has accomplished very little other than notoriety due to the fact that her husband is the most well-known cyberbully on the globe. Mrs. Trump even famously remarked, in a very tone-deaf way, that she believed herself to be the most bullied person in the world.
The current First Lady’s efforts reak of insincerity and that is probably because, prior to obtaining the role, she didn’t seem to show any interest in these types of philanthropic or ambassadorial responsibilities.
She is clearly acting.
Biden, on the other hand, has credibility.
1-In addition to her education, she has served the country in the role of Second Lady for 8 years. This experience would obviously help her in the role of First Lady.
2-While serving, she continued to teach two courses, as an adjunct professor, at Northern Virginia Community College. Fittingly, she was later tasked, by President Obama, with the responsibility to raise awareness for the value of community colleges. Her skills met her responsibilities.
3-Even after her tenure as Second Lady, Mrs. Biden was named board chair of Save the Children, an organization dedicated to helping to improve the lives of children. She is clearly passionate about helping kids, and this could be useful in her First Lady responsibilities.
2. Opportunity: influence or estrangement?
When, on President Trump’s inauguration day, he turned and smiled at Mrs. Trump, and we watched her smile transform into a frown when he wasn’t looking, it became clear that something was up. To the outside observer, she didn’t seem genuinely happy. This is a couple that rarely shows any form of public affection for each other.
Why is that?
In fact, it is alleged that she didn’t move to Washington after the inauguration so that she could gain leverage on the renegotiation of their prenuptial agreement.
Perhaps it had something to do with his purported extramarital affairs. Other hints have been noticed over the years about the status of their marriage, as she has been caught on camera a few times swatting his hand away when he tried to hold it, or coldly greeting him at public events.
Their relationship seems strained. That strain can’t possibly work well during a second term. Like it or not, the First Lady’s role is supposed to complement the work of the President, and that is hard to do when they are clearly not in sync. Let’s not forget that, in the first term, the First Lady even called for the firing of a national security adviser without the knowledge or approval of the White House. This type of incongruence cannot be good for the administration.
On the other hand, when former Vice-President Joe Biden was mulling over the possibility of making a Presidential run, his wife Jill was a key contributor in the decision-making process. Not only that, but she had an influence on who he chose as a running mate.
She has said, “We have a marriage. We talk about things. Don’t you hope that your spouse is your best friend and your adviser and that, you know, you have this love affair together? Isn’t that what a marriage is?”
There is good reason to believe that, should he be elected to the ultimate position, she will continue to have his ear on policy decisions. This could be a good thing for many important initiatives within the country. For example, with the nation currently in an educational crisis due to the impacts of Covid-19, Mrs. Biden can provide the perspective of an actual educator, and may be able to help make real improvements.
This one seems simple. The Bidens present as an intelligent, united, and loving couple. They’ve worked well together during the Obama administration. It is logical to expect them to excel in a Biden Presidency. The same cannot be said of the Trumps if they were to get a second term.
Final thoughts
In some ways, Jill Biden and Melania Trump are mirrors of their respective husbands.
In Trump, we have an anti-First Lady. Like her husband, Melania is not in the mold of any of her predecessors. Prior to their first term in the White House, this fact might have been viewed as rife with possibilities. Now that 4 years have passed, in both cases, we are left with disappointment. President Trump initially portrayed himself as an outsider who could unite the country, and he has clearly failed at that. Melania, also an outsider, has spent most of the term seemingly uninterested in her duties.
With Jill Biden, one might be reminded of Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Hilary Clinton. She not only has all the tools and background to do the job as First Lady, but she also has the desire. As with her husband Joe, she promises us a return to normalcy. She is someone who will take the job seriously. She will work, alongside her husband, to lead and inspire the nation. She will represent the United States abroad, with dignity and class.
That is why, on November 3rd, when you go to the polling booths, you should cast your vote for Jill.
