MEMORANDUM
From:
To:
Re:
Date:
Harrison Wellford
John Podesta
Office of the First Lady [First Draft]
July 22, 2008
INTRODUCTION
The position of First Lady is, in many ways, a great national paradox. The job has no statutory
responsibilities, but can be central to the administration’s success. It holds no official power, but
carries with it an intricate web of public expectations. The First Lady is unelected, but represents the
entire country. She did not apply for the job; nor can she quit or be fired from it. She must be
simultaneously private and public, traditional and modern, apolitical and political. She takes on the
varied roles of idealized wife and mother, policy activist, First Hostess to hundreds of thousands,
steward of the White House, diplomat, style icon, and presidential spokeswoman, and acts as the
nation’s caretaker and moral compass. And she does all of this in an evolving position with no set job
description or guidebook (or salary).
Now, for the good side: The First Lady’s role in any administration will reflect her unique
tastes, interests, and abilities. She is free to design her role and her office in a way that suits her. The
First Lady has options in how she will choose to spend her time and energies. She has a support
structure, much of it in place at the Inauguration, ready and waiting to carry her hopes into action. And
she is uniquely positioned – with one of the most influential podiums in the world at her disposal – to
effect tremendous change. The job is a unique and formidable challenge but one that offers immense
opportunities to inspire and to serve.
This memorandum is intended to serve as a brief introduction to the First Lady’s world and the
obligations and opportunities it entails. The memorandum addresses, in turn: the First Lady’s support
structure; expected roles; and points to consider with respect to the transition.1
SUPPORT STRUCTURE
A support structure exists to help the First Lady fulfill her role; part of it is permanent and part
of it will be chosen and installed by the First Lady herself.
The best way for a First Lady to ensure early success is to appoint an experienced and loyal
staff. Many mistakes can be avoided if the First Lady’s advisers have had relevant experiences in
Washington – if not in the White House. The First Lady has a paid staff of about 24, which includes: a
Chief of Staff; a Press Secretary; the White House Social Secretary; Directors of Correspondence,
Projects, Scheduling, and Advance; and groups supporting each. Laura Bush’s staff (a typical modern
1
A few words of credit: Martha Joynt Kumar has been immensely helpful in reviewing and commenting on this draft.
Bradley Patterson has kindly made available advance chapters from his forthcoming book on the White House; most of the
information on Laura Bush’s tenure is derived from Patterson’s work. Patterson’s 2000 book The White House Staff
contains a parallel chapter on Hillary Clinton’s White House which is also very instructive. See pp. 281-99. Other helpful
sources include: Robert P. Watson, Reassessing the Office of First Lady (2000) (esp. at pp. 30-33 and 71-92); Anthony J.
Eksterowicz and Kristen Painter, The Evolution of the Role and Office of the First Lady, 37 Social Science Journal 547
(2000); and Myra G. Gutin, The President’s Partner (1989).
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example) is augmented by 8 interns, 30 volunteers, and four or so assistants detailed from jobs in the
departments.
The First Lady’s Chief of Staff and the White House Social Secretary also hold the titles of
Assistant and Special Assistant to the President, respectively. The Chief of Staff attends morning
senior staff meetings, which helps to integrate the First Lady’s office, physically located in the East
Wing, into West Wing operations.
Other individuals, offices, groups, and agencies also assist the First Lady in her many
functions. They include: The White House Chief Usher and Residence Staff; the White House
Historical Association; the White House Curator; the Correspondence Office; the General Services
Administration and National Park Service maintenance offices; the White House Medical Unit; the
Military Office Ceremonies Coordinator; the Navy unit manning Camp David; and others. Some of
these will be addressed in greater detail below.
ROLES OF THE FIRST LADY
First Ladies have always been important companions and advisors to their husbands, though
some have been more visible in this role than others. The First Lady’s proximity to the President puts
her in a unique position; she often acts as a sounding board for her husband’s ideas as well as an
advocate for her own. She is in a position to advise the President on policy, personnel, and politics
from a wide perspective, and without an agenda that competes with his own.2 Her voice is particularly
important because the President knows he can trust her and knows that she will tell him the truth.
Although the role of presidential confidante may be the most important role the First Lady
will play, it is not the most visible. Over time, First Ladies have established traditions that have
become part of American culture. Americans expect the traditions of the position to continue, and the
public outcry can be swift and fierce when they are ignored. Even the title “First Lady” – a Victorian
artifact from the 1860s – has become so deeply ingrained that efforts to reconsider it have proved
dangerous.3
1.
Wife and Mother
First Ladies, like mothers and wives everywhere, face the daily challenges of raising a family
and keeping a happy and healthy marriage. These challenges are made immensely more difficult for
First Ladies because they occur in a context of high public scrutiny, under the intense pressures of the
presidency. Amid all this, most First Ladies are careful to project a traditional image – not
overshadowing the president or (with rare and good-humored exceptions) disagreeing with him in
public.
The First Lady has a recognized role, too, as protector of her husband. First Ladies are often
the first to notice when the strain on their husbands is too great, and are usually in the best position to
ensure that their pace, habits, and lifestyle keep in some semblance of balance. The public has reacted
2
See Richard Neustadt, Preparing to be President, p. 133. Yet, the First Lady’s influence is often viewed with suspicion
and envy, perhaps because with the exception of the Vice President, she is the only person in the White House who cannot
be fired.
3
For more detail on the roles listed here, see Watson, pp. 71-108.
2
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poorly, however, to a perceived overplaying of this role, as when Nancy Reagan appeared
overprotective of her husband and domineering towards his staff.
Numerous First Families (from the Monroes through the Teddy Roosevelts to the Clintons)
have had school-age children while serving in the White House. Their experience has shown that the
public and press – while fascinated by the First children – are generally sympathetic to the need for
their privacy. Here, too, the traditional role of mother as protector is what the country expects to see.4
Uprooting elementary school children is difficult for any family and can be traumatizing for White
House children unless sensitively managed. Frequent visits from hometown friends for weekend
slumber parties and special treats like scavenger hunts on the White House lawn eased the pain for
Chelsea. A grandmother as frequent visitor – or in residence – during a transition period can also help.
One compensating factor is that the First Family lives over the store, so to speak. White House
children may therefore see more of their mothers and fathers than they have during the months and
years leading up the election.
2.
First Hostess
The First Lady is responsible for all of the entertaining that goes on in the White House. As
the nation’s First Hostess, she is the one who must make visitors feel welcome whether they
are coming for a State Dinner, the Christmas press tours, or the Children’s Easter Egg Roll.
This job is vastly more important that it may at first blush appear. Although the First Lady may
not find her role as hostess as personally fulfilling as her other, more substantive roles, it is an essential
part of the Administration’s work. Social events at the White House are where the important work of
relationship-building goes on, and by hosting formal and informal gatherings, the First Lady directly
enables and complements the president’s work as head of state and head of government.
Moreover, Americans visualize the White House as an elegant and upscale place, a version of
Jacqueline Kennedy’s Camelot. The First Lady can garner much goodwill for the Administration if
she presents the White House people expect – and imagine – and does so in a way that makes all
visitors (both real and virtual) feel comfortable. The First Lady has skilled support in this role,
including:
The White House Social Office. On average, the White House hosts 500 formal occasions a
year, and between 100,000 and 125,000 people visit the White House for official and social events.5
4
Issues concerning the safety, privacy, schooling, and social life of the First Family children are complex, and will be
addressed in a subsequent memorandum (if so desired). Note that the question of where Malia and Sasha will go to school
in Washington has the potential to be a hot-button political issue; public statements on the subject are best avoided, and any
information about possible options should only be collected with the utmost discretion.
5
An annual cycle governs many of these events. Briefly, a First Lady can expect to host the following events, among
others. In late January/early February: a reception for New Members of Congress, the State of the Union Speech and White
House Reception, a Super Bowl event in the movie theater, a Mayors Reception, the Governors Dinner, and the Social
Reporters Luncheon. In the Spring: the National Newspaper Association Reception, the National Newspaper Publishers
Association (Black Press of America) Reception, the Easter Egg Roll and VIP/Sponsors Reception, the Math and Science
Awards, and the National Teacher of the Year Award. In May/June: the Blue Ribbon Schools Awards, the Presidential
Scholars Event, the Arts and Embassies Reception, the Memorial Day Veterans Breakfast, the Senate Spouses Luncheon,
the White House Fellows Reception, and a Congressional Luncheon honoring the First Lady. In the Summer: the
Congressional Picnic, the Press Picnic, the July 4 Fireworks, the Girls Nation Event, and the Boys Nation Event. In the
Fall/Winter: the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities Awards Dinner, the
National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Awards, the Ford’s Theatre Reception, and a National Medals of Science and
3
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Major White House events often take place more than once a day. State Dinners involve as many as
130 guests if in the State Dining Room, 240 in the East Room, and even more if the dinner is held in a
heated tent on the lawn. Guest lists are compiled by the Social Office with the input of the cabinet
agencies and Executive Office of the President (“EOP”) organizations. The final invitation list and the
seating chart go to the President and First Lady for personal approval. The Social Office keeps track
of acceptances and regrets and helps the First Lady plan the menu, program, flower selections,
and entertainment. It arranges for the performers’ hotel rooms and sends cars to meet them at
the airport, prints and sends invitations, instructs the chefs, and helps manage the rope line. The Social
Office oversees every event hosted in the White House with five paid staff and an army of volunteers
and interns.
White House Chief Usher. The White House Chief Usher is responsible for the effective
operation of the Executive Residence at the White House. He develops and administers the budget for
the operation, maintenance, and utilities and supervises the Executive Residence staff. Chief Ushers
serve at the pleasure of the president, but typically are kept on by new First Families; there have only
been eight Chief Ushers since 1866. The current Chief Usher is Rear Admiral Stephen W. Rochon.
Rochon, a New Orleans native and grandfather of eight, was a decorated Coast Guard officer with 36
years of military experience before he came to the White House in 2007.
White House Residence Staff. The White House Residence Staff, overseen by the Chief Usher,
amounts to 91 individuals (plus various volunteer help). It includes chefs, florists, butlers, ushers,
doormen, and maids, as well as engineers, electricians, carpenters, and plumbers.
3.
Steward of the White House
The First Lady is expected to be a good steward of the White House and to oversee restoration
projects and other related enterprises. The First Lady is responsible for designing the interior of the
family quarters, and for ensuring the upkeep of the State Rooms.6
The First Lady does not go it alone in this effort. The White House is, it should be noted, both
a National Park facility – Presidents’ Park – and a museum, and there are various private and public
resources set aside for its maintenance. The White House Historical Association, a private
organization, raises and spends money to renovate and restore the White House. The White House
Curator is charged with the preservation and study of the White House’s art, furniture, and decorative
objects.7 The First Lady works with the Curator and a committee of other experts in deciding where,
with respect to renovations and improvements, she will focus her attention. This committee makes
recommendations to the First Lady on projects, and has access to the money raised and controlled by
the White House Historical Association.
Technology event. In December: the Press Preview of holiday decorations, cards, and gingerbread house; the
Kennedy Center Honors Reception; a Congressional Ball; the Pageant of Peace Ceremony; Press Parties; a Staff Tour; a
Mobility-Disabled Tour; a Political Appointees Reception; Dinners and Receptions for Key Donors; a Children’s Party; the
Nobel Prize Ceremony and Reception; and a Resident Staff Reception.
6
With financial and other assistance from the White House Historical Association, Laura Bush has, during her tenure,
renovated the Lincoln Bedroom, the Green Room, the Vermeil Room, and the White House Library.
7
The Curator’s office maintains historical records about the building and its occupants. The current Curator is Bill
Allman, who has worked in the Curator’s office since 1976.
4
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The First Lady has other assistance in this role, too:
• The White House Residence Staff, noted above, is responsible for the daily upkeep of
the Executive Residence.
• The General Services Administration Service Delivery Team is responsible for the daily
upkeep of the other buildings (including the East and West Wings).
• The National Park Service White House Liaison Office is responsible for daily upkeep
of the grounds, maintaining the White House storage facility, repairing White House
furnishings, operating a plant nursery, and providing architectural, design, and
accounting services for the Executive Residence.
4.
Standard-Bearer for American Women
For most of its existence, the Gallup Poll of “Most Admired Women” has contained a First
Lady in its number-one spot, and former First Ladies often hold other spots in the top ten. As the focus
of such attention and admiration, simply by virtue of her position, the First Lady is expected to
simultaneously satisfy the varied hopes and aspirations of women across the nation. She is expected to
champion women and women’s issues, while at the same time embodying the qualities of femininity
and family. These demands are not in the least contradictory – as Betty Ford rebutted her critics,
“being ladylike does not require silence” – but neither are they easily satisfied together.
5.
Caretaker and Moral Compass
Americans will expect the First Lady to be involved in charitable enterprises and events.
The First Lady will receive numerous requests to serve as an “honorary chair” for various charities.
These requests should not be answered now, or even by the time of Inauguration. Ultimately,
however, accepting those requests that can be easily honored, as previous First Ladies have done with
the American Heart Association and the Girl Scouts, will create goodwill. Such service contributes to
the First Lady’s image as the Nation’s caretaker and moral compass. Laura Bush, one of the most
admired First Ladies in terms of public approval metrics, has been widely credited for her charitable
work – among other efforts, she visited areas struck by Hurricane Katrina 17 times in the months
following the disaster.
First Ladies have also taken prominent roles as human rights advocates. Eleanor Roosevelt,
perhaps the leading advocate of human rights in the history of the White House, is only one example.
The superior commitment of First Ladies to the antislavery movement, opposition to Jim Crow, and
activism for women’s rights is a repeated (if not perfectly consistent) theme of presidential history,
from Abigail Adams through the modern era. Laura Bush, again, has been outspoken in opposition to
human rights abuses by the Burmese junta; Hillary Clinton made women’s rights a centerpiece of her
public work.
6.
Style Icon
The First Lady is a cultural trend-setter. Whatever the First Lady’s intent, the clothes she
wears, how she styles her hair, and her tastes in music and art will be commented on at length. These
choices can have a tremendous effect on national (or even international) fashions. Jacqueline
Kennedy’s experience is obviously the high-water mark for this effect, but it is the experience of all
First Ladies (at least since Dolley Madison’s day) to some degree.
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7.
Diplomat – at Home and Abroad
First Ladies have frequently been called upon to serve as diplomats, both on state visits abroad,
and when receiving guests in the United States. On some trips abroad, First Ladies have served as
official envoys or goodwill ambassadors without their husbands. These trips are often made to address
humanitarian crises (e.g., Pat Nixon’s visit to earthquake victims in Peru in 1970, and Rosalynn
Carter’s travels to Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand). On other trips, First Ladies have simply
accompanied the president (e.g., the Kennedys’ state visit to France, and the Nixons’ trip to open
relations with mainland China).
By way of example: In the first six and a half years of her husband’s administration, Hillary
Clinton took 40 overseas trips – 21 on her own – and visited 83 countries.8 Acting as the President’s
eyes and ears on these trips, Mrs. Clinton focused on human rights, women’s empowerment, and
children’s health. She often followed up on her trips with official memoranda to the President (copied
to other senior officials) which stated her findings and recommendations. As a result, among other
things, women’s rights were integrated into U.S. foreign policy at the State Department and USAID
provided more resources for girls’ education. Not only did her visits affect American foreign policy,
but the countries she visited often made extra efforts to implement or continue the initiatives she
introduced and to maintain contact through the doors she opened.
8.
Political Campaigner
The task of campaigning will be familiar to Mrs. Obama. While this work will largely end in
November (at least for the next three years), some First Ladies have been called upon to take an active
role in campaigning in non-election periods. Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosalynn Carter, Barbara Bush and
Nancy Reagan, among others, have all traveled and given speeches, led organizations and worked
actively to support their respective parties. Because First Ladies have normally presented a less
partisan, political image than their husbands, they have often played a larger role when a president’s
reputation had to be softened. In 1964, for instance, Lady Bird Johnson took a 1000-mile trip through
the South to shore up Democratic support, delivering 47 speeches along the way. In 2004, Laura Bush
was featured in 167 political events, and in 2006, she made 67 trips to appear on behalf of Republican
candidates.
9.
Presidential Symbol and Spokesperson
The First Lady serves as a symbol of the president and presidency, whether when speaking, or
through actions or deeds. This can be especially useful where the First Lady has a personal strength
the president does not; for example, Jackie Kennedy, who was fluent in French and Spanish, prepared
and delivered remarks on behalf of the president during state visits to France, Mexico, and Venezuela.
First Ladies also often attend events such as funerals and marriages of public figures and foreign
leaders on behalf of the president. Many first ladies in wartime, including Mary Todd Lincoln,
Eleanor Roosevelt, and Barbara Bush, have visited troops in the field and in hospitals.
8
Over the same period, Laura Bush visited 72 countries, many also on her own.
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10.
Policy Promoter
Finally, and of central importance, the Office of the First Lady provides a national – and
increasingly international – platform to further projects and policies. Hillary Clinton was not the first
First Lady to champion public policy initiatives in her husband’s administration, but she certainly
pushed the envelope in terms of how visible a First Lady could be when doing so.9 Much can be
learned from her experiences regarding what a First Lady can expect to accomplish in the policy arena
and what kind of public reaction her actions will draw.
Hillary Clinton’s first controversial move was taking a small office near the Domestic
Policy Director in the West Wing. She was the first First Lady to take a West Wing office;
traditionally First Ladies had worked out of the East Wing or the Residence. Critics saw this as an
unjustified usurpation of power; taking a coveted West Wing office located in close proximity to the
Oval Office made a clear statement that Mrs. Clinton expected to be an integral part of
the administration’s policymaking team. Despite the negative attention this office received,
Mrs. Clinton’s staff, embracing the principle that proximity to the President is power, believed it
helped integrate them with the President’s West Wing staff and gave them more clout in policy
councils. For example, Mrs. Clinton’s Chief of Staff was an active participant in West Wing senior
staff meetings and other staff members made contributions to White House policy councils.10
Mrs. Clinton’s second controversial move was accepting the responsibility for health
care reform. Mrs. Clinton chaired a Cabinet-level task force and ran a series of working groups made
up of more than 630 advisers in order to create the administration’s health care reform plan. As most
will recall, the effort backfired. Despite the fact that she successfully appeared before five
Congressional committees and demonstrated a keen and deep understanding of the issues surrounding
health care reform, the political system was simply not ready for a First Lady to take such a leadership
role.11 Critics assert that Mrs. Clinton’s presence in White House policy meetings inhibited open giveand-take among the staff – given her influence over the President, no one wanted to tell her when she
was wrong. Moreover, because the First Lady had managed the health policy team, the
President’s flexibility to judge, qualify, or amend its recommendations may be perceived as being
reduced. In the end, the Clinton Administration did not achieve health care reform and much of the
blame, rightly or wrongly, was attributed to the First Lady’s leadership.
This is not to say, by any means, that the First Lady cannot be involved in policy initiatives. To
the contrary, the First Lady can use her national platform to spotlight issues she cares about and put
9
While Eleanor Roosevelt’s work on behalf of the New Deal is an obvious example, the tradition of First Ladies’ public
policy involvement goes back at least as far as the mid-1840s, when Julia Tyler was promoting the annexation of Texas.
Recent First Ladies have addressed the following principal causes: Laura Bush – literacy; Hillary Clinton – child welfare
and health care; Barbara Bush – literacy, homelessness, AIDS, single working mothers, and cancer; Nancy Reagan – drug
awareness; Rosalynn Carter – mental health care, the elderly, community activism and volunteerism, and the Equal Rights
Amendment; Betty Ford – the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion rights, civil rights, the arts, cancer, and special needs
children; Pat Nixon – volunteerism and the Equal Rights Amendment; Lady Bird Johnson – beautification and the
environment, urban renewal, and Great Society programs; Jacqueline Kennedy – historic preservation and the arts. See
Lawrence J. Rifkind, First Ladies and Their Causes or Charities: A Historical Chronology, 1 White House Studies 237
(2001).
10
Hillary Clinton’s taking a West Wing office was seen as an extension of the discussion during the campaign of a copresidency. It was a distraction for staff who did not know whether to check with the First Lady on decisions. In a sense, it
led to confusion among staff as to who was exercising presidential power.
11
This problem was worsened somewhat by the First Lady’s insistence on holding meetings behind closed doors, a policy
which led to lawsuits and charges of excessive secrecy.
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them on the President’s agenda. In fact, Mrs. Clinton was responsible for many domestic initiatives
with greater success. In 1997, for example, Mrs. Clinton joined the President in convening the White
House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning, a conference that brought together
scientists, physicians, sociologists, and other professionals to collaborate in a way never attempted
before. In that same year, she lent her public support to Reach Out and Read, a program through
which pediatricians prescribe books in addition to medications. Mrs. Clinton also lent her support to –
and was central to the eventual passage of – the 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act. She succeeded
by using the power of her office to draw attention to particular problems and issues and to support
solutions she believed in.
As Mrs. Clinton’s experience demonstrates, the Office of the First Lady can wield
significant political power if used in the right way and at the right time. The American people
need reassurance during a White House transition – particularly in a time of fear and uncertainty. They
need to feel that they have made the right choice. While the First Lady will certainly want to make her
mark in chosen policy areas, she must be careful in taking an active and visible policy role at the
beginning of her husband’s first term – particularly if that role is viewed as coming at the expense of
her more traditional roles. The key is balance. A strong policy role must be balanced with the
traditional roles that accompany First Ladyship.
At the end of the first year, after the public has become comfortable with the new First
Lady, she can become more daring in her policy role by starting new traditions and focusing on
policy areas she cares about. For example, as of early 2002, Laura Bush was perceived to have
performed all the traditional First Lady duties. Then, when she delivered the President’s radio address
on Afghan women a year into her husband’s presidency, she received a positive response at home and
abroad, effectively using the power of her position to demonstrate the Administration’s policy
approach towards women in Afghanistan. Mrs. Bush has since been especially active in promoting
education, conducting White House summits and lobbying Congress for increases in education
funding.12
BETWEEN TODAY AND INAUGURATION
Transitions are all about first impressions, and the public’s view of a new First Lady is set
early. Negative attention, particularly at the beginning of the presidency, can distract the public from
the President’s substantive message and diminish the public’s view of the Administration in general
and the First Lady in particular.
In the next four months, Mrs. Obama will understandably be preoccupied with the essential
business of campaigning. My only advice for this period is that she (a) avoid unnecessary
commitments, (b) meet briefly to discuss the office with experienced hands from past administrations,
such as former Social Secretary Ann Stock and Patti Solis Doyle, and (c) allow for necessary
preparatory information to be collected on her behalf.
During the short 11-week transition, the First Lady will face a number of challenges. She must,
among other things, arrange for the move into the White House, make decisions on staffing, make
12
It bears noting here, too, that while respect for tradition is prudent, the boundaries of what is acceptable for First Ladies
have steadily expanded. Laura Bush, widely considered as the “anti-Hillary,” now wears pantsuits, first introduced in
the White House by Hillary Clinton to much “cluck-clucking” from the style mavens. Laura Bush also took a seat in the
Roosevelt Room at one of the first senior staff meetings after the Inauguration and no one seemed to object.
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decisions on what kind of role she wants to play in her husband’s administration, and make plans for
the Inauguration. In the past, First Ladies-elect have visited Washington sparingly during the
transition period. Traditionally the first major media event for the First Lady-elect is the meeting with
the outgoing First Lady and the tour of the White House.
Former First Ladies’ Chiefs of Staff make the following recommendations:
•
Name a Transition Director right after Election Day, when the President-elect announces
his leadership team. Preferably, this person will have Washington experience. He or she need
not be the new Chief of Staff, but if this individual is not going to serve as the Chief of Staff,
that position needs to be filled as soon as possible.
o The Transition Director will oversee: day-to-day scheduling and logistical support;
press operations; hiring practices for the First Lady’s White House staff; coordinating
the First Lady’s interests and plans for the Inauguration; setting the First Lady’s agenda
for the first months of the Administration; organizing the family’s move into the White
House; and making contact with the outgoing First Lady’s staff.
o To successfully manage the transition chaos, the Transition Director should be calm,
steady, well-organized, experienced in Washington, and committed to the First Lady’s
interests.
•
Name the Social Secretary early. The press – in particular the “style” writers – will be
very interested in who this person will be, and their speculation will be a continuing story until
the position is filled. In making the appointment, the First Lady should keep in mind that the
Social Secretary will work closely with the entire First Family and the President’s staff and will
be an integral part of the White House’s diplomacy team.
•
Name a Press Secretary, a Residential Transition Coordinator, a Political Scheduler,
a Correspondence Director, a Speechwriter/Researcher, and a Special Assistant to the First
Lady. If they work out, these individuals should become White House staff after the transition.
•
Be prepared for considerable speculation regarding the kind of role the new First Lady
will play. The “style” sections will want to do profile pieces and the “national” news will want
to do more substantive pieces regarding her role in the formation of the new Administration.
What the First Lady focuses on during this time – particular projects or initiatives,
wardrobe, staffing, and public appearances – will shape the public’s first impression of her in
that role. Although the First Lady may find the scrutiny of her life at the most superficial levels
intrusive or just plain ridiculous, indulging it satisfies the public’s insatiable appetite for
information on celebrities and garners much good will with the public and the press. Former
First Ladies’ Chiefs of Staff recommend throwing a bone to the press and public – show the
inaugural gown or at least disclose the designer; answer questions about hair styles and
decorating the residence. In other words, fulfill the public’s fascination with celebrity and the
mystique of the White House – most of it will die down as the Administration progresses.
•
Be prepared for the cascade of events that occur immediately after the Inaugural. For example,
on the first day after Inauguration, the Clintons hosted a 4,000-person open house, a 750-person
DNC high rollers reception, a 350-person friends and family buffet dinner, and a 200-person
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parade participants reception, all of which had to be well planned and well executed to survive
the press scrutiny regarding whether the new First Couple can handle the spotlight.
•
Sit down with the White House Chief Usher to make arrangements about how the Residence
will be run. The staff will continue to operate under the structure set by the previous
administration. For example, the Clintons were awoken with breakfast in bed at 6am on their
first morning in the residence, because that was how George H.W. and Barbara Bush liked it.
The Bushes also preferred for White House staff to be as unobtrusive as possible. Mrs. Clinton
soon put a stop to their practice of hiding behind curtains and pillars to keep from being
noticed.
CONCLUSION
The American people have high expectations of their First Lady and, the caveats above
notwithstanding, will extend to her a honeymoon during which lasting positive impressions can be set.
The First Lady-elect should review the President-elect’s transition calendar to look for events in which
her participation could help craft the image she wants to build with the American people. Thinking
through in advance how to manage her “first impressions” and finding a highly professional,
Washington-savvy staff to help her do it is the best recipe for a successful transition.
10