Remember last summer, when speculation was rife that Fred Thompson would announce his candidacy, and the attention turned to Bubbles, his child bride? I weighed in myself, in one of my first posts here. We were assured then that Jeri was a brilliant political strategist, that her career at the RNC was stellar, followed by the inevitable accusations of bitchy backbiting and women's control. (In fact, it looks like nothing so much as the made-up Travel Office Scandal of 1993--how retro! Where'd I leave my flowy skirts and hiking boots?)
Well, I sort of lost track of Jeri after that, though watertiger's been doing a bangup job with Grandpa Daddy and his eyebags. The snark was clearly in good hands.
But then I happened across this interview with the illustrious Mrs. Thompson, who's now embracing her trophy wifitude and sneering at the idea that a first lady is anything more than a pleasure worker.
Now, if you become First Lady, would you have any role in Fred's Administration? Would you sit in on cabinet meetings, for example?
(Laughs) The only meeting I'd be sitting in on would be the meeting when he gets off the clock -- well, you really don't get off the clock -- when he gets together with the family. One thing he learned growing up is the importance of sitting down, counting your blessings, and having dinner together. That's the only one I would be involved in.
Okay, so let's translate: as First lady, I will stay at home all day waiting breathlessly for the moment when Daddy comes in to give my life meaning. (Is there anyone who seriously doubts that she calls him "Daddy"? Paging Dr. Freud to the white courtesy phone.) All I'm saying is that a buff young gardener could do a lot worse than seek White House employment at this point, because if Fred gets elected, there's a Desperate Housewife with a verge just aching to be trimmed.
Now Hillary Clinton has been touting her "experience" as First Lady on the campaign trail, as if it's an enormous asset that makes her particularly well qualified to be President. She's even taking credit for some of the things her husband did as President. As a potential First Lady, what do you think of that?
Well, I try not to pass judgment on a lot of this stuff because everyone has had different experiences. What I know is that the experiences Fred has had, from getting married at 17 and working in a factory, putting himself through college and then through law school, being a federal prosecutor at 28, being minority council at 30, moving on to help Marie Ragghianti take down a corrupt governor, playing himself in the movies, being a U.S. senator, and doing all the things he has done since then qualifies him to be President.
Marrying (him) doesn't qualify me to be in any of those decision making processes with him. All that qualifies me for is to be his wife and that's what I ought to do.
I love him, support him, and try to be a good wife and a good mother. That's the role I signed onto when I married him.
Remind me: did June Cleaver have a boob job? (And forgive me, but I don't personally think that "playing himself in the movies" is any more of a qualification for president than playing with himself at the movies would be, but I note that the 2008 field is surprisingly Paul Reuben-free.)
Of course all of this is a veiled and ugly critique of Hillary Clinton, though dressed in a soft fluffy nightgown, not unlike a dagger with a Hello Kitty handle. Of course there are First Ladies who spend the day in a Xanax-and-Marlboro haze to conceal their deep misery over the fact that they're married to sociopaths, but, you know, there are also First Ladies who have a great influence on public policy. Senator Clinton noted at the outset that her model was Eleanor Roosevelt, not Mary Todd, and she conducted herself accordingly. But I don't believe for one second that, had she been a shy, retiring type, she would have been spared the barrage of shit which has poured down on her head for the last 15 years like an Iraqi police barracks. But in Jeri's world, if only Hillary hadn't prioritized things like health care and had instead waited in lingerie for Bill to walk through the door, we would never have had to go through that farce of an impeachment.
Which brings me to Jeri's next point:
What I think is probably of more interest to some of your readers is the fact that conservative women get such a different treatment in the press, including the women's press, than the Democrats.
For goodness sake, Hillary has been on the cover of most women's magazines and had glowing reports on everything she has ever touched. Michelle Obama actually could stand up in an Annie Leibovitz spread in Vogue magazine with her finger pointed at her husband's campaign manager, telling him what to do in the caption, and I don't think that Cindy or Judith or I could get away with such a thing.
So, you don't think Republican women get fair treatment compared to the Democratic women?
Generally speaking, no, I don't.
I agree with you.
Now that's some disinterestered reporting!
How anyone, ideological bent aside, could possibly think that Hillary Clinton has "had glowing reports on everything she has ever touched" is beyond me. Objectively, it's simply not true. As far as the odious form of journalism known as women's magazines (You're too fat! Your orgasms aren't good enough! Why didn't you make a homemade gingerbread house with lemon mousse snow this holiday season?!?), I have only this to say: No Search Results For: hillary clinton. It's possible, I suppose that there was a write-up or two when she was First Lady, back in the days when she was required to come up with cookie recipes and take shit for her hairstyle, but they don't seem to have much interest in her as a political figure.
Women who ally themselves to retrograde gender roles unattainable to most people (how much does it take to keep spouse at home? I shudder to think) don't do other women any favors. Women who dress like mermaids and princesses don't really ask to be taken seriously. Women who attack other women for attempting to help drag the country out of the cesspool of the Bush administration deserve no sympathy. And when it's all done with a giggle and a shiv, well, no, I don't particularly think that requires whatever her backwards-ass idea of fairness might be.
And now, the kicker.
Now, let me ask you a question you've probably heard 500 times: you have been called a trophy wife quite a bit during this campaign. Do you find that insulting given what you've accomplished in your life?
You know, your perspective changes as things in your life change. At first, it was kind of a strange experience to go through, but now, after being on the bus with the boys, and being 41 years old with two kids under 4, I am thinking that's not such a bad thing to be said about me.
(Laughs) Yeah, it is kind of a backhanded compliment, isn't it?
(Laughs) As I said, my perspective has changed and I'm not so sure it's bad. All my girlfriends and my aunts have been telling me, "You know what? You'll look back on that and you'll be happy..."
I also have 2 kids under 4, and I don't look like a trophy wife. Are there days when I wish I could wake up in Jeri's bod? Sure, but if that means waking up with her brain, then the exchange is not worth it. With apologies to NTodd, I don't think most people are deciding this election on the FLILF issue. (If they were, Dennis would be polling much higher, as his wife is by far the most beautiful and exotically foreign one in the running.) But Fred makes this joke all the time.
I never read such a backward-looking retrograde piece of crap in my life. The whole interview could have been given in 1927 or 1957 or 1977, with very few changes. Jeri defines herself through her man Matlock, and any woman who does not is not a real woman. Interest in public affairs and public service are clearly unseemly when there's primping to be done.
Feh.
Below: Jeri prepares for the inauguration, January 2009.