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Should Political spouses and family members deny their own beliefs

JL - posted on 05/08/2011 ( 1 mom has responded )

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I was watching an old Larry King interview with Laura Bush that was made after Bush was out of office in which she pronounced that unlike her husband she has and does support Gay Marriage and pro-choice laws. Now this is not the first time I have heard and read an interview from the spouse or child of a politician who admitted once their spouse and parent was out of office that they had opposing views. Those opposing views more often then not have to do with hot button social issues like Gay Marriage and pro-choice. It continues to astound me when I here women like Laura Bush talk about how they support Gay Marriage yet they projected the opposite when their spouses were in office. Personally I am very passionate about equality and upholding laws that establish equal rights. I have a spouse who happens to agree with me on these subjects but for some reason if he didn't and he ran for office I would not keep quiet or pretend to agree with him when asked about my opinion. I feel like if I was in such an amazing position I would use it to fight for what I belief in. I would want to make my mark like Eleanor Roosevelt.

Do you think political spouses and family members should play politics and tow the party line with the correct verbal messages in order to keep their spouses in office or should they be true to themselves and be like Eleanor Roosevelt....champion Equality even despite what their spouse beliefs?

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JL - posted on 05/08/2011

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I have to disagree some what on the aspect of Eleanor because she had a strong stance on African American rights that FDR didn't have. She pushed against him publicly and it caused a load of back fighting behind the scenes. She was also the reason he did make what strides he did while in office concerning African American rights and womens rights. If it hadn't been her public outspoken stances against him along with her private arguments with him I don't think he would have done some of the things he did concerning the US military and African Americans or made the female appointments to office he did. I think it was her strong formidable attitude and her personal stances for what she believed in not FDR's sickness or his cheating that made the difference. It was her being who she was no matter what others thought. If she had not been that lady then she would have quietly stood by while he made decisions that personally she disagreed with.

Katherine - posted on 05/08/2011

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Honestly I think it's what they feel they have to do at the time. If they were to oppose while their husband was still in office....I can't imagine the mess it would create. Eleanor didn't have much of a choice when FDR got sick, she basically had to take over.
Here is a really good biography: http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/f...

She definitely was a strong woman who supported woman's rights and was instrumental in many things, but I don't think this would have happened had FDR not gotten sick...just my opinion. Maybe it would have because he cheated.
That being said spouses SHOULD maintain what their SO believes while in office.

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