If YOU were First Lady...(non-political politics!)

[Tracey in TX]

What would your primary issue/s be? Is there a pet project you would like to see revived or begun? We've had so many interesting First Ladies, and their interests have spanned from health care to highway beautification, and everything thing in between. They hold an important position in our society and have the ear of the most important person in the Western world.

What would you do to improve the USA or world if you had the authority to do so?

 

ETA: I suppose we could also ask if you were VP what issues would you address? However it would become more political and less of a non-partisan and safe question.

[Happy]

I think education reform might be a choice topic. Maybe promoting homeschooling....? ;)

 

Maybe a whole foods on the table, victory garden in everyone's backyard push?

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

What would your primary issue/s be? Is there a pet project you would like to see revived or begun? We've had so many interesting First Ladies, and their interests have spanned from health care to highway beautification, and everything thing in between. They hold an important position in our society and have the ear of the most important person in the Western world.

What would you do to improve the USA or world if you had the authority to do so?

 

ETA: I suppose we could also ask if you were VP what issues would you address? However it would become more political and less of a non-partisan and safe question.

 

Just like the classy Barbara and the smiling, beautiful children's librarian Laura -- Literacy.

 

One of the more precious things in my house is a tape of children's books (Who's In Rabbit's House? and A New Coat for Anna) read by Barbara Bush. Sweet.

 

They are inspiring.

[hsmamainva]

I think my approach would be something like Eleanor Roosevelt's. I would get out there, among the 'common people' and see what issues are important to THEM...and then bring their thoughts and feelings to my husband (who...btw has NO earthly desire to be president!! Too many responsibilities!)

[CactusPair]

There are so many issues I'd love to work on! Some of these would be impossible to implement, but I can state my ideals:

 

Literacy, especially women's literacy, here and around the world.

 

Women's education and economic independence in 3rd world countries

 

School breakfast for hungry kids

 

Conservation of wildlife and the environment

 

Alternative fuels

 

Turn off the TV, walk & talk more as a family campaign

 

Ending the practice of female gen*tal mutilation

 

Safeguarding women & children, particulary females, in war-torn countries

 

Recruiting doctors to help 3rd world women who have suffered birth trauma fistulas and are ill and ostracized as a result

[kokotg]

 

Maybe a whole foods on the table, victory garden in everyone's backyard push?

 

This was my thought, too. First I thought the environment and climate change, but then I thought the gardening and good food and supporting small, local farm angle was more happy and bi-partisan :tongue_smilie:

[astrid]

There are so many issues I'd love to work on! Some of these would be impossible to implement, but I can state my ideals:

 

Literacy, especially women's literacy, here and around the world.

 

Women's education and economic independence in 3rd world countries

 

School breakfast for hungry kids

 

Conservation of wildlife and the environment

 

Alternative fuels

 

Turn off the TV, walk & talk more as a family campaign

 

Ending the practice of female gen*tal mutilation

 

Safeguarding women & children, particulary females, in war-torn countries

 

Recruiting doctors to help 3rd world women who have suffered birth trauma fistulas and are ill and ostracized as a result

 

What a great list, Cactus Pair! I heartily support each and every one of your suggestions!

 

Astrid

[Crissy]

Literacy. Specifically, adult literacy.

 

Last year, before my library installed those serve-yourself checkout computers, I stood in line behind an older gentleman with whom I was quite familiar, as we are both regular patrons.

I heard him telling the librarian, "Don't forget my listening books," as he held up his portable cassette tape player. "You know I can't read those pages, but I love my stories!"

He is the sweetest man, and I could never have imagined that he can't read the words on this page.

While I am thankful for "listening books", I want to help adults learn to read.

[Parabola]

Lots of good causes here ladies!

 

I think I would pick

 

first and foremost, addressing global climate change.

 

also, space exploration and future colonization technology

 

healthcare, including pushing the technology to get everyone's DNA on file for their doctors. Everyone who wants it to be that is. Gene interpretation is the be-all end-all of preventative care!

 

LOVE the garden/whole foods idea, I'd steal that from Happy. Or make her head of the Garden Department. :)

 

I would support a creation of a department to crush misinformation in all its evil forms.

 

And I would support scientific research and technology in general, I would even make it a pet cause to get scientific breakthroughs (of which there are so many) in the news, in the limelight, in the newspapers, in people's conversations. The theory of special relativity is 100 year old science, it shook the very foundations of what we thought to be true about space and time......no one even knows what it is. Not only that, but they still view space and time as it was viewed before the foundations were shaken.

 

Ok, settling down. Those are my causes. Just my points of view, not meant to anger anyone.

[Kelli in TN]

I think I would like community redevelopment and the ending of urban sprawl. I would like to see comminities rebuild themselves from the inside out. I would like to see small towns put their emphasis on renewing their downtowns, turning back to a more traditional mixture of local businesses mixed with single family and multi family housing. I would want a strong emphasis on transportation systems and just sort of turning development back toward the community and thereby ending the destruction of farmland for suburban development. I would like to see incentives for large cities to redevelop their unique neighborhoods as well.

 

Hmmm, I wonder if my husband wants to run for president?

[Jami]

I think I would like community redevelopment and the ending of urban sprawl. I would like to see comminities rebuild themselves from the inside out. I would like to see small towns put their emphasis on renewing their downtowns, turning back to a more traditional mixture of local businesses mixed with single family and multi family housing. I would want a strong emphasis on transportation systems and just sort of turning development back toward the community and thereby ending the destruction of farmland for suburban development. I would like to see incentives for large cities to redevelop their unique neighborhoods as well.

 

Hmmm, I wonder if my husband wants to run for president?

 

That's a list of projects I could support, Kelli!

 

Jami

[6packofun]

Absolutely the same for me. nt

[Parrothead]

I wouldn't make a good first lady. Please, don't elect my husband to the presidency. I'm too lazy and don't want the world to know about it.

 

I think lending my name to a worthy cause would be enough for me. I'd probably be able to afford to write a check periodically, but that is really it.

 

I mean, I wouldn't be one to go shopping and having spa treatments every day wasting tax payer money. I'd just hide in the White House and lay low until it was over. And enjoy not having to cook every night.

[Jami]

I wouldn't make a good first lady. Please, don't elect my husband to the presidency. I'm too lazy and don't want the world to know about it.

 

I think lending my name to a worthy cause would be enough for me. I'd probably be able to afford to write a check periodically, but that is really it.

 

I mean, I wouldn't be one to go shopping and having spa treatments every day wasting tax payer money. I'd just hide in the White House and lay low until it was over. And enjoy not having to cook every night.

 

 

:lol: That's totally me. Especially having someone to cook every night.

[Kelli in TN]

I wouldn't make a good first lady. Please, don't elect my husband to the presidency. I'm too lazy and don't want the world to know about it.

 

I think lending my name to a worthy cause would be enough for me. I'd probably be able to afford to write a check periodically, but that is really it.

 

I mean, I wouldn't be one to go shopping and having spa treatments every day wasting tax payer money. I'd just hide in the White House and lay low until it was over. And enjoy not having to cook every night.

 

But, but, but....doesn't the first lady get staff? I want staff.

 

Wait, does staff do the first laundry? I can't have some stranger washing my unmentionables.

 

Come to think of it, I have too many personal space issues to live with staff.

[Parrothead]

But, but, but....doesn't the first lady get staff? I want staff.

 

Wait, does staff do the first laundry? I can't have some stranger washing my unmentionables.

 

Come to think of it, I have too many personal space issues to live with staff.

I'm sure she gets staff. She has to get staff. Can you imagine having to clean the White House? By yourself? No, she gets staff.

[kokotg]

But, but, but....doesn't the first lady get staff? I want staff.

 

Wait, does staff do the first laundry? I can't have some stranger washing my unmentionables.

 

Come to think of it, I have too many personal space issues to live with staff.

 

On The West Wing, the first lady has tons of staff! And then they have arguments with the president's staff sometimes....oh, the drama!

[cathmom]

promoting foreign language learning and bilingual education

[Jennifer3141]

This was my thought, too. First I thought the environment and climate change, but then I thought the gardening and good food and supporting small, local farm angle was more happy and bi-partisan :tongue_smilie:

 

 

No fair! I want that once because it has such a huge impact upon so many other factors in our society - the environment, healthcare and nutrition, etc. etc.

 

GREAT post! :)

 

Jen

[WTMCassandra]

Homeschooling

 

Literacy

 

Slow Food/breaks for small farmers/Decentralizing food supplies

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

I think I would like community redevelopment and the ending of urban sprawl. I would like to see comminities rebuild themselves from the inside out. I would like to see small towns put their emphasis on renewing their downtowns, turning back to a more traditional mixture of local businesses mixed with single family and multi family housing. I would want a strong emphasis on transportation systems and just sort of turning development back toward the community and thereby ending the destruction of farmland for suburban development. I would like to see incentives for large cities to redevelop their unique neighborhoods as well.

 

Hmmm, I wonder if my husband wants to run for president?

 

Kelli for president! I will handle your marketing and ds will write your speeches and your dd will advise you on policy. (And the secret service will keep an eye on them for us. :glare: :D)

 

 

[Now, disclaimer time: This next bit is just supposed to be funny, not partisan, because when I said it, it was said to a man who in all probability will not vote the way I'm leaning. So please be easy on me, 'k?]

 

I told my dh tonight while we attended little dd's kindergarten open house that he needed to sign up for an executive position on the PTA. He physically recoiled from the idea :lol:, but then I told him it was his chance to prep for his white house run. Our mayoral seat will, we hope, be vacated soon when it's current holder beats the Dem challenger and heads to the US Senate. And then... He just glared at me, then chuckled. [The rest of the story is that he has dreams of political glory. Which is VERY funny if you know my dh. Bless his heart.)

[sdWTMer]

I think I'd rather (insert horrible job here) than to be the First Lady. :D I just couldn't do it. I just can't even take my mind there. I don't like the attention. Let me work in the background and I'm as happy as a clam!

[Kelli in TN]

On The West Wing, the first lady has tons of staff! And then they have arguments with the president's staff sometimes....oh, the drama!

 

Do you remember when Matt Santos' wife had to meet with the staff? She was a typical soccer mom type and was so stunned to have all these people to coordinate. And she was very concerned about her children's well being when the chef asked about their favorite desserts.

[Haiku]

I think that my main issues would be nutrition (I would really push the idea of nutrition education for children and families and I would work on a campaign to make the idea of healthy food choices "hip") and healthcare for children. I don't know whether I would push universal health care/single-payer healthcare because I think that's such a polarizing topic (although I assume that, were I first lady, the person I was married to would be ALL ABOUT universal coverage), but I would certainly work on programs to ensure that children received preventive care no matter their ability to pay and I would highlight the need for preventive, not reactive/emergency, care.

 

Tara

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

Some of mine would be-

 

Educating kids and families about the many ways in which they are targeted by advertisers (even politicians)

 

Gifted education

 

Ending discrimination against gay and lesbian families

 

I too love the improving communities one and ending sprawl one. I would vote for that!

[elegantlion]

I would promote getting back a sense of community to our individual areas. I mean how many of us know the people of this online community better than we know our neighbors? (I'm raising my hand here)

 

Maybe create a series of "back fence" or "front porch" discussion groups.

Focused on individuals that are making a difference. Not just the ones in the spotlight, but everyday heroes.

 

 

Also senior care and working to instill a sense of purpose for those past the prime of their lives. Perhaps more of a reverence for the experience of our senior citizens.

 

And I would do more to make sure our veterans of this war and former wars get the care and support they need. Also for the military families get the care/support/breaks they need while their spouses are deployed.

[Tracey in TX]

You are such a wonderful, insightful, compassionate group of women! Reading your responses has really made me think about all the causes with which to embrace. I've always thought literacy was the end-all, be-all. But there really are deeper issues. The homeschool, and multi-lingual issues are also important to me.

Never considered end of urban sprawl because it would require a massive new transportation system. Maybe that will eventually become the 21st century project as we try to wean ourselves from oil.

 

Cindy McCain has focused time and efforts into veterans and land mine bans. Those are her proposed issues. Does anyone know what Michelle Obama's focus will be (other than raising her DDs) as First Lady?

 

Thank you for all the interesting responses!