If Hillary Becomes Veep, What's Bill's title?
06/20/2008
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If Michelle's the First Lady, then Bill would be the Second Gentleman, right? But, then, who's the First Gentleman?

Sure, it sounds silly, but it points out the problem that was never addressed in terms of either Hillary for President or for Vice President: what's Bill's role? Because we were all supposed to celebrate Hillary's candidacy as this great triumph for women that all patriotic Americans were supposed to take pride in (kind of like those bogus women's team sports competitions that corporate America puffs up when American women win even though the only competition is China and Norway), nobody was supposed to mention that Hillary was running for President only because her husband was term-limited out of office, just like in banana republics like Argentina. I, Ectomorph notes:

After all that has happened, [Obama] must feel that he has earned the nomination in his own right and won't govern effectively if the press is constantly preoccupied with whatever the Clintons are up to at One Observatory Circle (the little-known VP residence that would suddenly be a lot better known if Socks the Cat moves in). ... If he needs to have her onside, then he'll have the common sense to promise her a job in the new administration that she can be fired from.
And since Obama can't fire Hillary if he makes her VP, he doubly can't fire Hillary's husband from his ill-defined but inevitably large role as the Looming Presence or whatever. An Obama-Clinton administration would be the best thing that ever happened to the gag writers for late night talkshow hosts, but Obama would be nuts to saddle himself with the Hill and Bill Show. Just imagine Obama getting all geared up to promote some boring carbon emissions bill, when it suddenly leaks out that the Vice President is divorcing the ex-President. Nobody would pay any attention to the President for months.

Bill is the exact opposite of the ideal husband of a lady leader, Denis Thatcher, a convivial man not very interested in politics or the spotlight. He was 10 years older than his wife, and so was winding down his business career as she reached the top of her political career. He had enough money and wasn't particularly on the prowl for more. Mr. Thatcher only gave short speeches and never gave interviews.

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