Newswise — Presidential first ladies are typically in the public eye, but Laura Bush has managed to keep a low profile " at least until lately. She's become more visible with her husband on the campaign trail, and that may be an indication of how things are going " or not going " according to one of the nation's leading experts on first ladies.
"They've (the Bush campaign strategists) have been using her (Laura Bush) more for a while. I think it's quite a visible symbol that her husband's in trouble," says Dr. Myra Gutin, professor of communications at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J., and author of the book The President's Partner: The First Lady in the 20th Century. She is presently working on a biography of Laura's mother-in-law, Barbara Bush, and has taught a course on first ladies at Rider for some 20 years.
"Yes, Laura can have a positive effect (on the campaign) " to an extent. At this point, only 34 percent of the country approves of the President's handling of Iraq. His approval rating is down to its lowest level of his term at 41 percent. She'll (Laura) bring a reserve of good feeling, and will help " but those numbers are not good. In the end, people vote to elect the president."
Gutin reports that the Bush team is starting to run internet ads featuring the first lady on websites for women's magazines, and weather.com. The ads appear in the top of the page near the banner with Laura Bush reportedly saying "I'm passionate about education" and then the panel changes to read "so is the president." Education has been one of the key issues for this first lady, who doesn't have too many.
"I wouldn't say that she's (Laura Bush) apolitical, but she's not perceived as typically political either. So, I think she has stayed 'above the fray.' She hasn't done anything that's upset anyone or been polarizing, but gone out with this perseverance of good feeling," says Gutin, who will present a paper assessing press secretaries on first ladies at a professional conference in The Johnson Library in Austin, Tex., later this week.
"She's not Hillary Clinton. She's not that person who's been thrust into public policy. She didn't run a major task force on healthcare or anything like that. As with Barbara Bush, it's hard to argue with someone (Laura Bush) whose professed interest is in literacy and education. I think that's why she's been apolitical " they're (literacy and education) not political issues. They're life issues. Some people think they are political, but I come back to the fact that people aren't going to argue with you a lot on whether to have them or not."
Even though this Bush first lady shares her key issues with the family's earlier first lady, that could be where the similarities end, according to Gutin.
"Their approach to issues and projects differ," she says. "Barbara Bush had already established herself when she got herself in trouble in the 1984 presidential campaign with a comment she made about Geraldine Ferraro " characterizing her as something that rhymes with witch. She apologized early and learned she couldn't say things like that. She smiled to reporters and said that 'the poet laureate has retired.' The perception of Laura Bush is that she's a much more gentle person. Reporters have asked her about her positions on things, and she said 'If I did disagree with my husband, I wouldn't tell you.' It comes off differently (than Barbara Bush)."
But while Laura has tried to avoid the media spotlight, Gutin sees her getting more comfortable in it.
"She's improved as a public speaker. She's not been comfortable with it (public speaking), and even said to her husband early on 'just don't make me speak.' And he said 'sure.' But she seems much more comfortable," she says. "I have not honestly heard enough of her speeches to give you an opinion. She's had opportunities at speaking and seems to have handled herself really well.
"One of the interesting trends that I see is that when a president is in trouble, frequently the first lady is put out there to campaign. The first example who comes to mind is Betty Ford in '76, who was much more popular than Gerald Ford. They had buttons made saying 'I'm voting for Betty's husband.' The same was true with Barbara Bush, who did a lot of campaigning. I actually see a lot of parallels with this election, and the one in 1992."
Voters can also expect to see all of the Bush family in some prominence at the Republican National Convention in August.
"My guess is that you'll see them (George and Barbara Bush) in action after the convention They're holding them off on using them. We also know that Jenna and Barbara (George and Laura's daughters) will both be campaigning for them," says Gutin. "I'm sure Laura will speak at the convention. I suspect that she'll likely do pretty much the same thing that she did in 2000, and that's introduce her husband " extolling his praises. They may also use her the same way they did in 2000, providing criticisms of John Kerry and Democrats " because she can get away with it. They might also do a tribute night to the first lady, or women in the administration."
Dick Jones Communications assists Rider with its public affairs work.
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