Quote of the Day:
The afterword [of a new book comparing Michelle Obama and Melania Trump] belatedly acknowledges that “pitting the two women against one another is a troublesome (though common) practice.” But, hey, if it damages the Trumps, go for it.
–Miranda Devine in a review of Melania and Michelle: First Ladies in a New Era
No surprise, Boston academic Tammy R. Vigil’s Melania and Michelle: First Ladies in a New Era finds much to love in the wife of a Democratic president and much to deplore in the wife of a Republican president.
Progressive privilege even extends to what should be the objective field of writing biography.
As Miranda Devine writes in a feisty review of the book, Vigil seeks to get at the president by knocking his wife.
According to Vigil, Melania Trump “ranks among the least liked of all modern first ladies, [and her] professional life prepared her to serve more as a visual adornment.”
In addition to what Vigil apparently sees as Mrs. Trumps minuses, the deck would be stacked against her in any case:
Vigil declares that Melania’s “difficulties” are exacerbated because she “followed a popular and competent first lady” in Michelle Obama.
Devine runs through the insults Mrs. Trump has endured. It’s an impressive catalogue, but I want to quote the last part of the review in which she reminds us of why Mrs. Trump is a first lady who performs her job well and deserves credit that small-minded people will never give her:
There is nothing she can do right in the eyes of media gatekeepers.
Despite her exquisite style and promotion of American brands, she has been snubbed by fashion’s elite. Vogue editor Anna Wintour recently dissed her by pointedly praising Michelle Obama’s style when asked about Melania.
Does she deserve no respect because of the man she married?
It doesn’t seem to occur to Melania’s critics that, rather than being a docile Stepford wife, she might actually share her husband’s political worldview and encourage his policy positions on such topics as illegal immigration.
But, unlike Hillary Clinton, whose aggressive foray into health care policy when she was first lady caused considerable political fallout for her husband, Melania doesn’t flaunt her influence.
Michelle Obama was a fine first lady and deserves plaudits for writing a bestselling memoir since. But her school lunch interventions showed she was an elitist nanny-stater at heart.
Melania has not committed the same errors of arrogant overreach. She has the humility to understand that she is not the main game. Such command of ego is the first requirement of a first lady.
Melania is much more than an airhead former model, in any case.
Read the whole review.