After a long day at the office and then a long evening with the kids, you sit down—maybe pour a glass of wine—then turn to your husband and ask, "So how was work today?" Now imagine you are married to the president of the United States. What would you talk about? Barack and Michelle have both told reporters that they rely on each other's opinions on just about everything. As Barack Obama's first 100 days come to an end, we wonder, Just how much influence will Michelle have on his administration? A look at other First Couples proves that presidential pillow talk consistently shapes history.
Hillary Clinton
Bill and Hillary Clinton's marriage is arguably the most critiqued, dissected, and analyzed relationship in the history of American politics. In many ways, their union has become a Rorschach test for attitudes about marriage in general. Unlike other first marriages where the missus used her full quietly, candidate Bill Clinton promised a "two for the price of one" presidency from the get-go. Things did not go as planned—at least not initially. Hillary's health-care-reform efforts proved to be so unpopular that the Secret Service insisted that she wear a bulletproof vest during stump speeches. The First Lady remained in the hot seat throughout Troopergate, Travelgate, Filegate, Whitewater, and the Vincent Foster investigations; she was applauded and vilified in equal measure for "standing by her man" after the Monica Lewinsky affair. After the Clintons moved out of the White House, Hillary secured an $8 million advance for her autobiography, was elected senator for New York, and ultimately ran for president herself. When she conceded to Barack Obama during the Democratic primary, the Greek chorus of political pundits repeatedly described Bill Clinton as Hillary's greatest asset and greatest liability. A Newsweek article on Hillary's campaign may have summed it up in its headline, "It's Not Her. It's That Marriage."
Next Page: Nancy Reagan
