What The Hell Is The Point of Melania Trump?

[Zable]

"...I do think it's legitimate to ask what she is doing with her time as she is spending public money." And it's legitimate to be horrid when asking it?

"Maybe as a guide people should look at a typical day for a mother who may have more than one child, holds down a full time job and doesn't have home help."

I guess you forgot we were talking about a busy week for a FLOTUS, not about a typical day for mother who may well be a poor worn out working class single-mum scrubbie who doesn't have the energy to do any travelling even if she could afford it. Trust you to deflect.

As I understand it, this FLOTUS who never trained for the political life is having to juggle many different things to do that cannot be organized as a routine day, requiring a whole range of different skillsets, which she must be prepared to use in different parts of the country, always fresh and up to the task. And, she also has her own small business to oversee, not to mention her child who she needs to spend time with. In small and largely thankless ways she has absorbed duties traditionally done by hiring professionals who would have been paid with federal funds.

Because she doesn't have a life as bad as other women, your

criticism is: Melania has a platform to do some good but chooses not to use it.
Go figure.​

 

[Angela Channing]

From the replies to my original question, it seems that Americans have very low expectation for what public figures who are funded by their tax dollars, like the current First Lady, should do for their money.

It wouldn't be tolerated in the UK. The spouse of the head of state was doing several public engagements every day and was patron for many charities until he was well into his nineties. He didn't have to what he was doing but he wanted to use his position and profile to do some good.

When the Trump Presidency is over and Melanie looks back on what she achieved during that time, I think she will see it was a wasted opportunity.

 

[Mazzilli]

You have any ridiculous assertions to make about women, people of color, unmarried people, Jews, gays, college graduates, and the poor since Hillary won most of their votes, too?

Yeah, regardless of how you all perceived President Trump, you all voted for a candidate who has a track record of making ridiculous assertions towards you anyway. :dropsmicagain:

 

[SueEllenRules!]

Yeah, regardless of how you all perceived President Trump, you all voted for a candidate who has a track record of making ridiculous assertions towards you anyway. :dropsmicagain:

Well, in your defense, I did ask for ridiculous assertions. The only assertion I recall Hillary making was towards half of Trump's supporters who she referred to as a 'basket of deplorables,' which was far from ridiculous.

 

[Frank Underwood]

Well, in your defense, I did ask for ridiculous assertions. The only assertion I recall Hillary making was towards half of Trump's supporters who she referred to as a 'basket of deplorables,' which was far from ridiculous.

And not supporting gay marriage until 2013, calling black youth accused of crimes "super predators," calling people on welfare "deadbeats," saying millennials have dead end jobs and live in their parent's basement, and saying she won the "states that mattered" while portraying everybody in states Trump won as backwards, sexist, xenophobic, and racist.

Good ol' Hillary. She really knows how to appeal to people.

 

[Frank Underwood]

From the replies to my original question, it seems that Americans have very low expectation for what public figures who are funded by their tax dollars, like the current First Lady, should do for their money.

It wouldn't be tolerated in the UK. The spouse of the head of state was doing several public engagements every day and was patron for many charities until he was well into his nineties. He didn't have to what he was doing but he wanted to use his position and profile to do some good.

When the Trump Presidency is over and Melanie looks back on what she achieved during that time, I think she will see it was a wasted opportunity.

First ladies don't choose to be public figures. A perk of being president is that your family's expenses are covered by tax dollars. That shouldn't be taken advantage of, but at the same time, it shouldn't be weaponized to force the First Lady to take on some pet project. I've seen the same scrutiny placed on children of presidents, who didn't ask for the job either.

 

[SueEllenRules!]

 

[Angela Channing]

First ladies don't choose to be public figures. A perk of being president is that your family's expenses are covered by tax dollars. That shouldn't be taken advantage of, but at the same time, it shouldn't be weaponized to force the First Lady to take on some pet project. I've seen the same scrutiny placed on children of presidents, who didn't ask for the job either.

So if she's not doing anything with the role, the answer to my original question is there is no point to her as First Lady.

 

[Frank Underwood]

So if she's not doing anything with the role, the answer to my original question is there is no point to her as First Lady.

What's the point of any woman being the First Lady? It's a title you get simply by being married to the guy elected president. It doesn't come with job requirements.

 

[Gabriel Maxwell]

When the Trump Presidency is over and Melanie looks back on what she achieved during that time, I think she will see it was a wasted opportunity.

I think you're giving her too much credit. She's a trophy wife who never signed up for this. She married a repugnant rich guy in exchange for a life of luxury. That's all she ever wanted. Who could've imagined when she married him, she'd end up in the White House.

Her reluctance to join the Dotard in the White House or make frequent public appearances speaks volumes. She doesn't give a **** about any of this. She'll breathe a sigh of relief when this circus is over and she can go back to her lush life in New York.

And if the mango butthole ends up in prison and she manages to divorce him and get her share of his assets before the feds seize them - even better.

 

[Angela Channing]

What's the point of any woman being the First Lady?

In the case of Michelle Obama the point was to be in a position to do a lot of work on female empowerment for girls, for Nancy Reagan it was being part of a high profile "Just Say No" campaign against drug abuse and for Rosalind Carter it was about raising awareness of mental health issues.

I agree with you that the First Lady doesn't have to do anything but why doesn't she want to do something with the role? Her son is 11 and in school so it's not like she still has to breast feed him or be on hand 24 hours a day to hold his hand.

I really think it's such a wasted opportunity not to use the office and profile to do good when they are so many great causes that would love to have the First Lady as a figurehead to raise awareness of the work they do. Maybe if she was involved in such a campaign, achieving something in her own right, she wouldn't look so miserable all the time.

 

[Mazzilli]

So if she's not doing anything with the role, the answer to my original question is there is no point to her as First Lady.

I
You clearly had that notion in the first place and nothing was going to change your mind (even though I told you she was involved in the Wounded Warrior Project, and was a philanthropist ) because you clearly dislike her which answers my original question "What the hell is the point of this thread?"

 

[Angela Channing]

I
You clearly had that notion in the first place and nothing was going to change your mind (even though I told you she was involved in the Wounded Warrior Project, and was a philanthropist ) because you clearly dislike her which answers my original question "What the hell is the point of this thread?"

I don't dislike her at all, in fact I feel sorry for her.

I Googled her and the Wounded Warrior Project and apart from attending when President Trump hosted them at the White House, I couldn't find anything that suggested she had a big involvement with the project. Perhaps you could supply a link.

 

[Mazzilli]

What's the point of any woman being the First Lady? It's a title you get simply by being married to the guy elected president. It doesn't come with job requirements.

She does draw a salary.. However, she does have both her own career and has a young child which is not something that has happened with previous first ladies whose only purpose seemed to be to stand behind their husbands as they campaigned, so they took on other projects.. The exception being Hillary who clearly had her own aspirations..

The previous first ladies knew their husbands were aspiring politicians.. It is just different circumstances. .

 

[Mazzilli]

And not supporting gay marriage until 2013, calling black youth accused of crimes "super predators," calling people on welfare "deadbeats," saying millennials have dead end jobs and live in their parent's basement, and saying she won the "states that mattered" while portraying everybody in states Trump won as backwards, sexist, xenophobic, and racist.

Good ol' Hillary. She really knows how to appeal to people.

He clearly does not hold the Clintons accountable for anything nor does he hold them to a high standard.

Hillary has been proven herself to be a racist homophobe. But it is ok. She is the face of the party and pointing out these Proven facts are simply ridiculous assertions..

 

[Angela Channing]

However, she does have both her own career and has a young child which is not something that has happened with previous first ladies whose only purpose seemed to be to stand behind their husbands as they campaigned, so they took on other projects.

That's not accurate. Michelle Obama had a career before Barack became President and she continued working after he was elected and she had TWO young children.

 

[Angela Channing]

Hillary has been proven herself to be a racist homophobe. But it is ok. She is the face of the party and pointing out these Proven facts are simply ridiculous assertions..

I really don't understand why so many people are still fixated on Hillary. She lost, she has no power, she is old news. This whataboutery is no longer relevant. Trump is President and Hillary is not so why are people defending him by saying Hillary is also bad?

 

[Frank Underwood]

I really don't understand why so many people are still fixated on Hillary. She lost, she has no power, she is old news. This whataboutery is no longer relevant. Trump is President and Hillary is not so why are people defending him by saying Hillary is also bad?

Because Hillary keeps inserting herself into the conversation by calling Bernie and his supporters sexists, making the elitist statement that she won "the states that mattered," etc.

Also, articles about alleged collusion with Russia tend to have the angle that Hillary was "denied" the presidency by so-called "Russian agents" such as Jill Stein and the "Bernie bros." Of course, they either downplay or ignore the uranium deal with Russia that Hillary was involved in as Secretary of State, how the Clinton foundation received over $100 million dollars from investors in that deal, and how Bill Clinton gave a $500,000 speech to a Kremlin-connected bank. They also downplayed the Hillary campaign hiring a foreign agent (British spy Christopher Steele) to compile the salacious and partially unverified dossier on Trump. Hillary supporters who believe she was robbed of the presidency feel entitled to smear their critics as Russian agents and are convinced that Jill Stein and Donald Trump colluded with Russia, but they refuse to talk about the Clintons' ties to Russian oligarchs and a British spy.

Getting back to the topic of first ladies, I do give Hillary Clinton props for championing universal healthcare in 1993. Not surprisingly, Bernie Sanders cosponsored the bill. Fast forward to the 2016 primaries, and Hillary said “I don’t know where [Bernie Sanders] was when I was trying to get health care in ’93 and ’94.” Maybe the claims that Hillary has brain damage are true because she thanked him for his support at the time. Hillary later flipped her position on universal healthcare (among other issues) because she chose to work for her donors.

If Hillary and her supporters want to relitigate the 2016 election, they can't expect her detractors to not point out the reasons why she was an awful candidate. It doesn't mean people are defending Trump. I personally dislike them both for many reasons. I'm just tired of people treating Hillary's corruption and involvement with Russian oligarchs as inconsequential.

 

[Mazzilli]

I really don't understand why so many people are still fixated on Hillary. She lost, she has no power, she is old news. This whataboutery is no longer relevant. Trump is President and Hillary is not so why are people defending him by saying Hillary is also bad?

Ask SueEllenRules ..

Whataboutery is such a deflecting term.

Whether it’s about the tribal warfare or “Trump And Clinton' one thing is sure – it certainly isn’t about the issue at hand.

Case in point –

“Whatabout” Trump’s alleged contact with the Russians?

Oh yeah?

“Whatabout” Hillary Clinton’s sweetheart deal with them regarding US Uranium?

Oh yeah?

“Whatabout” George Papadapoulous?

Oh yeah?

“Whatabout” blah, blah, blah.

The big question is this –

“Whatabout” Russia? “Whatabout” the fact that Russia has been involved in American politics and economics, through contact with people on BOTH sides, and with Facebook and who knows what else?

Apparently, internally smearing one side or the other is far more important around here.

 

[Mazzilli]

That's not accurate. Michelle Obama had a career before Barack became President and she continued working after he was elected and she had TWO young children.

It is completely accurate.. Michelle wasn't practicing law while Obama campaigned.. They met at work.. And she most definitely had worked as an attorney . She kept her license but stopped practicing to campaign with her husband.

Imagine the gaul of a woman making motherhood and her career a priority.. Especially when she was thrown into the political world.

Michelle had better things to do then raise her kids but that was her choice..