[Opinion] Laura Bush

In the United States, people often say, “you can survive if a president is against you, but you never do if a First Lady turns against you.” Sometimes, a First Lady tends to be more power-oriented and work more for her husband than for her nation. Katy Marton, a U.S. journalist, dubbed former U.S. first ladies as having “Hidden Power.” There has never been a presidential couple who divorced after the husband’s term in the White House ended.

It was Hillary, the aspiring first female president of the U.S., who saved Bill Clinton from the sex scandal. People also said that Ronald Reagan, a much-beloved president, would have chatted with Republican women’s club members, driving a red Lincoln around the California coast, had it not been for Nancy Reagan. The young and beautiful Jacqueline Kennedy attracted intellectuals and diplomats to become John F. Kennedy’s friends with her rich knowledge of art and her aesthetic sense.

First Lady Laura Bush made her audience laugh at the 2005 White House Correspondents` Association Dinner, which is now the talk of the town. What would have been Barbara Bush’s reaction when her daughter-in-law likened her to Don Corleone in “The Godfather?” And business at Chippendales, a male strip bar which Laura Bush, Lynn Cheney and Condoleezza Rice reportedly visited, is likely to be booming.

U.S. media outlets reported on May 2 that her humor was actually scripted by Landon Parvin, a political writer. It is fair to say that the she is such a dedicated First Lady that she created a scenario and went through a rehearsal to deflect criticism away from her husband, who is an unpopular president among correspondents. A Chung Wa Dae correspondent family dinner was held just one day before the U.S. dinner gathering. But there was no “humor support” program from First Lady Kwon Yang-sook. As long as it does no harm to the security, economy and livelihood of a country, a First Lady’s sense of humor might be a great asset to a presidential family.

Oh Myung-chul, Editorial Writer, oscar@donga.com