# If Hillary Clinton becomes POTUS, who will be First Lady? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 11, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201 "2008-01-11T23:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/1 "2008-01-11T23:56:38Z")
The [First Lady](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Lady_of_the_United_States) is the unofficial social hostess of the WH and, thereby, the nation. The role has always been filled by a woman – usually the president’s wife; if he has none, a female relative or friend. If we have a woman president, say, Clinton, does she serve as her own First Lady, or does Bill step in as “First Gentleman” [pause to allow snickering to die down], or does a woman, perhaps Chelsea, have to be found for the job? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/2 "2008-01-12T00:13:26Z")
I’m hoping to see Bill as ‘First Gentleman’. It’ll sound great on the evening news. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/3 "2008-01-12T00:14:38Z")
He’ll be America’s Denis! Or its Prince Philip. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/4 "2008-01-12T00:24:33Z")
I think now is as good a time as any to get rid of some of those old “rules.” Let her hire Carson Kressley as First Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/5 "2008-01-12T00:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] I think now is as good a time as any to get rid of some of those old “rules.” Let her hire Carson Kressley as First Whatever. [/QUOTE] Forget Carson, she should bring in RuPaul. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/6 "2008-01-12T00:59:47Z")
I expect Bill will be First Gentleman and Chelsea will be First Lady. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/7 "2008-01-12T01:03:10Z")
I’m sure Bill would gladly accept the honor as I’m quite sure he would enjoy “entertaining” the ladies of high society… “Hey there, want to see my humidor?” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/8 "2008-01-12T01:08:49Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] I’m sure Bill would gladly accept the honor as I’m quite sure he would enjoy “entertaining” the ladies of high society… “Hey there, want to see my humidor?” [/QUOTE] However the OP is answered, we may look forward to 4-8 years of jokes on this theme. Could be worse. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/9 "2008-01-12T01:13:19Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] However the OP is answered, we may look forward to 4-8 years of jokes on this theme. Could be worse. [/QUOTE] Well, I think the jokes ARE funny AND well-deserved given Bill’s licentiousness, but what I would abhor more than anything is any Clinton in office, if only for the reason that we are not supposed to endure dynasties in the Executive Branch…if Hillary gets elected we will have had either a Bush or a Clinton in office since 1988! 1988! It’s time for a change in that Bush/Clinton/Clinton/Bush/Bush cycle… ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/10 "2008-01-12T01:21:25Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] It’s time for a change in that Bush/Clinton/Clinton/Bush/Bush cycle… [/QUOTE] This sounds like the type of organisation Bill would be in favour of. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/11 "2008-01-12T01:24:40Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] This sounds like the type of organisation Bill would be in favour of. [/QUOTE] I imagine he’d more like it like Bush/Clinton/Clinton/Bush/Bush. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/12 "2008-01-12T01:47:10Z")
In this particular case, I believe the introduction of the presidential couple would be “President Hillary Rodham Clinton and Former President Bill Clinton”. There would be no “First Lady”, as such, though the entertainment style in the White House would probably revert to something more or less in keeping with the style overseen (at least in name) by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton during her husband’s terms in office. Hillary, as president, would be the hostess of events in the White House and there would be no need for a woman devoted only to a ceremonial role. Bill would be the host, standing beside her in receiving lines and such, in a fairly Prince Philip-like capacity. Chelsea would be “the President’s daughter”, twice over. Non-Clinton female presidents in the future would still be hostesses of their own events in the White House and the introduction would probably be something like “President Mary Jones and Mr. David Jones”. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/13 "2008-01-12T01:50:41Z")
So we’ve established that Clinton (the former) likes Bush, yes? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/14 "2008-01-12T06:57:58Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] > [@levdrakon](#): > > Let her hire Carson Kressley as First Whatever. Forget Carson, she should bring in RuPaul. [/QUOTE] I thought the Constitution stated that we couldn’t have a queen? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/15 "2008-01-12T09:13:47Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] , we may look forward to 4-8 years of jokes on this theme. Could be worse. [/QUOTE] But what if, instead of Hillary, Obama becomes the next president? Think of the poor, suffering late-night comedians…they’ll have nothing to talk about. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/16 "2008-01-12T13:11:55Z")
I’m kinda hoping the new first lady will be a hot coed. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/17 "2008-01-12T14:34:53Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] I thought the Constitution stated that we couldn’t have a queen? [/QUOTE] Ha! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/18 "2008-01-12T14:37:15Z")
If you read some websites (and damned if I will provide links) Hillary has plenty of girlfriends who can fill the position. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/19 "2008-01-12T16:00:08Z")
I’m sure Chelsea Clinton would serve as First Lady. Then, after eight years of being First Daughter and four years of being First Lady, she will run for president herself, claiming that her “experience” qualifies her for the position. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201/20 "2008-01-12T19:29:23Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] I’m sure Bill would gladly accept the honor as I’m quite sure he would enjoy “entertaining” the ladies of high society… “Hey there, want to see my humidor?” [/QUOTE] How YOU doin’? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-clinton-becomes-potus-who-will-be-first-lady/433201.md?page=2)