2012 Democratic Presidential Candidates Spouse comparison

Apart from our 15th president, James Buchanan, who was a lifelong bachelor, all of our presidents can readily attest to this fact. Six of them (Jefferson, Tyler, B. Harrison, Roosevelt, Harding and Reagan), could attest to it twice.

The role of the spouse of the President was initially not defined, an afterthought, and in most cases, she would normally assume the role of the hostess of the manor. In fact, the term First Lady only came into prominence in the middle of the 19th century. Lucy Hayes was the first spouse of a president to be officially referred to as the First Lady.

However, the inherent prestige and influence of the spouse became evident in time, and her role evolved over the course of the centuries. In modern times, the responsibilities of the first ladies have developed into a semi-political one, while still maintaining the role of principal lead in all matters pertaining to social and ceremonial events in the White House. In addition, the First Lady is now accorded with her own office and support staff, and falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President.

It should be noted though, that not all First Ladies were spouses of the president. Twelve of them were immediate family members, to replace either a dead or unavailable spouse.

• Martha Jefferson Randolph (daughter of President Thomas Jefferson)
• Emily Donelson (niece of President Andrew Jackson)
• Sarah Yorke Jackson (daughter-in-law of President Andrew Jackson)
• Angelica Van Buren (daughter-in-law of President Martin Van Buren)
• Jane Irwin Harrison (daughter-in-law of President William Harrison)
• Priscilla Cooper Tyler (daughter-in-law of President John Tyler)
• Harriet Lane (niece of President James Buchanan)
• Mary Arthur McElroy (sister of President Chester Arthur)
• Rose Cleveland (sister of President Grover Cleveland)
• Mary Harrison McKee (daughter of President Benjamin Harrison)
• Margaret Woodrow Wilson (daughter of President Woodward Wilson)
• Chelsea Clinton (daughter of President Bill Clinton)

Why don’t we now take a quick look at the spouses of our 2012 presidential candidates?

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Declared 2012 Democratic Presidential Candidate
Current President of the United States

Barack Obama

Obama Spouse

Obama met fellow Harvard graduate, 24- year-old old Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, a South Shore
native, while both were working for the law firm of Sidley and Austin in 1988. Michelle, who also
holds a BA in Sociology from Princeton, was assigned as Obama’s mentor in the firm.

A four-year courtship ensued, and they were married in the Trinity United Church of Christ in
Chicago in October 1992. The ceremony was performed by Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright and the groom’s
brother, Abon’go (Roy) Malik Obama, served as his best man. The couple has been blessed with two
daughters in their 19-year marriage.

Barack and Michelle, Wedding Day

Michelle Obama started her law career as a trial attorney for the law firm of Sidley and Austin,
handling transactional and antitrust cases, the first and last time she served as a trial attorney.
She left the firm in 1991 to become Chicago’s Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development.
Two years later, she was appointed the Executive Director of Public Allies, a non-profit youth
leadership organization. A six-year spell as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the
University of Chicago followed. Her last professional full-time job was as the Vice President of
Community and External Affair of the University of Chicago Hospitals, which she resigned from after
Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008. She currently sits on the board of The Chicago Council on
Global Affairs, a “nonpartisan organization committed to influencing the discourse on global
issues."