Bob Dole on Women

Bob Dole's view of the Role of the First Lady

Like Bill Clinton, Bob Dole has a powerful intelligent wife who has a long list of accomplishments and a distinguished career of her own. In this respect, Elizebeth Dole and Hillary Clinton are much alike. However, the Republicans have strongly criticized Hillary over issues involving her role as first lady and being the wife of the president. So the Bob Dole family is faced with the issue of what to do about Libby Dole.

To be consistent with Republican expectations and to differentiate himself from his opponent, Bob Dole is forced to treat his wife differently than Bill Clinton. Clinton ran admitting his wife was smarter than he was. He said that she was a valuable asset to the country and would participate in government. His slogan was "Buy one, get one free."

Bob Dole, on the other hand, has to show that he can "put the little woman in her place." So his wife has to play the subservient house wife who has no life of her own and is totally dedicated to her husband's opinion. While this role was fine for Barbera Bush, who was genuinely that way, Libby Dole is faking it.

So what does it say about Bob Dole as a man when he has to attack his opponents wife to make himself look good? What does it say about Dole to force his wife to fake a role that just isn't her so as to satisfy the expectations of his right wing supporters. And it doesn't say a lot about Libby Dole's integrity do go along with this fraud. It raised the question; How long is she going to fake being stupid?

Putting Women in their Place

At campaign rallies Bob Dole likes to remind his audience that "My wife won't be in charge of health care reform" making it clear that Libby Dole has no place in a Bob Dole administration. However, Bob Dole would like the voters to forget that Libby Dole held a cabinet position as Secretary of Transportation in the Reagan whitehouse and is now the head of the Red Cross. With those jobs on her resume, it looks to me like Libby Dole is more qualified to write health care reform legislation than her inexperienced husband.

If Libby Dole was good enough to work for Ronald Reagan then why isn't she good enough to work for Bob Dole? Bob Dole's never held a white house cabinet position like Libby has. Seems to me that Bob Dole should be promoting the fact that he has such a talented wife and promoting her the way Bill Clinton does as "but one, get one free".

First Family Values

For a party that identifies itself in terms of traditional families, it seems rather odd that Bob and Libby are proposing having a very unusual arrangement for Libby's role as First Lady. She says she's going to keep her job as head of the Red Cross. It makes me wonder who will be at Bob Dole's side during official state visits. "I'm sorry you couldn't meet my wife, but she's at work." Is being First Lady not a full time position?

Historically the First Lady has been an undefined role. First Ladies have defined their roles based on their own personality and experiences, some accomplishing great things, serving America in their own way making their mark in history. But if Libby Dole is going to have a job, then for the first time in history the First Lady really won't have any role at all. And the President will seem more like a single guy in the White House.

In contrast, Hillary Clinton is a wife and mother, a full time First Lady, and a partner with her husband working together as a family. Hillary doesn't consider the role of First Lady to be a part time position as Bob and Libby do. Hillary sees her job as an important job and an opportunity to serve America as other First Ladies have.

Attack Clinton's Wife!

Bob Dole is a very short sighted person and thinks it's to his advantage to attack the family of his opponents. His attacks on Hillary prompted me to send a letter to the editor to my list of over 1000 newspapers.

Go for the Wife

I've met Hillary Clinton and she is a fine, smart, warm, upstanding woman of incredible personal integrity. I am honored and proud to have her as our First Lady and she is a credit to our country and what we Americans stand for as a nation. Hillary is a beacon of pure white light who is under attack by the dark political forces.

If Bob Dole wants to be elected president, he needs to show a little common sense and demonstrate he has the vision to see beyond the political moment. His wife, Elizabeth Dole is also a fine upstanding woman. By attacking the wife of President Clinton, Bob Dole exposes his wife to the same form of mistreatment. And Elizebeth doesn't deserve it any more than Hillary does.

Dole on Late Term Abortions

President Clinton vetoed the late term abortion bill because it lacked the exemption for the life and health of the mother. Clinton appeared with five pro-life couples who each told their stories of having this procedure and why they supported Clinton on this issue. In all five cases, the woman would have either died or risked death to deliver a dead baby had Dole's bill been law.

These women described their situations. One was a diabetic who had a baby with no brain and a hole in her heart. The named the baby and baptized her in the womb before ending her life. Three of the women appearing with Clinton were pregnant ain hoping to have a normal birth. All of them said that this wasn't about abortion, it was a necessary medical procedure that saved their lives and shouldn't even be considered part of the abortion debate, which they considered to be a separate issue.

When Clinton was governor of Arkansas, he signed a similar late term abortion bill into law that had the exception for the life and health of the mother. He has said that he would sign a similar bill as long as it had that exception. However, he would not sacrifice the lives of several hundred women a year over a political issue.

By not providing the life and health of the mother exception, they knew that Clinton, because he is a moral person, would veto this bill. That gives Republicans a political tool to use against him in this election year. Bob Dole vowed to make a political issue over Clinton's veto of this bill. I hope he does as long as the five pro-life women who stood with Clinton get their say so as well.

Newt on Women

Dole should take a lesson from Newt Gingrich. Now here's a guy who understands women, and it shows why I like Newt so much!

"If combat means living in a ditch, females have biological problems staying in a ditch for thirty days because they get infections and they don't have upper body strength. I mean, some do, but they're relatively rare. On the other hand, men are basically little piglets, you drop them in the ditch, they roll around in it, doesn't matter, you know. These things are very real.

On the other hand, if combat means being on an Aegis-class cruiser managing the computer controls for twelve ships and their rockets, a female may be again dramatically better than a male who gets very, very frustrated sitting in a chair all the time because males are biologically driven to go out and hunt giraffes."