Maybe Melania doesn't really want the job of being first lady

[left-of-center2012]

Family Circle magazine has long held a first lady cookie contest. In 2016, Bill and Hillary Clinton submitted the Clinton Family's Chocolate Chip Cookies, which dominated the reader poll. Meanwhile, Melania's Star Cookie recipe came with "hardly any directions", the magazine's food director said. The result was a bland wafer - the cookie version of a shrug. Maybe the recipe was nonspecific because Melania mixes the ingredients by instinct. The more obvious explanation, though, is the one exemplified by the terrifying arboreous formation currently looming in the White House's East Colonnade: Melania is just plain bad at this.

She is bad at the domestic, cheery, front-facing work of being a first lady. With every public act, Melania is telling us she'd prefer not to have the gig. Her signature campaign, "Be Best," was haphazard and amorphous to begin with - something to do with bullying? Not bullying? Online bullying? - and nearly nonexistent before long.

And, yes, a few days ago, she apparently inspected a gantlet of murderous (red) trees and some janky-looking wreaths made of Be Best pencils, and her reaction was, Looks good! And then she skipped her own party. Instead of sending out contorted messages trying to prove Melania is great at the job - her spokeswoman explained the first lady's absence by saying she wanted "to let the decorations speak for themselves" -
the White House should go with what appears to be the truth: This isn't her thing. She doesn't care. Being first lady, at least the traditional idea of one, is not where Melania's interests lie.

If everyone could just admit that Melania is bad at this, it would help us recognise that the role of hosting dignitaries, travelling on behalf of an administration, glad-handing and public speaking all require skill, enthusiasm and lots of time.



https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/look-maybe-this-just-isn-t-melania-trump-s-thing-but-that-s-fine-20181129-p50j0j.html

[snowybirdie]

1. Family Circle

Should skip the cookie thing. Most of today's busy women don't bake from scratch. I'll give her a pass on this, but can't stand to see all the traditional First Lady duties go unfulfilled and ignored. She's really, really bad at her one job.

[StatGirl]

2. I don't like the framing that "she's bad at it".

It's not her job. She didn't apply for it, she wasn't hired for it, she doesn't get paid for it. And she clearly doesn't want it.

There's a lot to not like about Melania, but I don't blame her one bit for not wanting to be "First Lady" -- whatever that is -- and refusing to have any enthusiasm for the role.

[CatMor]

5. She doesn't seem to mind ...

traveling everywhere on Air Force One and all the perks and fame that goes with being First Lady. She doesn't have much of a personality or intelligence.

[oldlibdem]

3. Every time I see her or hear her talk...

All I can think of is Mrs. Douglas from "Green Acres"! Ol-ee-vah

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. The common gossip back at election time in 2016 was that she

had zero interest in being first lady. How long did it take her to actually move into the White House?

And yeah, the first lady cookie contest is really stupid. And I'm speaking as someone who loves to bake. Every time I look at the recipes given, I can tell they didn't come from a person who actually bakes.

[BigmanPigman]

6. I watched Chris Matthews interview him

during one of his "college tours" before they were even married. He told Chris that his super model fiance would love to be the first lady. She was in the audience and was proud as a peacock and sincerely said she would love it.

[Paladin]

7. She doesn't have the job, as far as I'm concerned. And she never will. (nt)