On television, the presidential marriage of Abby and Jed Bartlett has seen its share of trials and tribulations over the course of The West Wing and there are similar pressures on the marriage of Mackenzie and Rod Allen on Commander in Chief. What makes these marriages different from most television fair is that you see the couples fight, disagree, make up, make love, be supportive and listen to each other.
More often than not, marriage on television is portrayed as a series of lying, backstabbing and betraying couples who are together for all the wrong reasons. A good marriage is portrayed as ‘boring.’ That’s not to say there haven’t been positive portrayals of marriage, but today I want to look at some of the best presidential marriages. These are marriages that endure the pressure of a really tough job, under a microscope of public scrutiny and successful despite the odds.
- The Roosevelts
- The Kennedys
- The Reagans
- The Clintons
Presidents are historically victims of history. They live in interesting times and are often viewed harshly in the light of their past and present actions. The four marriages I am highlighting are all marriages that I see admirable signs in.
Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt are distinctive for becoming the President and First Lady during a tumultuous period in our history. The United States and most of the world were undergoing the Great Depression and eventually World War II. Roosevelt was afflicted by Polio and he had great dreams. Eleanor shared many of those dreams, but she also possessed dreams of her own.
A fair accounting of their relationship strengths was their ability to be partners. They supported each other and with their public agendas, supported each other’s dreams. When Franklin died before the war ended, Eleanor continued on their causes. Neither was perfect and while rumors abound in the speculations of Roosevelt’s fidelities or lack thereof, it does not detract from the magnificent relationship between these two very powerful individuals.
John and Jackie Kennedy were among the most photographed of the Presidential couples. Kennedy’s presidency was often referred to Camelot. Scandal seemed to track this couple through Kennedy’s presidency and subsequent assassination. Yet, the scandals never detracted from the obvious love and caring that existed between the Kennedy’s. Would their marriage have survived the scrutiny of the modern media? That’s a good question, yet their commitment was not something either gave lightly.
The Reagans are an interesting study of a marriage that lived in the limelight for years. Nancy and Ronald Reagan were both actors once upon a time. Nancy was Ronald’s second wife and they were together for decades until his death just a couple of years ago. While their marriage did not receive the scrutiny that many other presidential relationships have over the years, what makes it remarkable is that their marriage seemed steadfast on all levels. Certainly over the years as President Reagan’s health deteriorated, Nancy’s steadfast support remained one of her traits that Reagan lauded.
Finally, the Clintons, I’m sure there are many who would question why I would list them in the category of great Presidential marriages. However, this is a marriage that saw its flaws and dirty laundry strung out for the entire world to see. President Clinton’s infidelities and criticisms were thrown into his wife’s face. In public, the Clintons showed a united front and no matter what occurred behind closed doors. Today, the Clintons remain married. Hilary is now the Senator from New York and President Clinton continues to do work in educating the public as well as helping disaster stricken areas.
These great presidential marriages are not great for being perfect. They are not great for being historical. They are great for being ineffaceably human and surviving their flaws, differences and compromises despite their place in the public eye.