If you didn’t already know, Jill Biden is much, much more than just the wife of a sitting US president. For starters, she’s a doctor. That is, she has earned her doctorate in education and, as such, prefers the title that allows her. On more than a few occasions, she’s corrected individuals who were daft enough to leave it out or forget it.
But she also plays a much more involved role than most first ladies.
Now, we all know that most first ladies, as it seems to be a requirement, do well to put on a good show of support for their ruling spouse and his party. They are also tasked with decorating the White House on holidays, hosting charity events, and even traveling around the nation either for charities or for not-so-political purposes that may help to encourage their party or spouse’s ideals and policies.
Naturally, Dr. Jill does all of this, although, regarding the decorations, I have to admit they are definitely lacking. But it seems that she also goes above and beyond these expectations regularly. And much of her work has become just as political as that of her husband.
Of course, with a husband like Joe Biden, one who can’t even remember what room he’s in half of the time, we shouldn’t be exactly surprised by the increasing need for her assistance, right?
But some might say that her efforts might hint at a possible run for the Oval Office herself, and not just that of making sure her husband isn’t making any messes.
I know the idea might seem a bit ridiculous at first. But I ask you to think about a couple of things before you throw this out as hogwash.
The first is that Biden’s husband, Joe isn’t exactly in the best position for a 2024 presidential run himself. Sure, he’s already in the White House and could technically run for a second term. But he neither has the cognizance nor the stamina, it seems, to do so. In fact, the exact lack thereof for the former might be precisely what makes him think that he could or even should.
But at this point, everyone knows he shouldn’t.
The second fact is that without Joe Biden in the running again, there is no clear frontrunner.
Our not-so-faithful or capable Vice President, Kamala Harris, was clearly supposed to fill that role. But her short time in the White House has proved to just about everyone that she is even less capable and less liked than her boss.
Pete Buttigieg, Biden’s current Transportation Secretary and a failed presidential candidate, doesn’t have much better odds either. His sexuality and ideas on abortion might make him fairly popular with progressives, but the same cannot be said for minorities, which he will need to secure the nomination.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been floated as a possible candidate, and I’m sure he would jump all over the chance to do so. However, as he has in his current role, his promise to do anything in the White House isn’t so much of a promise but a threat to most Americans.
And that’s where First Lady Jill Biden comes in.
While her husband might have abysmal approval ratings, she does not. Additionally, she has been quite the campaigner herself as of late, proving to the nation that she might be capable of doing so come 2024.
As the Times’ Katie Rogers recently noted, “Jill Biden’s weekend included five flights, 11 events and three appearances with Democrats who all requested her help ahead of the midterm elections. There was also a spin class in there somewhere.”
In fact, as one senior White House official remarked, Dr. Jill is officially the “most requested surrogate in the administration,” even ahead of Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg.
A good part of the reason behind that is because she is quite frankly more well-liked than either of those two and her husband, as I mentioned before. But additionally, she’s in a position where she can often go places and do things that her husband’s polarizing and extreme political presence cannot.
And so the Democratic Party’s base has come to somewhat rely on her more than anyone else, seeing as how she can bring in the attention and money of the White House without adding the typical drama and baggage.
So what do you think? Could we have a Dr. Jill Biden run?
