America likes its First Lady to put home first But in the modern era, First Ladies tended to be more policy-minded. In the Thirties, Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Democrat Franklin, visited coal mines to rally trade unions, and scandalised white conservatives by promoting black civil rights. In the Seventies, Betty Ford, wife of Republican Jerry, was a veritable hippie. The abortion rights campaigner asked people to call her the First Mama and wore a psychedelic mood ring. She spoke understandingly about marijuana use and premarital sex. So why have the more recent First Ladies been so shy about pushing their own ideas? Two words: Hillary Clinton. Hillary was so determined to play a substantive role in Bill Clinton's administration that collectively they became known as Billary. She fought for women's rights and health care reform - and on the latter issue was crucified by the media and the Republican Party for having gone way beyond her brief. Hillary was unlucky. She entered the White House in 1992, when the so-called culture war was at its height. Even though she only did in the open what many other First Ladies had done in a more private capacity, she became seen as the Left-wing Lady Macbeth - but worse, because at least Lady Macbeth never tried to help poor people. Clinton's experience was so horrible that the First Ladies of the new millennium have been rather more Victorian in their attitudes and behaviour. For the moment, that seems to be what the public wants - and it's remarkable how much sympathy has been shown for Ann Romney after Hilary Rosen ridiculed her stay-at-home status. Hilary Rosen, by the way, is a self-described "political consultant." So it's a safe bet that she's "never worked a day in her life," either.