HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON never promised to be a typical first lady -- if, indeed, there is any such thing. But in bringing sharp legal skills and zeal for issues to the White House, Mrs. Clinton couldn't help being a lightning rod for attention and, just as often, criticism.
While many Americans were delighted to see a political spouse so competent, sure of herself and eager to contribute to her husband's administration, others have been scathing in their response to the causes she champions publicly and wary of the extent of her private influence.
In retrospect, an extended honeymoon with the public was never in the stars for Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first professional woman to fill the role of first lady. Only Eleanor Roosevelt has withstood such strict public scrutiny, and she didn't have to worry about seemingly endless investigations of her conduct as an Arkansas lawyer prior to her husband's election.
Add to that a number of personal losses -- the deaths of her father and mother-in-law and the suicide of the Clintons' long-time friend Vince Foster -- and it is obvious that the past four years have taken an enormous personal toll on Mrs. Clinton.
But if the second Clinton term brings the president the prospect of lame-duck status, it also brings a welcome freedom for his long-time partner. She no longer has to worry that her status in the polls could endanger his re-election. She doesn't have to listen to image enhancers who want her to change her hair-do or her wardrobe. Legal problems still bedevil her, but in most other respects Hillary Clinton is now free to define her role without the stifling constraints of political campaigns.
So far, she has mentioned her interest in helping monitor the implementation of welfare reform -- a suggestion that was quickly ridiculed by her political opponents. More promising is her intention to get involved in the administration's plans to aid the District of Columbia, an initiative that could showcase her interest in improving conditions for families, children, schools and neighborhoods.
When Hillary Clinton first stepped into the spotlight, few people could have predicted how scorching the scrutiny directed at her would be. No doubt even fewer could have withstood such heat without crumbling. Whatever else her legacy turns out to be, simply by surviving all this and keeping her head she will surely serve as a role model for future first ladies.
Pub Date: 1/19/97
