Hillary Clinton: A Different Kind of First Lady

FOR AMERICA, WEDNESDAY WAS THE first day after the election of a new President. For Hillary Clinton, it was the first day to define the most ill- defined job in America. After a decade of getting up early, popping into her blue Oldsmobile and driving her daughter Chelsea to school before heading to work at Little Rock's leading law firm, and after a year of nonstop, around-the-clock campaigning, she now has time for a second cup of coffee. Of course, her new position has its privileges: she gets to live in the country's most famous house, jet on Air Force One to visit heads of state and throw parties with the most impressive guest lists in the world. Someone else sees to the details.

But if it's a fairy-tale existence in some ways -- the closest a democracy comes to having a queen -- the position is not without its frustrations for a woman who could be king. There have been accomplished women in the East Wing, but there has never been one who would qualify to be White House counsel, if only her husband were not President.

The question is whether being First Lady will change Hillary Clinton or whether she will change the role. Given the credentials she has, there is speculation that Bill Clinton will find a way to employ his wife without igniting a protest. After all, a new generation of leaders brings with it new assumptions about the roles that women -- even wives -- should play. Hillary may eventually conclude that she can use the First Lady's bully pulpit however she wishes, and then let her accomplishments carry the day.

On the other hand, the Clintons were schooled in caution by the mixed reception Hillary received during the campaign, and they may continue to move carefully. When the Governor talked about "buy one, get one free" and possibly appointing Hillary to the Cabinet, her popularity took a dive. "People have changed their attitude about Hillary," says pollster Peter Hart, "but if they see her reinforcing one of their earlier negative feelings, they won't like her." Last week when leaders in the field of family law sent her a thick proposal to bring all the varied government programs on families and children under her East Wing purview, Hillary responded only by saying that she wanted to continue to be "a voice for children" -- which fits within the choose-a-cause deportment of First Ladies past.