Elizabeth Dole: A Pioneering "Also Ran" for Second and First Lady.
When a man runs for president, but doesn’t win, he often slips from public view, sometimes to appear again in a position bolstered by his presidential bid. His spouse, the potential first lady who supported his campaign, is often erased completely from public memory. We think of these politicos as “also rans” and yet – some have made an impact on society that spans decades after their spousal support. One such person is former North Carolina Senator, former Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Labor, and American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole. She continues to lead a mission-filled purposeful life. When she campaigned for then GOP nominee husband Bob Dole first in 1976 when he ran for vice president with Gerald Ford and in 1996 during his presidential bid, many in the press and public asked: Why isn’t SHE running for president (which she also did in 1999).
This program explores her two campaigns, her rhetorical activities, and her approach to both the campaign and to the type of first or second lady she would have been. Moderator Audrey Coleman, Director of the Dole Institute of Politics will moderate a discussion among Sarah Gard, Dole Archivist, Nichola Gutgold, professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State Lehigh Valley, and Karrin Anderson professor of communication at Colorado State.
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