Americans are very suspicious of power. She isn't elected. She can't be fired. In reaction to these sorts of criticisms, Hillary Clinton has undergone a political make-over, says Troy. She was on the Larry King Show recently and he was trying to get her to talk about policy issues.
Presidential wives play a crucial role in defining their husbands for the public.
Troy says that Americans, ever eager for clues about what makes their leaders tick, turn to presidents' wives for cues. Nancy Reagan may have been an especially unpopular first lady with the American people, but she was adept at bolstering her husband's image as a likeable father figure. A first lady can also wreck havoc with her husband's image. Troy points to Betty Ford as a prime example. She was very forthright and the press loved her.