Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, is the driving force behind her husband Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, determined to push him to Election Day no matter the cost. In her latest Vogue magazine cover, Jill stares off contentedly into the distance, like an airbrushed Lenin or designer-dud-clad Mao. The first lady in white is embossed with a sordid reminder: “WE WILL DECIDE OUR FUTURE.”
The magazine’s portrayal of Jill is a masterclass in superficiality, focusing on her stylish attire and her ability to “party” with the people, rather than delving into the substance of her role as First Lady. Vogue‘s narrative peddles the notion that “democracy is on the line,” but the reality is that voters are increasingly skeptical of the Democratic Party’s commitment to democratic principles.
A recent CBS News poll found that voters across the aisle view the party in power as a greater threat to democracy, despite Joe Biden’s previous lead on the issue. Even before the debate, swing state voters gave Donald Trump an 11-point advantage on the question of protecting democracy. This is a direct consequence of the Democratic Party’s decision to cancel state primaries, effectively locking in Joe Biden’s nomination.
Jill Biden’s role as First Lady has been reduced to a series of empty gestures, with Vogue conveniently omitting her reported full-time job of managing the president’s schedule. Instead, the magazine presents her as a “plain old professor” who excels at abstract concepts like “advocating” and campaigning. But a picture is worth 1,000 words, and Jill’s cover star image in a $2,820 Ralph Lauren dress tells a different story altogether: Joe Biden will remain president because that is what Jill Biden has decided.
