Would Lindsey Graham ‘Rotate’ Caitlyn Jenner As First Lady?
Lindsey Graham is a bit of an oddity in presidential campaign circles for one simple reason: he is single. Graham is a lifelong bachelor, a fact that is bound to send deep-digging snoops on the hunt for some sort of jilted lover, opportunist call girl, or other salacious bit of news to splash a headline next to Graham’s picture.
When asked about how he would handle the usual duties of First Lady in The White House, if elected, Lindsey Graham was not the least bit concerned.
“The last thing I’m worried about is some party at the White House,” Lindsey Graham told the Daily Mail. “Here’s what I’m focused on: being president, being commander in chief.”
But he also acknowledged that it is still a question average Americans would be curious about. So he offered a possible solution.
“Well, I’ve got a sister, she could play that role if necessary,” Graham posited.
His sister is married with children, living in his home state of South Carolina. So Graham has a backup plan.
“I’ve got a lot of friends,” he joked.
“We’ll have a rotating first lady.”
A novel idea. What about Caitlyn Jenner? Might Graham add her to that rotation?
Lindsey Graham set himself apart from his fellow Republican contenders recently by referring to Caitlyn Jenner as “she,” acknowledging her personal gender identification as female.
“I’m a pro-life, traditional marriage kind of guy, but I am running to be president of the United States. If Caitlyn Jenner wants to be a Republican, she is welcome in my Party,” Graham told CNN’s Dana Bash in an interview.
“I haven’t walked in her shoes.” Graham said, emphasizing “her” in referring to Caitlyn Jenner.
“I don’t have all the answers to the mysteries of life. I can only imagine the torment that Bruce Jenner went through. I hope he … “
Lindsey Graham immediately corrected himself.
“… I hope she has found peace.”
Huge props to @LindseyGrahamSC for going out of his way to use proper pronouns when discussing Caitlyn Jenner
— Kevin Heaney (@kwpheaney) June 7, 2015
That position did not endear him to everyone.
Iowa activist: How can Lindsey Graham fight radical Islam if he won’t stand up to Caitlyn Jenner? http://t.co/XqNSswSdGx
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) June 9, 2015
While Graham insisted that the social affairs of state were not a big concern to him, he also positioned himself as a sociable guy who would have an open-door approach to working with members of Congress.
“If I get to be in the White House, I’ll bring Members of Congress and their families down,” Graham promised. “We’ll interact like Ronald Reagan did, we’ll have a lot of chance to get to know each other. I’m a social kind of guy. I’m actually a fun guy. I’m a lot of fun to hang around with. Just ask people who know me. I think I’ve got a pretty good reputation of bein’ easygoing.”
He drew a contrast between himself and the current White House occupant in that regard.
“I think one of the biggest mistakes President Obama made was being a little too distant.”
If Lindsey Graham is determined to have an open-door policy with members of Congress, what if a Liberal Senator wanted to bring Caitlyn Jenner to the White House as his “plus one” at a President Graham social event?
“I’m into addition,” Graham said of his acceptance of Caitlyn Jenner, as opposed to exclusion.
“If Caitlyn Jenner wants to be safe and have a prosperous economy, vote for me,” he added.
Lindsey Graham may be running a long-shot campaign, but if he steps up to show himself a leader of all people, he may see those odds even out in the months to come.
Maybe he could even persuade Caitlyn Jenner to vote for Lindsey Graham.
[Image Courtesy: Vanity Fair / Getty Images]
