People often make a mistake when voting and they don't even realize it. They choose a President without even looking at who their First Lady is. Now, choosing a President because you like their policies and you believe they will do a good job in office is important, but it is also important to look at the spouse standing next to, or in some cases behind, them. The unobtrusive woman or man behind every President, believe it or not, has the power to affect great change. They may not take the limelight, may not have their name on the ballot, but they are important. No one realizes just how influential First Ladies can be.

Many first ladies influence their husbands' decisions and are often chairs and heads of important committees. Edith Wilson essentially took over for her husband after he had a stroke, approving everything that would be sent to him. She started doing this not long before women got the right to vote. If Edith hadn't been the First Lady, who knows how long it would have taken for women to gain the right to vote. Eleanor Roosevelt was on the board of directors for the NAACP, she was a leader in the formation of the United Nations and was the first chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission. Betty Ford used her position to call attention to Breast Cancer awareness, the Equal Rights Amendment, and legalizing abortion. Hilary Clinton was the head of the National Health Care Reform Task Force. Michelle Obama spoke out on childhood obesity and fixing school lunches.

First Ladies have the ability to impress and inspire young women. They can also use their powers to affect real change in the world and most people don't realize it. Choosing a President without looking at their spouse is fool hardy. Especially if their spouse can't even write their own speech. Don't make the mistake of overlooking an influential women or man who is the position to become First Lady or the male equivalent. America deserves better.