Jill, Michelle, Hillary and the Curious Force of First Ladies

They leveraged their platforms and wielded their influence as election results came up short.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden speaks at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in August in Chicago. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Three iconic women in modern American politics—First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, former First Lady Michelle Obama and Sec. Hillary Clinton—for weeks rallied to get out the vote, but their efforts to help elect Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris fell short in a stunning and decisive defeat Wednesday by former President Donald Trump, now the president-elect.

There was a thrust of energy infused in the Harris campaign that began at the Democratic National Convention in August where Harris was named the Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden decided not to run for reelection. Democrats showed an enthusiasm for their new candidate that harkened back to the first presidential candidacy of Barack Obama. So much so, Michelle Obama at the convention this summer declared “hope was mak…