When Gray Davis and Michael Dukakis were sworn into office as governors, they weren’t the only ones who had plans to make changes in their states ““ their wives had similar agendas.
Saturday morning, community members gathered at the Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute of UCLA to hear former California governor Gray Davis and former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis speak of their experiences serving in public office.
Also speaking at the event were the former governors’ wives, Sharon Davis and Kitty Dukakis, both of whom joined in on the discussion with their views on current politics.
“What we wanted to achieve is not only to hear from the governors on what their insight is to hold public office, but we also wanted the perspective of their spouses,” said Maria Orefice, program manager for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute ““ the group which co-hosted the event along with UCLA Extension’s Public Policy Program.
“Both are highly accomplished women, and we wanted to include them in our discussion,” Orefice added.
The former first ladies agreed that the lack of job description for their respective roles allowed them the flexibility to be involved to the degree they wanted.
But both also said they utilized much of the chances given to be involved.
Sharon Davis has helped raise funds for public schools in California to receive library grants and said she is active in an array of non-profit organizations.
Similarly, Kitty Dukakis also volunteered much of her time working with issues relating to human rights. She has helped people with drug and alcohol-related problems, through sharing her personal experiences with alcohol abuse and writing a book about those issues.
The two first ladies also stressed the importance of separating work from family time.
While holding the governor post, Michael Dukakis came home every day to have dinner with his wife and children and made it clear that he would not work on Sundays.
In parallel, Gray Davis took Saturday evenings and part of Sundays off to spend time with his family.
Sharon Davis separated work from home by having a “no-political zone” at her house, and instead addressed any political concerns with her husband in his office.
While both women acknowledged the positive aspects of being involved in public service, they admitted the constant media coverage was a challenge.
Sharon Davis said she dealt with negative press by avoiding it. She said she would read the important stories the staff would advise her to read, but would neglect the rest of the paper.
“No matter what you do, if they want to find something bad about you, they will find it,” she said.
Kitty Dukakis went through more difficult times with the press, who targeted her during her treatment for alcohol addiction.
She said it was initially very hard for her to come to terms with the fact that the press was honing in on such a personal matter for her.
Dealing with the media was not limited to the wives ““ both governors had to spend time adjusting to the constant media exposure.
Gray Davis said he has come to terms with the fact that he has no control over the media.
“The only thing you can control is your response,” he said.
Nearing the end of the discussion, audience members asked the guests to share their views on the coming elections.
The four discussed the differences between the campaign strategies of the Republican and Democratic parties and agreed that the Democrats need to improve their campaigning techniques.
Chris Sevier, program supervisor for Public Policy Program, said the event was a success because people were able to see the politicians converse in a more free environment.
“It’s great. You get an impression of the person in media, you sort of know what they’re like, but it’s a good chance to see them in a more relaxed atmosphere, to see that they are real people,” he said.
This was the first community event hosted by the Public Policy Program as part of its recently opened community engagement field. Sevier said the program teamed up with the Osher Institute because the two perform similar work in the community.