“I do not believe that being first lady should prevent me from expressing my views. I spoke out on this important issue, because of my deep personal convictions. Why should my husband's job or yours prevent us from being ourselves? Being ladylike does not require silence.”
— Betty Ford, International Women’s Year Conference, October 25th, 1975
Betty was outspoken and unafraid to be herself, declaring “Okay, I’ll move to the White House, do the best I can, and if they don’t like it, they can kick me out, but they can’t make me somebody I’m not."
Even more unusual than her self-proclaimed independence, Betty Ford often disagreed with her husband’s political positions, despite being a Republican herself.