Sally Quinn isn't pleased with this White House. As a Washington socialite of long standing, Sally Quinn, graduate of Smith, daughter of a prominent Southern family tracing its heritage back to 1632, cannot possibly be comfortable with the low born people occupying the White House today. That is why she said this in her column today:
From the start, Rogers was an unlikely choice for social secretary. She was not of Washington, considered by many too high-powered for the job and more interested in being a public figure (and thus upstaging the first lady) than in doing the gritty, behind-the-scenes work inherent in that position.
Rogers is not "of Washington." In other words, she isn't "one of us."
Sally Quinn knows how to entertain high society. She wrote the book about it. Possibly this is why when she says Desiree Rogers was inappropriate for the role of White House Social Secretary, she meant that Ms. Rogers has no idea how to entertain. Because she's black. Because she's from Nawlins. Because she was married to a prominent Chicago investment banker. Because she's thrown parties for almost every important business and civic official in Chicago. What could such a person possibly know about entertaining?
Maybe it's because she didn't attend one of the seven sisters like Sally Quinn. Oh wait. She went to Wellesley. Maybe she doesn't understand how to lead a large staff as Quinn obviously did. Oh wait. She's spent most of career as a corporate executive, board director, and was president of a public utility company. She's studied at Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government.
Of course, maybe all of these credentials don't qualify you to be a Social Secretary. All the elite connections and relationships mean nothing. All the history of high society entertaining and high end education mean little. Having the President and First Lady of the United States as long time personal friends is apparently insufficient.
No. You must be "of Washington." Which means you've got to have the following credentials to get a job at the Washington Post:
The story of her subsequent hiring by the Washington Post may contain a moral for those who would make too much of her present lack of background in TV. "Can you show me something you've written?" asked Managing Editor Benjamin Bradlee. "I've never written anything," admitted Quinn. Pause. "Well," said Bradlee, "nobody's perfect."
Screwing your way to the top is "of Washington" you see. Working your way up just isn't acceptible. If her feelings about the Clintons invading her Washington were an example of her disdain for the proles, just imagine how she feels now that the blacks are here. It's no wonder Hillary Clinton declines her invitations.
Wouldn't want to "foul the nest."