She had known her absence that night would be infinitely more powerful than her presence, so she stayed on her rented farm in Virginia with her children and her horses, sending the public a careful, nonverbal message: Your First Lady shares your values, and she is also appalled. The trappings of celebrity and garish shows are not for her. She is happiest taking care of her small children far from the spotlight. A spectacle such as that one is far beneath her.
