If you've been following any coverage of the White House, then you know why the economy hasn't been totally fixed yet: it's because our foolish President insists on doing "more than one thing at a time," including "wars" and "stuff that a majority of Americans put him in office to do," and "ten minutes to fill out an NCAA Bracket." AND THAT'S WHY YOU ARE POOR. But, what if it turns out that Michelle Obama was also foolishly trying to do more than one thing at a time? Because, as an Eat The Press operative points out to us today, that's exactly the contention made in a blockbuster expose by Politico this weekend. No wonder that all vital stuff that the First Lady is supposed to be working on is still broken beyond repair!
Writer Nia Malika-Henderson (who previously brought us this awesome article on the secret "black" code that Obama was using) wants to make this point, even though it hinges on that favorite of journalistic fake-outs, the "some say" device, which gathers an unlimited supply of non-existent people to opine on a subject that no one had previously cared about:
She's become the spokeswoman for all sorts of issues and topics -- from fitness, parenting, the environment and women's rights, to redefining images of black women in American culture and promoting self-esteem for young girls.
Yet in the midst of all those themes, it isn't yet clear whether her self-described core messages -- about military families, volunteerism, and helping working women balance work and family life - are truly breaking through. Some wonder if she's spreading herself too thin to emerge in the public mind as a leading voice on those topics.
I tell you what, here in Washington, DC, you can't swing a stick without hitting NONE PEOPLE who "wonder is [Michelle Obama] is spreading herself too thin!"
Well, in fairness, there's this one person:
"I think it's fragmented. She stands for so many things right now, she's doing so many things. She's in the kitchen at the White House, she's building houses, she's digging in the garden. It's all very nice, but I thought to myself, 'Why is she planting herbs?'" said Mindy Sabella, director of marketing at Siegel+Gale, which specializes in strategic branding.
And Laura Bush's old press secretary warns:
"It is important to stay focused on the two or three things where she can make a difference, rather than start to expand the portfolio where her impact won't be as wide or deep."
Why won't Michelle Obama stop and consider the impact of doing more than three things is having on her global brand, and the important, difference-making work she's doing in the field of herb planting?
Ahh, but here's where Malika-Henderson works the POWER EQUATION:
Yet, for some, Obama's multi-tasking approach to the job raises the specter of Rosalynn Carter, who was dogged early on by questions of whether she was taking on too much and trying to be all things to all people. Ironically, some are raising the same "too much, too fast?" question about Michelle that they're raising about her husband, the president.
Ironically, "some" = "Nia Malika-Henderson!"
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