The reason that Michelle Obama's approval ratings are in the 70s; the reason she is so popular that she joins the ranks of superstars who need only a first name -- former First Lady Laura Bush needed both names in most quarters and Hillary needed only one during her husband's presidency, but that name evoked more scary than positive images -- is because Michelle is not a phony.
When she teared up during a talk to mostly minority school girls in North London and told them that by any objective standard she should not be standing before them as the First Lady of the United States, that she should not have her double Ivy League education, not even the most rabid Obama-haters could say that moment resembled a Bill Clinton-bite-his-lower-lip routine.
Michelle is from a working class family; her father really did tend to the Chicago's boilers; her father really did need to work for the Daley machine as a precinct captain to get his promotions; neither parent went to college, on her father's side, not too many generations back her forbears slaved -- as slaves -- on the master's rice plantation in South Carolina. I spent several months writing a profile of Michelle for Chicago Magazine and on the issue of her background it all checked out.
Think of another top member of the Obama team -- the man who tells everyone he's just Joe and who reacted to a former Senate colleague who used the honorific "Vice President" with the words, "give me a fucking break" -- Joe Biden, whose father had money, then lost it, and eventually sold real estate and managed a car dealership. Biden blew his best shot at winning his party's nomination for president in 1988 by claiming in August, 1987, that his ancestors had worked the coal mines in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He stole the story -- hook, line and paragraph -- from a passionate speech delivered by British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock, whose forbears had actually worked in the coalmines.
Michelle is just getting started; she will play a huge role in her husband's administration and it will be about much more than fashion -- although what woman didn't smile when Michelle told New York Times reporter Marian Burros, "He's always asking: 'Is that new? I haven't seen that before'"?
"It's like, Why don't you mind your own business? Solve world hunger. Get out of my closet." (When I was writing about Michelle, her friends told me that if there's one thing Barack disliked more than his daughters watching television, it was shopping.)
All Michelle needs to do to truly affect the national agenda and conversation is never, ever lose sight of her roots. So far, so good.
I would suggest you delve into the story of Biden's use of the Kinnock speech and you will soon learn that you have penned a wholly inaccurate portrayal of what Biden said. And, you have completely ignored the comprehensive attribution that he consistently made at the time...except for once when he mistakenly omitted the attribution and for this he is accused of plagiarism. The press should know better but, sadly, they do not.
Does anyone wonder why the media - the right, left and center of it - is currently on a steep decline toward oblivion and irrelevance?
Joe Biden is often call a "serial exaggerator," which is sometimes a euphemism for liar.
Who often calls Biden a "serial exaggerator"? And, to your knowledge, what has Joe Biden ever lied about?
Let that be a lesson about throwing out accusations that have no merit.
People need to read more about community organizing and how it works. Then they will stop laughing and get serious about what a great tool it is for helping people do better together.
It's about time that women had a real rolemodel in the public eye.
When Obama was still running against McCain, all the press screamed that
Michelle wasn't "connecting"....Michelle is "angry"...and is Michelle a "liability"....
And now the world worships her. LOL!!!!
Well then I guess we have to expect the bi-polar press to knock her
right down again in a few weeks.
Trust me...soon enough , she won't be "connecting" anymore.
And now we have TWO actually representing US . . .
And holding their own with foreign leaders. . .
Darn right we're OVER THE MOON!
The contrast to Hillary is valid. She is cold, calculating, always presenting herself as something she is not.... like qualified to lead by experience, skill or sound judgment.
Guess it's true about something only being worth what you pay for it.
The Diana, Princess of Wales of our times. Except she's married to the greatest President (potentially) of our lifetimes and a nice guy - unlike Charles he he
"Why are so many inexplicably ogling over a woman who, at best, is very successful and has good taste in fashion?"
No? Because the dismissive tone with which you seem to dismiss her "best", seems to indicate that and explain the whole "inexplicable" bit of your headline when it seems like the rest of the world gets "it" about Michelle. Personally I would just guess it's jealousy on your part, but that's just me.
But don't worry though, there's plenty of time enough, for you to earn that Law degree from 2 Ivy League schools and do all that other stuff that would justify your dismissal of someone, whose personal achievements you can't even begin to match.
Most of us don't "worship" Michelle; we do however admire her a LOT. She is smart, articulate and dedicated to social justice and other causes that make her stand (literally) above some previous First Ladies. I wish her a wonderful 8 years in the White Hosue, during which time she can be a role model to many. I'm thrilled that she's there and outlining which causes are important to her...and to the nation. Go, Michelle.