Michelle Obama: Even Daughter Worried About Media Portrayal of Her 'Patrotism'

For years, Connie Schultz has been one of my favorite local columnists, going back to her Pulitzer-winning days at Cleveland's Plain Dealer. She has since gone "national," via a syndicated column, two books, and the attention she received as the wife of Sherrod Brown, who won a surprising victory to the U.S. Senate from Ohio two years ago.

In her column, however, she tends to downplay the latter angle, so it was a little surprising -- but gratifying -- to see her latest column, where she reports on her interview with Michelle Obama, a fellow senatorial spouse, but with one key difference of course (well, more than one, as you know).

Schultz writes, from experience: "Anyone who has endured a high-stakes political race knows that campaigning requires a willingness to suffer a seemingly endless series of small humiliations. All that begging for campaign contributions, posing for photo ops and talking about me, me, me as the press corps yawns.

"When you are the political spouse, who is still usually a wife, you also can feel reduced to a life of serial irrelevance."

Obama says she is especially intent on winning over Hillary voters: "The way I see it? There are a lot of people like me, like how I am about my husband, my candidate. They invested their hearts and souls into Hillary Clinton, and many of them did this for years. They have to figure out how they want to leverage their political power. I understand that. Politics is a patience game. You can't do this unless you have patience."

Here is a brief excerpt that touches on The New Yorker cover controversy -- and Obama's own daughter's question about her patriotism.

"I need stability and evenness, and not paying attention to media coverage helps. It's usually either really, really good or really, really bad, which doesn't reflect what people are thinking."

Sometimes, though, she can't ignore it, such as when The New Yorker ignited a firestorm with its recent cover depicting Barack Obama as a Muslim and her as an Afro-wearing, fist-bumping terrorist.

"My first reaction to that was: 'Oh, my goodness. This is awful.' Fortunately, our girls are young enough where they don't read The New Yorker."

It's not always possible to insulate her daughters from controversy, though: "They do pick up on things. Malia asked Barack a question about my patriotism. I was in another room, but I heard her ask him: 'Some people are saying Mommy doesn't like her country. What's that about?'

She sighed when asked how that made her feel.

"My view, as a mom, is there isn't a right moment for this kind of thing. When it comes up is when we talk about it."

Related: Connie Schultz's column
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Greg Mitchell's new book is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq. He is editor of Editor & Publisher.

Comments

[cylindar]

They will get over it when they realize that it was racist's that are questioning her loyalty. Hey there is white trash in this world and you just got to ignore them and move on.

[Tommygun264]

The only two people whose well being I fret over in the event of an Obama presidency are his two daughters - to spend one's childhood under constant scrutiny and to face personal attacks from insensitive jerks with no sense of respect for the most most innocent of bystanders will most likely be hellish for the Obama daughters.

[pupbayer]

You fret? Why? They seem like responsible parents who love their children. They made a decision to put their family in the limelight. I can't imagine they did this lightly. I would trust them to handle it right. Others have done just fine and I'm sure the O's will, too.

[jupitor]

People could care less what harm they do to others if it gives them bucks in thier pockets! Those who work on the mccain campagne just enjoy lieing,smearing, and dirty tricks or they wouldn't be doing it! We have the real bad people, and the really really really bad people, and than we have the down in the manure bad people. I swear they all work for mccain and this kind of place! never saw so many dirty tacktic , and bad people lumped into one campagne and party, like it is this year! God help the Obama's stay above the damage they reek upon the innocent.

[Seattlelite]

Michelle should tell her girls what my mother told me, when you're smart, confident and doing well some people who aren't just can't stand it. And for some people the only way they can feel better about themselves is the tear other people down.

[Mayoyo]

You are Michelle..­.you need patience and lots of it. It'll be over soon.
As for the kids, they seem so well grounded they will be fine.
God bless you all and be safe.,

[HollywoodHawk]

Michelle will do just fine. I am sure she is having a blast on the campaign trail. Check out this possible response by Barack to help get Michelle Obama out of the limelight.

[research]

Please Oama, attack! Attack McBush on his hatred of vets, on his love of multinational oil companies over americans, Attack! Rock him back on is heals!

[THEhillbilly]

When she made that silly "you have to give up your piece of the pie so someone else can have some" comment, Michelle said, in essence, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

The worst part of that, in this particular environment, is that few of the commenters see anything "wrong" with that philosophy.

Of course she also said that at the time she married Barack, she had no respect for America and didn't have any until his way premature run for the presidency was oddly taken seriously. They really need to keep her out of sight. She's an albatross, and with his own history of very unsavory assocations, the man does not need any more freakin' albatrosses.

[nomobull]

what in the h are you talking about.

[zann]

Its like you're in a beautiful park, but after an hour you find a bubble gum wrapper and say its a trash dump. You may have a right to your opinion but don't you also have an obligation to look at the whole picture?

[ChicagoPunk]

It's interesting that you feel the need to lie. Why don't you quote what she really said?

Or would that ruin your talking point?

[Seattlelite]

Interesting tag name "thehillbilly" how appropriate. Let me guess WV, KY?

[CalexenderJ]

Malia is a sharp little girl. She's seems to soak things up. I expect she'll be doing big things in in 30 years.

[speedingpullet]

Poor little girls - it doesn't matter if your parent is the President, or a window washer, its always hurtful and confusing to hear other adults says bad things about your mom or dad.

The sad thing is that there's so much bile - most of it rumour, hearsay, and downright spite - going around the internet about the O bama family - I'm sure that both B and M are having a very hard time keeping their daughters away from it.
I hope they succeed in sheilding them from some of the truly hateful stuff that's being said about their parents.

[MyAudacity]

It would be very difficult to teach your child not to become the school bully, or to respect everyone no matter their race, color or religion, yet we see our highly publicized Presidential Elections disregarding this very teaching, and calling it all "fun"

[presto]

Had she been intent on winning over Hillary voters a few months ago it might have made things a little easier for her now. Many people cringed when she was asked if she would support Clinton were she to become the nominee. Michelle: "I'd have to think about it". Not helpful.

[jarthur]

Don't we all have to think about our vote? As an Obama supporter and ardent Democrat, I would have had to take some time to sort out my frustratio­n/anger/di­sappointme­nt if the primaries had turned out differently, even though I'm sure I would have eventually come to support Clinton as the party's nominee. I think Michelle Obama was being honest, a quality I find refreshing in any politician or politician's spouse. I didn't understand at the time nor do I understand now why this comment made people so angry.

[edwarvir]

presto I am going to try and be kind to you. Please tell me why should she be
kind to Hillary or her supporters ? I don't remember Hillary apologizing to Mrs. Obama
for refering to RFK's assination 4 times. it just goes to show you that she
is a team player because believe me I would never ever be nice to her or Bill
for the racist campaign they ran, againt my husband. and the way Hillary and her husband divided this
party. Now Bill is talking about his regrets. He is a racist and he knows it.

[happycat]

Well said!

[presto]

Edwar - I don't know what to tell you. I was referencing the story that we are all commenting on - the part where Michelle Obama said she was intent on winning over Hillary's voters. I always assume people read the story before they comment but I'm often wrong about that. Don't bother being kind to me. I'm not one who is not following the conversation.

[fanchon1288]

Maybe M.O. had a problem with supporting HRC after she had attacked her husband constantly . Unlike HRC who had a closed door meeting with the same man that financed her husbands impeachment. HRC didn't think twice about that.

[presto]

It was hardly a closed door meeting. We all watched it. It was riveting.

[naijaman]

Yeah.....a­nd Bill Clinton sure is falling over himself to support Obama...ri­ght? Please....

[presto]

Bill Clinton? I didn't mention Bill Clinton. Are you talking to someone else?

[heal57]

Can you blame her for feeling that way with the terrible things HRC said about her husband? I don't.

[presto]

What terrible things?

[pupbayer]

It's always sad when adult endeavors affect children but it is the parents' responsibility to deal with that. Listening to MO, you sometimes get the idea that she's never been through a campaign before.

[debwarot]

Many of us see and hear a much different Michelle Obama. I think she is well aware of any and all pitfalls her family might meet during the campaign and her husband's presidency - and believe she is more than capable of guiding her daughters through them. As a mother, I would think she regrets anything and everything that causes her children even a moment of pain or an unpleasant thought, but is raising them to be strong, resilient and reflective, just like their parents. .

Is it possible that what you perceive to be the truth is only a reflection of your dislike for the Obamas?

[joeyp404]

I think she's using her children and the media. She knows what's she's doing.

[EBennett]

I agree. The Obama’s and their campaign team really know how to play the media.

[edwarvir]

You have her mixed up with Johnny and Hill. We are talking about
a lady., wife and mother

[Sabreen60]

Go back under your bridge.

[ChicagoPunk]

Agreed. The best thing they could do would be to hide their children away. Just like the McCain's did with their "black" daughter.

[edwarvir]

Not one like this and the children were younger

[vonny]

I don't why MO would worry that her daughter might think she doesn't like her country...­....she raised them in a hate spewing church.

[nomobull]

give it a rest

[heal57]

go vote for McCain.

[ChicagoPunk]

Please, cite some of this hate. I'd be willing to be that whatever you want to bring to the table, I can refute with context.

[Charmed]

She was just preparing them for the hate filled country...­.... The kids are witnessing just how hateful people are and hopefully they learned some coping skills from that Church because God knows they are going to need them.

[PAposter]

At least Malia had enough sense to question the validity of such a statement.

[riverhouse]

She's a stunning representation of what's right about America. She demonstrates that stable working class families can produce smart children who can compete and succeed in America. Her story makes me, a direct descendent of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, proud to be an American.

[TheGuide]

Beautiful

[debwarot]

She and Barrack represent the American Dream and make all of us just a bit more proud to be an American.

[Seattlelite]

Yes they do represent the American Dream and they represent "hope" for any person in this country who may think opportunitiy eludes them.

[LeftVetPatriot]

Hear, hear!!

[andyg]

You mean Wright.

[nomobull]

grow up

[harriscrl3]

To be followed closely by

Daddy why do they think you are the Anti-christ and what is that?

I'm utterly embarassed at how frankly stupid the American people are. I cannot believe this stuff is happening the most advanced nation in the world. We are in the 21st century and here is Rethugs still using religion to make people salivate like dogs being given a bone. What the hell did it get them when they elected Bush. Goodness why can't people learn are our heads made from concrete. When are we going to get it.

You know what the irony is members of Fix news crucify this woman for not being patriotic and not loving her country HELLO with people like them in it Can YOU BLAME her if thats what she meant which its NOT.

Part of what we love about this country is the FREEDOM to say I'm not really proud of my country right now. Do the slime that work at Fix news Get this?

Well I'm saying this I'm disapointed in my country dissaointed in the government and some of the people. They dont make me feel proud.

Carol

[Charmed]

Carol, I'm in agreement with you....the thing that just annoys me is they keep going on about what Michelle said and I completely understand how she felt. And I'm not proud of the way the media just lies and distort things. I'm not proud of the fact people had to die for everyone to have the right to vote. I'm not proud of a lot of things about America but that doesn't mean that I'm getting ready to pack up and move. Sean and them need to get over themselve.

[lizinatl]

heart? soul? you need to put more of your HEAD in your decisions.­.. stop 'feeling' so much and THINK!

[Mustang Sally]

Especially before you speak. You cannot take it back.