Now that Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, it is time to focus on a woman that could have a lot of influence over his life.
No, not Hillary Clinton.
Michelle Obama.
In early May, when ABC's "Good Morning America" asked Obama about an online video attacking his wife, he told the local Tennessee GOP to "lay off" her.
"The GOP, should I be the nominee, can say whatever they want to say about me, my track record," said Obama. "If they think that they're going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful because that I find unacceptable, the notion that you start attacking my wife or my family."
The video focused on a remark Michelle Obama made during a speech in Wisconsin in February. "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country," she said in the speech. The quote is played six times during the video, interspersed with video of Tennessee residents saying why they love their country.
This was one of the first real attacks on Michelle, and while Sen. Obama's attempt to extinguish future criticism was admirable, it was also unrealistic.
Sure, in a perfect world, the wives of presidential candidates could be protected from the harsh criticism of rival campaigns and the media. But in reality, attacks on significant others are as old as elections themselves. In 1828, Andrew Jackson and his wife Rachel came under severe scrutiny when it was discovered that their marriage was not legal because Rachel had never divorced her previous husband. Critics said that if Jackson couldn't understand simple divorce laws, how could he possibly run the country?
The modern-day system of criticism began with another career woman who was very active in her husband's campaign--Eleanor Roosevelt.
When her husband was running for a third term, Eleanor became the first wife to address a political convention. Soon after, "We don't want Eleanor either" buttons started appearing on the jackets of Roosevelt's critics.
Sen. Hillary Clinton also faced severe criticism for some of her remarks during her husband's campaign. "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was fulfill my profession," said Clinton in 1992. She was called culturally dismissive and insensitive to the plight of the domestic realm.
The bottom line is that Americans believe that they are not only electing the president, but also a first spouse. Therefore, every action and every word hers will be just as severely scrutinized as those of the candidate.
Michelle Obama is a confident, educated woman who can hold her own. Her speeches are persuasive and poignant. There is no reason she can't handle the scrutiny of the press and the GOP, just as long as she knows what she's in for.
