Glamour: Michelle Obama, Your Next First Lady?

[Colobo]

I have to admit I was a little intimidated by Michelle Obama when I first saw her. She was standing on the far side of a hotel conference room, and I got the impression of a regal woman who has a model’s height (she’s 5’11”) and a classic, understated chic. But then she came forward, extended an endless arm and broke out her famous million-watt smile. She gave me a big hug—as if we were old girlfriends—and I felt as though I’d known her forever. I guess part of my comfort came from the similarities in our lives. Michelle and I are both lawyers; we both have two children (I have a daughter, Satchel, 12, and a son, Jackson, 10; her girls are Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6); and we’re both married to very public men. My husband is director Spike Lee; hers is Barack Obama, the third black United States senator since Reconstruction and our would-be next president.

First I saw Michelle’s friendliness, then I saw her focus. This was business; she had a job to do and a message to get across. She answered each question with enthusiasm, leaning in to me and gesturing with her expressive hands.

Being First Lady was probably not on her mind in 1988, when she met Barack. A product of Chicago’s South Side (her father was a city pump operator, and her mother a secretary) and a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, she was an attorney at the Sidley Austin firm in Chicago when she was assigned to mentor a new summer intern, Barack. Four years later they married. Now, while her husband runs for the presidency, Michelle, 43, does the lion’s share of raising their girls and works as vice president of community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals. She’s on the road several days a week for the Obama campaign, shaking hands, charming the media, making speeches…and history.

TONYA LEWIS LEE: People seem to think that you are the secret weapon of your husband’s campaign.

MICHELLE OBAMA: I feel so much passion for this candidacy. When we made the decision to get in this race, there was a side of me that said, “Oh, no. This is going to be so personally disruptive—why put yourself through that?” But then I let myself dream about what his presidency would mean and I get goose bumps.

More at:
http://www.glamour.com/news/articles/2007/09/michelleobama?currentPage=1

[Kutjara]

1. I only have eyes for Elizabeth Kuchinich. n/t

[Colobo]

2. Try to give Michelle Obama a look. She will impress you.

[Kutjara]

3. Mmm, yes, I see what you mean.

But what will Liz say if she finds me straying? :hide:

[mod mom]

18. As a woman, I will say they are BOTH very beautiful women-elegant, poised and

articulate.

[TwilightGardener]

4. I can't wait to see this woman as First Lady.

[Colobo]

5. In one year we will elect Obama. Be patient.

[Bobbieo]

6. Katz - Have a great deal of respect for your husband, too.

[Colobo]

7. I'm a guy. A single, straight guy for that matter.

[Bobbieo]

8. You could have fooled me that way the post is written -

You come as as Spike Lee's wife and I do have a great deal of respect for the man.

[killbotfactory]

9. She's great

Check out her and Obama's interview on 60 minutes.
http://60minutes.yahoo.com/segment/39/barack_obama

And on the campaign trail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqCYFpUAJ2Q

[calimary]

10. I could certainly picture it! An intelligent, powerful, capable, supremely

talented, charismatic, articulate, elegant, assertive, activist woman who could do a GREAT (literally) deal with the job of First Lady. And it IS a JOB. OY! In fact, I just had a vision of her being hailed by some pundit as "the Black Jackie." She'd be a leader and a role model of the first magnitude. I think she'd be directly beside her husband, making a strong and progressive contribution to what a First Family means - and embodies, to the rest of the nation, and outward. The President and First Lady, and First Family if there are kids, are the ultimate ambassadors for America. They are our most prominent, far-reaching, and universal representatives. They are Our Face to the World. Sort of embody us and symbolize what we stand for with our commonly-agreed-to beliefs and customs. Besides, isn't it time for CHANGE? I mean DRAMATIC change that would literally shake you awake to the idea that the pirates running things now. Really heavy in its symbolism. What could be better as a do-over for the kick-off of the 21st Century to bring such a 180-degree switch? What a reinforcement of message. It's that drastic shift in dynamic that makes a Hillary Clinton presidency a little more compelling as well. We need not just an election, we need a big, loud, unignorable red-white-&-blue Barnum and Baily symbol - to underscore that we have Changed Direction, World! We are Under NEW Management! With a thundering "And HOW!!!" As we'd say in catechism class, we need an "outward sign." Similarly, it also makes a Bill Richardson or Kucinich presidency appealing in their no-cookie-cutter profiles.

I'd love to see the Ultimate Glass Ceiling broken in a REALLY significant, unmistakable way this next time. Hell, there's been so much frickin' pussy-footing going on that we NEED it, just to shake things up. And we've certainly got enough outward signs saying pretty bad things about us in the last several years. Think about what that would say, outwardly and collectively, about us and who we are and who we think (and hope) we are as a nation? That maybe we've learned even a slight bit from the last several nightmare years and are reinvigorated to rehabilitate ourselves and fix maybe a few million things. That we openly recognize and accept the need to change direction and approach national and international problems differently. It's a widely-blared announcement that we recognize the previous approach WASN'T WORKING - AT ALL!!!! That public acknowledgment alone would be healing and reassuring to the rest of the world that we've finally come to our senses and have determined to evolve. A REAL "way forward" instead of the idiot simplistic meaningless dim-bulb bumper-sticker slogan we hear from White House operatives all the time. And Michelle Obama would be perfect for that.

I'd love to see a SERIOUS change in the hand on the steering wheel. I think we need it rather desperately as a nation. And we need it as an outward sign TO THE REST OF THE WORLD that "business as usual" for the last miserable six-and-a-half years is finally and mercifully OVER. You KNOW nearly everyone else across the globe feels the same way. Uh - just look at Australia, for only the most recent example.

[2rth2pwr]

11. Umm, Michelle- Barack is “snore-y and stinky”

She may want to stop belittling him.

[JTFrog]

12. You may want to take that over to

freeperville, I hear they love that kind of crap. I don't care if she said it or not, and I'm not an Obama supporter, but can we stop acting like republicans on this site for a while?

[2rth2pwr]

13. I think she said it in a humorous way

but it doesn't sound First Lady like. If your upset take out your frustrations with her.

[JTFrog]

14. I'm not upset

at all about what she said. I'm upset at the way people are acting like republicans.

[2rth2pwr]

15. How are they acting like republicans? nt

[JTFrog]

16. nm

definitely not worth it.

[ripple]

19. Personally, I'd prefer to have a real woman as First Lady,

rather than some puppet who is "First Lady-like".

[2rth2pwr]

20. Are you saying Bill is a puppet? nt

[ripple]

21. I was referring to the current First Lady

and past First Ladies. It would be nice to have a First Lady that serves as more than window dressing for her husband.

Bill would change the dichotomy completely and if he were to be First Man (or whatever terminology is used), I think it would set a dangerous precedent for him to become overly involved in policy-making. First Ladies have been criticized for that in the past (particularly Hillary), but I think the criticism would actually be justified in Bill's case, given his former role of president.

[2rth2pwr]

22. got it, Hillary's the puppet. nt

[ripple]

23. No, Hillary isn't a puppet, either

Reading comprehension, anyone? This particular conversation is clearly going nowhere. Good luck.

[2rth2pwr]

24. "...and past First Ladies." nt

[Netbeavis]

17. Well, how many magazines will Glamour sell if Bill is on the cover?

not many...so pandering to potential First Ladies in order to sell magazines is to be expected.