Breaking: Michelle Obama To Give Speech Evoking JFK-like Idealism and Highlighting Her Own Journey.

[malik flavors]

Michelle Obama is ready for her close-up

Michelle Obama's eyes flicker tentatively even as she offers a trained smile. As her campaign plane arcs over the Flathead Range in Montana, she is asked to consider her complicated public image.

Conservative columnists accuse her of being unpatriotic and say she simmers with undigested racial anger. A blogger who supported Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton circulates unfounded claims that Obama gave an accusatory speech in her church about the sins of "whitey." Obama shakes her head.

"You are amazed sometimes at how deep the lies can be," she says in an interview. Referring to a character in a 1970s sitcom, she adds: "I mean, 'whitey?' That's something that George Jefferson would say. Anyone who says that doesn't know me. They don't know the life I've lived. They don't know anything about me."

Now her husband's presidential campaign is giving her image a subtle makeover, with a new speech in the works to emphasize her humble roots and a tough new chief of staff. On Wednesday, Michelle Obama will do a guest turn on "The View," the daytime talk show on ABC, with an eye toward softening her reputation.

<snip>

She says she intends to evoke a John F. Kennedy-like idealism and highlight her own journey, but in her commanding cadences, some people — and not just conservatives — hear a lecture. To appeal to voters who may be put off or not know of her biography, the campaign hopes to display Obama as an ordinary American mom.

</snip>

Much More:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/18/america/18michelle.php

[bigdarryl]

1. Every word she says will be bisected and taken apart and tested

[FrenchieCat]

2. Well at least she's not scared of the fuckers.

[Oleladylib]

3. If she talks and gives political opinions..it SHOULD be scrutinized

[jefferson_dem]

4. Scrutinized?

Interesting word choice.

How about celebrated or defended.

[malik flavors]

5. I doubt it will be political. I'm sure it will just be biographical, and humanize her.

[Cali_Democrat]

12. I see you're looking out for McCain and the GOP

Hey, whatever floats your boat.

She will not give a political speech. Just a speech about her wonderful life. God bless Michelle Obama.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

6. I applaud Michelle

and her extraordinary life. A couple of weeks ago, Randi Rhodes ran down a biography of her that literally brought tears to my eyes as I was driving along.

[Diane R]

7. This is crazy. I've heard her speak, and she's very warm and human. She just needs a fair audience

[Captain Hilts]

8. Someone, PLEASE spare me "JFK-like idealism."

Enough!

His dad bought him his congressional seat.
His family worked for and liked Joe McCarthy.
He never spoke out against McCarthy or McCarthyism.
He was dishonest about his health issues and his personal life.

The Obamas are better than that.

[malik flavors]

9. Umm, they're refering to JFK's Idealistic outlook on life and the world.

They're not suggesting he is ideal. Though he was great, despite your silly bickering.

[Captain Hilts]

10. Spare me the name-calling. This isn't a schoolyard.

The Kennedy family (and I'm a huge Ted and Caroline fan) contributed greatly to the poisoning of governmental and political discourse in the 1950s through their support for Joe McCarthy. The idealism of his message in 1960 is a real contrast to his never, EVER condemning Joe McCarthy. Sorensen's memoir expresses great regret over this.

The Obamas are BETTER than that.

So, shut the fuck up.

[malik flavors]

11. LOL

In one breath you say "this isn't a school yard" and in the next you say "shut the fuck up."

Perhaps you should try taking your own advice.

And I think we all know Obama isn't perfect either. He's cut some corners in his past as well, so maybe you should try looking at things a bit more objectively in the future.