Michelle Obama looks for a new introduction

[cyberpj]

Source: New York Times

snip-
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 Mrs. Obama gave an accusatory speech in her church about the sins of “whitey.” Mrs. Obama shakes her head.

snip-
Fox News called her “Obama’s baby mama,” a derogatory term for an unwed mother. Christopher Hitchens , a Slate columnist, claimed — with scant evidence — that her college thesis proved she was once influenced by black separatism. National Review presented her as a scowling “Mrs. Grievance.”

snip-
The caricatures of Mrs. Obama as the Angry Black Woman confound her, friends say. Her own family crosses racial boundaries — her mother-in-law and a sister-in-law are white — and she has spent much of her adult life trying to address racial resentment.

snip-
But the 44-year-old woman known even to friends as The Taskmaster sometimes speaks with a passion unusual for a potential first lady. She tells voters that “Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual — uninvolved, uninformed.”

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25234989

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Michelle Obama's "makeover" (I wonder: Will angry feminists come to HER aid?)

Note: This is a supportive article but the title and some contents make it clear that Michelle Obama will not only need to battle sexism, but a double-edged sword of racist sexism. So now the outspoken and intelligent black woman will need to become more palatable to Americans. Well how about smarting-up those dumbed-down citizens instead? I know... I know.......

[Ninga]

1. The test is about to begin! Bloggers start your engines! The horses are in the starting gate!

Pick up your pencils and start writing when the starting pistol is fired!!!


The Obama campaign has an opportunity to diffuse this bull crap right now, this minute.

Michelle can either become a victim of the talking heads, and talking columnists, or she can take the bull by the horns and refuse to get in the gutter with the bully's.

Now is the time.

Get it done.

[cyberpj]

2. Looks like there will be some complicity for the sake of good politics:

snip-
"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, Mrs. Obama will do a guest turn on “The View,” the daytime talk show on ABC, with an eye toward softening her reputation."

[Ninga]

5. Good. What ever it takes to stick it to the detractors, I am in favor of. The dialog for this

election must not be distracted away from the economy, health care, and the war.

Working smart, is much more preferable than working hard. And if a subtle makeover shuts the detractors up...so be it. I am in favor of anything that works.

It is a shame, but the way of the world.

[markshyers]

18. I agree

McBush's team will have to stoop down to the lowest levels because they have no chance. I love Her!

[liberalmike27]

24. I can't help but wonder

Would it be a good idea to recount some of her negative experiences to the crowds, as I really think some anger would be perfectly normal. Look at the era in which she grew up. Certainly by her own smarts she has been able to ignore, and overcome ignorance and prejudice. But anyone who is black, hispanic, or asian would be abnormal if they didn't have any anger toward the people who were assholes, or KKK members, and treated them badly.

I just heard that her college roomate's mother, for instance, tried to get her kid out of Michelle's room. Apparently she didn't think putting blacks in the same room with whites was a good thing. How would that make you feel? I can't speak for everyone, but butt-heads acting like I'm somehow diseased just because of my skin color would make me angry.

I'd just whip up a few stories if I was her, I'd tell them, and I'd admit that it makes me angry that people are prejudiced and that it was very hurtful. Then I'd say how important it is for everyone to understand that she knows that all people, of all colors of the rainbow, did not choose to be prejudiced, and that she holds no grudge in general for white people, but certainly feels sorry for those who are muddled down with hating folks for no reason other than the color of their skin.

Careful honesty is the best policy. Certainly the prejudiced viewer of FOX won't care, as they won't vote for her anyway. But this would be a good way to diffuse this idea that she hates all whites.

[cyberpj]

27. I've heard her do very well when given airtime to answer idiots. Very classy. nt

[bitchkitty]

3. I love her - she is going to make an awesome First Lady.

She has the chic of Jackie, but 10 times the passion.

[Doremus]

14. Couldn't agree more with your assessment.

She's elegant and smart. She'll be a wonderful asset in the WH.

[LWolf]

4. I have nothing against her.

I'm sure she's a fine person.

Here's a hint, though: She doesn't win me over by telling me that, after her husband has been forced on me, that he's "not going to allow" me to do something.

The intent, taken in context, is positive:

<snip>

Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed.

The way it is couched, though, is patronizing and authoritarian. Not likely to attract the support of angry feminists. It's not Barack Obama's place to "require me," or to "allow" me, or any other citizen, to do, or not do, anything at all. She's got it backwards. It's his job, and the job of every congressperson, to enact the will of the voters.

It could be that she needs to improve her interpersonal skills.

[Ninga]

6. Metaphorically speaking, third person narratives at times can sound

authoritarian. I can see how one would take it personally. However, I fully understand the underlying meaning.

[LWolf]

8. I, too, understand the underlying meaning.

And I agree with it, to the degree that I agree that we should be active in creating the change we wish to see. Whether or not that is the version of change her husband offers.

If she needs to give the general public a different impression, I'd suggest that the meaning needs to be communicated differently.

[Ninga]

10. Point well made. Perhaps the subtle makeover will temper her delivery. Same message with a

totally different delivery could be powerful.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. I could not agree more

I happen to really like Michelle, but her choice of words is downright wrong here. Allow? Obama is running to be a servant of the public not the master of the public. I get what she means, but only by thinking the best of her. Better she should say what she means and remove the guess work and implilcations of authoritarinism.
Part of this is that she is just now getting her political legs. Such parsing of word and meaning is not typical to other areas of endevor. One of the reasons I like her is that we got a taste of unfiltered, and not overly controlled Michelle early on.
But this authoritarian talk is scary. The word choices are hugely off putting to me as a free and soverign American. I doubt she means them as they sound, which is not a good thing, she should be able to say what she really means without sounding like that. I give the benefit of the doubt but not everyone does.
She's more like me than Barack is. I know what she's facing. She needs to pick her words with the attention of a poet, no more, no less, or she will be twisted and misunderstood. This is part of her job, and she does need to rise to it. I am pretty sure she will.

[LWolf]

16. You, on the other hand, are stating this very well.

My feelings about her mirror yours.

Politicians serve the public. The public does not serve the politician.

[islandmkl]

7. yeah...the will of the 48% to 52% of the people who even vote??

you don't want a leader who challenges you??

you want only a leader for you to 'follow'??

time for EVERYBODY to wake up and realize WE got ourselves into this mess, many by non-participation...

the only thing backwards is the thinking that 'no one should tell me what to do'....

as if that would preclude one from thinking for one's self.

[LWolf]

9. I'm not a follower.

I never have been; it's just not who I am.

I don't need a leader to "challenge" me. I challenge myself. That's also part of who I am.

I really just need the "leader" to help me clear the path so that I can move forward without so many obstructions. I don't need him to decide the path, or the pace, or how I travel it.

I don't want to be patronized, and I don't want a "leader" to decide my direction or path. I want the "leader" to enact the changes that the people decide on. Not the other way around.

What is hard to understand about that?

[Demit]

12. A quibble: If a leader is making changes that others have decided on, he's not being a leader

—is he?

Sounds to me like your fierce individualism is offended by the very idea of a leader. Haven't you ever played on a sports team that has a coach? Or in an orchestra that has a conductor? Should these figures function only as leaders who enact changes that the players decide on?

[LWolf]

15. That's a good question.

You've accurately found me to be a fierce individualist.

I played on some teams, but they were for fun...not for achievement.

I had one "coach," a riding instructor, that I still love and respect to this day, and call on when something I'm doing with a horse is beyond me. He's in his late 80s now.

I never asked him for help with the rest of my life, though. He was a teacher, not a "leader."

I don't feel like I need a politician to lead me or to teach me. And yes, politicians should enact the changes that the people decide on. Their positions exist to enact our will.

That said, I understand that many people feel more comfortable, and more secure, with someone else "leading." I'm okay with that, except when their need to follow narrows and diverts my own path.

When it comes to politics, I'm not going to be "inspired" to make decisions based on emotion, or to turn over my choices to someone because he makes nice speeches. I know what I want from politicians, and I'll continue to work for that, to look for that, and to treat the politicians AS the obstacles in the path when their actions indicate the need to.

[Carnea]

19. Not in a democracy... Nobody votes for a football coach...

Presidents are servants something they need to be reminded of I'm afraid.

I certainly hope Michelle didn't mean any of the words she said cause honestly it is the opposite of why I'm voting for Obama.

[Carnea]

21. Why would I want to hire a leader? Can't we just have someone with good judgment

who can go four years without running up a deficit and invading a foreign country. I can inspire myself thank you very much and if I want someone to tell me how to run my life there are at lest two woman jocking for that job.

Look balance the budget, get out of Iraq and give me universal health care and don't tie up traffic to much and I'm happy. Whats wrong with someone competent to run the nation. I've met a lot of CEOs and the best ones have as much drama as a Swiss timepiece. The ones that get you trouble tend to make a lot of noise and "lead"

[Jackpine Radical]

17. I think there is a missing clause in her comment, which I implicitly assumed.

Try it this way:

If you want to join with Barack to help him win and fulfill his goals, then

Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed.

After all, she's not talking to his enemies in this statement, is she? There is an unspoken assumption of voluntary dedication here: "If you want to go along for the ride, here is what you will have to do--"

[LWolf]

28. That's a good point.

I would question the way you've worded that missing clause, as well.

Should citizens be working to achieve a politician's goals, or should the politician be working to achieve the goals of the citizens?

[markshyers]

20. I agree

I think she is amazing!

[Doctor_J]

11. She shouldn't bother

hate radio and Cabal TV will edit, spin, lie about, mock, and twist anything she might say. Leave it be.

[Maineman]

22. Yea, hate radio and trash TV are what they are.

Hate machines using garbage and deceit.

[Politicalboi]

23. It doesn't matter

What Obama does to try and help. They would do this to her no matter what. Here's the mentality of the GOP


http://www.jabberwonk.com/flinker.cfm?cliid=19of2s

[mcollier]

25. What will McCain do now

Expose the creep -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euu_DMhsXQo

[underpants]

26. I saw this BS on Anderson Cooper last night

She doesn't need a make over MSM-- YOU DIDN'T HIT THEM AS HARD AS YOU WANT TO THINK YOU DID

"The View" has been scheduled for a couple of months now.