Michelle Obama Changes The First Lady Role

[MA-Caver]

While some first ladies have merely resigned themselves to being reduced to an ornament on their husband's arm during diplomatic dinners and such, others have taken active roles in either humanitarian or charitable activities and still others go around engaging in public speaking supporting their husband's current policies and what not.
Michelle however is going to be one of the few First Ladies to take an active, participating role in their husband's office. Basically changing the role of the First Lady. Which will be a good thing I think.

Michelle Obama crafts policy agenda

Nia-Malika Henderson Nia-malika Henderson – Tue Feb 3, 4:27 am ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090203/pl_politico/18329As she prepares to step out beyond her role as the self-described “mom in chief,” Michelle Obama has been busy behind the scenes crafting a policy-driven agenda that will bring working-family issues into the White House — and she’s surrounded herself with a team of veteran political insiders and seasoned policy advocates to do it.
Aides are quick to say the first lady isn’t planning on having an independent policy power center in the East Wing. “Our job is to think through with the president and with the president’s team and assist in dialogue about policy. But the president is the policymaker,” said chief of staff Jackie Norris. In other words, it isn’t likely that Michelle Obama will be on the phone introducing herself to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, like Hillary Clinton did as first lady. At least not yet.
But as Obama made her first official trip outside the White House on Monday — to the Department of Education — the shape and direction of her office, with advisers who have worked for Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Edwards, clearly bear a lot more resemblance to Clinton’s style than to that of Laura Bush.
The credentials of Michelle Obama’s new team “give us a glimpse of the future,” said Carl Anthony Sferrazza, a former speechwriter for Nancy Reagan who also wrote the introduction to Hillary Clinton’s “Invitation to the White House: At Home With History.”
“This is not going to be a first lady focused on sleeveless designer dresses and puppy names but on serious and complex issues,” he predicted.

However it turns out, I think it would be fair to say that future presidential candidates will now be chosen not only for their leadership abilities but also in part upon their wives political savvy.

Another boost for empowerment of women.
How do you see it?

 

[FearlessFreep]

Another boost for empowerment of women.
How do you see it?

On the one hand she wasn't elected nor has she gone through any confirmation process so it's hard for me the be thrilled. On the other hand this happens with other advisory roles so I guess is not much different so I guess it's just another illustration that when you elect someone to an office you get all there friends and relatives along too so make sure that's part of your thinking going in.

 

[Carol]

Don't really know what to say. She is a smart lady that is accomplished in her own right. I respect her for what she has accomplished and the opinions she has, but I do not care for many of her views.

I'd like to see this as a boost for women but I'm just not feeling it. I'm waiting for the chance when a woman is in the big chair instead of just being the spouse of the person in the big chair. Nonetheless, I wish her well.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Another boost for empowerment of women.

Look at it this way, hard to call it empowering when she only got the position because of her husband.

 

[Twin Fist]

this particular first lady the one that brought us such hits as "proud of my country for the first time in my life" needs to be seen, (and rarely, she dresses like she shops at target, she is am embarrassment to this country for her clothes ALONE) and NOT heard

 

[Bob Hubbard]

"I don't like President Clinton, or her husband."
Heard often during the Clinton years.

Just sayin.

 

[granfire]

On the one hand she wasn't elected nor has she gone through any confirmation process so it's hard for me the be thrilled. On the other hand this happens with other advisory roles so I guess is not much different so I guess it's just another illustration that when you elect someone to an office you get all there friends and relatives along too so make sure that's part of your thinking going in.

Look at it this way, hard to call it empowering when she only got the position because of her husband.

well, your husband gets a elected and you get a job...
It's not like she is getting paid to do it. Or has the choice to decline it.

Yes, it is empowerment when you take it from being an ornament.

 

[Big Don]

Nancy Reagan had Say No to Drugs, Hillary was supposed to reform health care, Laura Bush had literacy campaigns, this really isn't new...

 

[Tez3]

Would you want a bimbo though who just smiled inanely? If you insist on calling the President's wife the 'First Lady' I think you may have to put up with incumbant's own interpretation of that role. Bit confused about the comment about her dress sense though, it's quite admired here and in Europe.

 

[Twin Fist]

the mags all call her a "fashion icon" (for the same reason the press calls him smart, they are kissing ***) the pictures tell a different story. From a purely fashion point of view, her body is totally wrong for the outfits she picks. Example:
View attachment $Michelle_Obama_bd41_JPG.jpg

simply tacky. And her wierd penchant for wearing belts right under her boobs is just...ill advised.

very simple:



yeah i know, i think about fashion WAY too much

 

[Tez3]

No, not seeing it I'm afraid. The first outfit is scrumpled through sitting, the second is just casual.

 

[Twin Fist]

yeah, casual if you are a soccer mom from Garland, not for the first lady of the united states. And this is in the big picture, besides the point, the point is "for the first time i was proud of my country"

she is an embarrassment.

 

[Tez3]

yeah, casual if you are a soccer mom from Garland, not for the first lady of the united states. And this is in the big picture, besides the point, the point is "for the first time i was proud of my country"

she is an embarrassment.

so you do want a bimbo!

 

[billc]

Michelle has been riding Obama's coat tails for some time now...

http://joshuapundit.blogspot.com/2009/01/michelle-obamas-300k-job-at-hospital.html

From the article:

After Barack Obama became an Illinois state legislator, his wife moved up as well, scoring a job as 'vice president of community relations' at the University Of Chicago Hospital for a very generous salary of $121,910. When Obama became a senator in 2005, her 'salary' leapfrogged to $$316,962 for the same job...and one of Senator Obama's first acts in office was to see to it that the hospital received over a million dollars of your tax dollars as an earmark.

Well, Michelle has moved on,and guess what...that vital job of hers,worth a salary of over $300 K has been quietly eliminated.

 

[Twin Fist]

isnt that a shock.......................


yeah, i know, it really isnt. Everything about these two is shady and vaguely ...........distastfull. But the people never get to know most of the truth since the press is still on thier knees for Barry