Michelle Obama - yay or nay?

[Anonymous]

This is her thesis!!! More than 20 years has passed!! She appears (from interviews I read/seen) to have overcome it! She's a hard working attorney raising 2 little girls. I think she understands the modern family more than Laura Bush ever could. SOOOO important when dealing with social policy.

And I also love the way she dresses! Strutting out on that stage in a purple dress, waist cinched in with a black belt - and sleeveless! I loved it. Shows her confidence, independence and individuality.

I went to see the Chris Rock stand up a few months ago - Chris Rock had a bit about Michelle and Barack - . here's an excerpt:

"Barack has a handicap the other candidates don't have: Barack Obama has a black wife. And I don't think a black woman can be first lady of the United States. Yeah, I said it! A black woman can be president, no problem. First lady? Can't do it. You know why? Because a black woman cannot play the background of a relationship. Just imagine telling your black wife that you're president? 'Honey, I did it! I won! I'm the president.' 'No, we the president! And I want my girlfriends in the Cabinet! I want Kiki to be secretary of state! She can fight!' "

[Anonymous]

I think some of her speeches display a complex mix of grievance and entitlement. The grievance should be diluted by her degrees from Princeton and Harvard, I think, as those institutions offered her entry into the ruling class. In general, however, I like Mrs. Obama.

For those intent on denigrating Hillary Clinton, it's probably worthwhile to note that she has called Hillary one of the smartest, most accomplished, and most groundbreaking women on the planet. She has said she greatly admires the way Mrs. Clinton raised Chelsea and coped with the pressures of being first lady and being a presidential candidate and senator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think some of her speeches display a complex mix of grievance and entitlement. The grievance should be diluted by her degrees from Princeton and Harvard, I think, as those institutions offered her entry into the ruling class. In general, however, I like Mrs. Obama.

For those intent on denigrating Hillary Clinton, it's probably worthwhile to note that she has called Hillary one of the smartest, most accomplished, and most groundbreaking women on the planet. She has said she greatly admires the way Mrs. Clinton raised Chelsea and coped with the pressures of being first lady and being a presidential candidate and senator.

What else would she say? She'd be an idiot to put HRC down (and vice versa).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think some of her speeches display a complex mix of grievance and entitlement. The grievance should be diluted by her degrees from Princeton and Harvard, I think, as those institutions offered her entry into the ruling class. In general, however, I like Mrs. Obama.

For those intent on denigrating Hillary Clinton, it's probably worthwhile to note that she has called Hillary one of the smartest, most accomplished, and most groundbreaking women on the planet. She has said she greatly admires the way Mrs. Clinton raised Chelsea and coped with the pressures of being first lady and being a presidential candidate and senator.

What else would she say? She'd be an idiot to put HRC down (and vice versa).

I'm the PP who mentioned this. I agree with you. But several of the candidates' wives have been quite nasty about HRC. They seemingly felt no compunction about it. But I think Mrs. Obama was being sincere. She's raising daughters too, after all, and she has some sense of how difficult it is to do that in the White House.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Her thesis focused on the racially insensitive practices at mostly white Princeton. Her writings, at least in my opinion, come across as being racially charged.

Per M.O. "Predominately white universities like Princeton are socially and academically designed to cater to the needs of the white students comprising the bulk of their enrollments."

"These experiences have made it apparent to me that the path I have chosen to follow by attending Princeton will likely lead to my further integration and/or assimilation into a White cultural and social structure that will only allow me to remain on the periphery of society; never becoming a full participant. This realization has presently, made my goals to actively utilize my resources to benefit the Black community more desirable."


"I hoped that these findings would help me conclude that despite the high degree of identification with whites as a result of the educational and occupational path that black Princeton alumni follow, the alumni would still maintain a certain level of identification with the black community. However, these findings do not support this possibility."

Ok, I have just spent the last hour reading Michelle's thesis. There is no anger in it. There is very little that actually comes from her own experience -- probably less than 4 paragraphs of a 96 page paper. The basis is a questionnaire sent out to black Princeton alumni which attempted to quantify their identification with the black community before, during, and after Princeton. She explains the thoughts behind the questionnaire, explains how the study was implemented, and than reviews the results. She provides some analysis for the findings.

The paper is not the most spell-binding literature I have read lately, but has some very interesting ideas. Michelle clearly says that her motivation in studying the topic is her concern that she might lose touch with the black community as a result of her Princeton experience. The results of her study suggest that others have had such a loss, and she seems troubled by that happening to her.

The first quote above is not Michelle's thoughts, but a summary of a study that she cited in her thesis. Regardless, it is simply a statement of fact, not an expression of emotion such as anger.

The second quote above is from Michelle's introduction and one of the few passages that involve her own feelings. I do not read anger in the statement, but more a frank assessment of her situation.

The last quote simply summarizes her findings. Michelle is concerned that the Princeton experience might cause black students to forget where they came from. She had hoped that her study would prove that they retained strong identification with the black community. The results showed otherwise, and this concerned her. That is not anger. That, if anything, is disappointment.

Certainly, both Michelle and everything else have changed a good deal since 1985. Back then, Michelle doubted she would become a full participant in society. Today, she stands a good chance of becoming America's first lady. I suspect that she will not sweat having been wrong in that instance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She's a bit like HRC.

You mean an intelligent, educated woman with a backbone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely YAY. And honestly no one would be calling her angry or narcissistic or arrogant if she was 1) white; or 2) a man.

I absolutely agree ... and I am NOT a black woman.

[Anonymous]

I am reminded of that bumper-sticker that says "If you're not angry, you're not paying attention."

Never more true if you are a woman and/or a person of color.

In other words, if she's angry, so what? So she's going to be subjected to the same reductionist demonization that Hillary Clinton is subjected to? Another "bad witch" archetype for everyone to lay their blame and fear on?

I refuse to be party to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely YAY. And honestly no one would be calling her angry or narcissistic or arrogant if she was 1) white; or 2) a man.

I absolutely agree ... and I am NOT a black woman.

I haven't really watched Michelle Obama to really form an opinion either way. The one thing I have to comment on is the "angry" comments. I don't know if anyone ever watched Real World on MTV. There is always a certain typecast for the members. Not every season but most, they always have what I affectionately refer to as the "ABW" (angry black woman) character. And always, that person rooms with the person down from the farm that has never met a black person in his/her life. I always wonder if people see me and assume I will be ABW because I am black and a woman. And then, if I don't it will be "oh no, she isn't black enough - she isn't really black". So I just point out that maybe there is a stereotype out there - and people could be looking for things that feed into it rather than a blank canvas of trying to figure out who she is as a person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely YAY. And honestly no one would be calling her angry or narcissistic or arrogant if she was 1) white; or 2) a man.

I absolutely agree ... and I am NOT a black woman.

I haven't really watched Michelle Obama to really form an opinion either way. The one thing I have to comment on is the "angry" comments. I don't know if anyone ever watched Real World on MTV. There is always a certain typecast for the members. Not every season but most, they always have what I affectionately refer to as the "ABW" (angry black woman) character. And always, that person rooms with the person down from the farm that has never met a black person in his/her life. I always wonder if people see me and assume I will be ABW because I am black and a woman. And then, if I don't it will be "oh no, she isn't black enough - she isn't really black". So I just point out that maybe there is a stereotype out there - and people could be looking for things that feed into it rather than a blank canvas of trying to figure out who she is as a person.

I agree that tv shows have a tendency of promoting stereotypes. I'm surprised that even today, they still use Latinas as housekeepers in tv shows. I haven't been paying attention recently, but when I was a teen, they'd often portray Asians as nerdy, like in the Breakfast Club or one of those teen movies.

[Anonymous]

Yay, and much better than McCain's "plastic" wife. I can't stand the way she always stands silently behind him when he speaks to a crowd.

[Anonymous]

Don't think she's angry - I find her intelligent, passionate and sincere. She clearly loves her husband and supports him, even though she initially wasn't thrilled about his running for president. Check out her appearance on the Colbert show via youtube - the bit about silver spoons (she's funny and Colbert is charmed). She's very real and frank. She's also a fighter, that may turn people off, but you have to be a fighter to a large extent to make your way to Princeton and Harvard and to get ahead in the corporate world when you're an "outsider" (not only was she an outsider because of race, but also socioeconomically - her family was solidly working class). There was an article, I believe in the New York Times, that talked about her freshman roommate at Princeton whose mother pitched a fit when she discovered that her daughter would be rooming with an African-American (definitely an eye-opening article that shows prejudice was alive and well at Princeton in the 1980s).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was an article, I believe in the New York Times, that talked about her freshman roommate at Princeton whose mother pitched a fit when she discovered that her daughter would be rooming with an African-American (definitely an eye-opening article that shows prejudice was alive and well at Princeton in the 1980s).

Is it this one?

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/news/stories...2/roommate_0413.html

As for my vote, a big YAY for Michelle Obama.

[Anonymous]

YAY!

[Anonymous]

YAY! I in now way, shape or form find her angry. I honestly think that calling her that plays into the angry black woman stereotype, which is racist, sexist and is offensive. Her thesis is anything but angry. It is reflective and intelligent.

Even if she was/is angry, what is wrong with that? This country is great, ,but it has a shady past and the present is not so hot either. There is room for great criticism. Women can be angry and productive, just as men can. Anger channeled in the proper direction can promote great change. Personally, I think calling her angry is a smear campaign and so typical of this country.