Now that Wrightgate is in the past, those hoping to steer Barack Obama off course are once again turning to his wife, Michelle. Our girl is seriously under scrutiny because folks are looking for a crucial misstep they can latch on to derail this campaign. If they could do it before Denver, spectacular (then Hillary will all of a sudden be the nominee).
The real threat comes from McCain’s camp, especially because they have a lot of time on their hands while they wait for a confirmed Democratic nominee. They are watching Michelle and scrutinizing her every word, waiting to pounce should she make one misstep. (And they won’t stop trying even if Obama says wives are off limits.)
I believe this increased deconstruction of her not just words, but the tenor of her voice, her emotion, passion and attitude is putting Michelle Obama in an untenable position. To date, she has been authentically herself and has not apologized for it. But being labeled as such things as ungrateful, rude, crude, angry (of course) and ghetto on blog message boards and by talk show radio hosts and listeners is causing her to soften her approach slightly. Now, she has to decide whether it would be better to continue to dial down her personality further or say “this is who I am.”
Either way, Michelle can’t win. Even if she is quieter she will never be a Barbie-esque, smiling nitwit. She wouldn’t be able to fake it even if she wanted to. And if she is too outspoken and authentic she risks alienating folks. (We all know how our directness scares people.) One thing is for sure, Michelle Obama must figure out to how to work within her comfort zone. That way, she will continue to make real connections with potential votes and show her daughters how a black woman handles a challenge.
May 25th, 2008 at 9:31 am
You’re right, she will be scrutinized no matter what she does. I think the problem is that people want to see strong black men and women fail. Why? Because the white folks are shocked that they’ve come this far, so they put them under scrutiny to find their Achilles heel. And SOME black people are jealous of their accomplishments and want to tear them down to make themselves feel better about not making the same accomplishments in their own life.
June 8th, 2008 at 1:33 am
We haven’t seen to much of Michelle because she is threatening. Most intelligent black women are. Honestly I can’t wait til she comes out swinging. I am sure it will be after Barack wins. (smile) NO really I think that Michelle is taking care of her daughters and making sure they are protected during all of this. From the article I read in Newsweek she is not the type to apologize for who she is. Nor should she be. There are all types of people in the world, she is, who she is! I loved how she wore PURPLE the other night when Barack claimed the win of the nomination. Typically the wives of the candidates would wear red, white and blue or a derivative of the flag. Not my girl Michelle! That’s what I am talking about!
This entire campaign takes the Cosby Show a step further if you will… that show allowed a view of what a black family unit could potentially be like to people not of African descent. We already new the deal. For other folks…
The public look at the marriage of Michelle and Barack is culture shock for some. People are threaten that a black woman could be in the white house… In their eyes they she jezebel, they see unruly black woman. Not loving wife, or caring mother. She is the bomb to have put up with what she has already and I am sure that Michelle will graciously handle what comes!