Time:What Michelle Obama Would Bring to the White House

[cal04]

CURTIS SITTENFELD
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1845156,00.html

Michelle Obama is tall, smart, funny, relaxed and basically so glowy and poised - if she's attractive in pictures, she's flat-out gorgeous in person - that it almost seems as if she already is the First Lady.

Or at least this is the conclusion I came to after sitting down with her at Denver's Westin Tabor Center during the Democratic National Convention. I'd been tagging after her for a couple of days, from one rapturous audience to another, including the crowd at a community-service event for soldiers, at which an Iraq-war veteran introduced her by announcing, "Ma'am, I know you weren't in the military, but I'd follow you anywhere." If all that hadn't quite convinced me (it was the Democratic Convention, after all), I'd guess it took roughly the first 30 seconds of our interview for me to fall for her. It happened when I asked whether she gets bored giving the same speech over and over, and she cheerfully replied, "Yeah, absolutely."

It had never been that I didn't like Michelle Obama. (Full disclosure: I voted for Hillary Clinton in Missouri's Democratic primary.) But after writing a novel about a First Lady based loosely on Laura Bush, I saw Michelle as, well, controversial. Back in June, when she made a visit to The View to talk about policy issues such as panty hose (in case you missed the episode, she's con), the appearance was widely considered part of a charm offensive intended to rehabilitate an image damaged by, among other things, the now infamous remark she'd made during a speech a few months before: "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback." I also knew that some people found Michelle to be variously "mean," "uppity" and "radical" - not me, mind you, but people. Plus, this very magazine had asked on its cover in June, "Will Michelle Obama Hurt Barack in November?"

(snip)
And this is Michelle Obama's greatest gift: her ability to relate to regular people, and vice versa. Even though she's taller and fitter and better educated than most of us, she is completely and totally believable as a person who lives in the same world we do, who consumes the same pop culture (Us Weekly, anyone?) and shops at the same stores (Target, Gap) and struggles with most if not all of the same personal and professional juggling acts.

[grasswire]

1. I'll tell you what sold me on Michelle

....and, by extension, made me more sympathetic to her husband.

It was during the convention when the camera would often focus on her face while she was listening to speakers. What she was feeling was written all across her face. And what she was feeling was something honest and true and good. There was no artifice or guile. There was courage, and pride in her husband, and concern for him and, yes, for all of us.

I can't exactly explain it. But I came to trust Barrack Obama because of what I saw in Michelle's face. She's the real deal.

[Lifetimedem]

2. I just love her..

[2Design]

7. exactly - her face shows deep love for this man and respect n/t

[Doctor_J]

8. She actually listens, intently, when someone is speaking

that's a very good and very rare quality.

[Frisbee]

9. I felt exactly the same way...

and had similar feelings towards Jill Biden when Joe was speaking. Both these ladies show their feelings, but not in a showy forced way, but a sincere human way. I don't think I've ever seen a spouse look prouder than Jill did when Joe was speaking. What a wonderful change this will be (assuming it happens) from Lynn Cheney and Laura "Stepford" Bush.

[alsame]

11. They are real people. They haven't lived in a bubble for

decades, they are part of the world most of us inhabit.

[HockeyMom]

3. Class

that is what she will bring. You cannot buy that with money. You are born with it.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I am very impatient to see her living in the White House...

I know she will be magnificent at the Inaugural Ball.

[pearl]

5. Living in Chicago

I have been on board with Obama since the beginning. The cut to Michelle during the telling of Bidens story by his son, Michelle was so moved she was crying and it really got me. I have heard her many speeches that have been featured on C-Span throughout the year.

Yes We Can!

[jrockford]

6. Whereas Cindy would bring....a bunch of pills? nt

[ilrslr3]

10. Right On

U Rock jrockford!