The Other Obama

The daily news is has for months brought us the gritty details and fine-grained minutiae of the campaign trail. It is the talk around water coolers, during coffee breaks, and at social gatherings big and small. We know all about Senator McCain’s out of the Country itinerary, we have been meticulously prepped on Senator Clinton’s push to let freedom ring for the Democratic Primary delegates of Florida and Michigan, and we know far more than we ever thought we would want to about the man Senator Obama has referred to as his Spiritual Leader (Jeremiah Wright). Yes, we have the Tee-shirt on Campaign 101; been there, done that.

With the Pennsylvania Primary just under two weeks away, on April 22nd, you can be sure that the next 13 days will serve up more of the same. Several times since November, I’ve written about politics and/or elections. Over the course of the next 7 months, various aspects of the 2008 primaries, National political conventions, and the General Election will demand our attention.

With time to spare before the next primary, and on the heels (no pun intended) of the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Championships, I decided to take a few minutes to focus on Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama. By the way, in case you have been under a rock…or just don’t follow those sorts of things, the Kansa Jayhawks won the Men’s Title Monday evening in a thrilling come from behind, win in overtime victory of the Memphis Tigers. It was the 1st Title for the Jayhawks in 20 years. Last night, the Tennessee Volunteers beat the Stanford Cardinal, giving the Vols their second Title in a row. Congratulations to the Jayhawks and Volunteers.

With Senator McCain having locked up the Republican nomination, most of the buzz on the campaign trail has revolved around the two remaining democrats for weeks now. In a race that seems destined to produce an historic outcome, either Clinton or Obama will become the Party’s nominee, making it the first time either major has nominated a woman or a black for President. But you have heard all about that. The rest of these few moments will be spent getting more familiar with Mrs. Obama.

Like her husband, Michelle matriculated at Ivy League Universities for undergraduate and Law School. She attended and graduated with honors from Princeton in 1985, majoring in sociology, with a minor in African American studies, before attending Harvard Law School, where she earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1988 (Barack graduated from Columbia in 1983, with a BA in political science and a specialization in international relations, and from Harvard Law School, with high honors, in 1991. He became the Harvard law Review’s first black president in 1990).

A Chicago native, Michelle met Barack when they were the only two African-Americans working at their law firm, and she was assigned to mentor him while he worked as a summer associate. On their first date, they went to see Spike Lee’s movie, Do the Right Thing. She was born in Chicago, January 17, 1964, raised on the South side, and returned there after receiving her formal education. She, and Barack, married in 1992, and they and their two children, Malia, and Natasha, still live in Chicago, rather than Washington. Interestingly, to me anyway, she has a brother who coaches college basketball. Her brother, Craig Robinson, was just named head coach at Oregon State University, Monday, after a two-year stint as head man at Brown University.

Michelle has had a steadily evolving role over the course of Barack’s campaign. Early in the campaign, she resisted the title adviser. As the campaign has developed, so has her role. At this stage, it is fair to say, she is acknowledged as the Senator’s closest adviser.

But she has plays numerous roles, including stump speaker. Yesterday she made her first-ever visit to North Carolina, appearing in Harrisburg, located just outside Charlotte, and in Winston-Salem. Bright, compassionate, articulate, Michelle Obama has become a star in her own right. And while it’s clear, she’s carrying the banner for Team Obama, it is clear she could create her own niche in political circles, should she ever desire to pursue that calling. But to be fair, seeking the spotlight has never appealed to the woman Barack calls, his “rock.” To that end, she made not be Hillary redux, but let us not get ahead of ourselves. As far as campaigns go, this is Barack’s time; as far as this synopsis goes, it is Michelle’s time.

One of the certainties about extended intense media scrutiny, is sooner or later, there is going to be a “gotcha” moment. The longer and more intense the scrutiny, the more such moments there will be. Michelle experienced her signal “gotcha” moment (to date) February 18, 2008, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There she commented, "For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback." As far as Mrs. Obama is concerned, that remark has become the proverbial shot heard ‘round the world.

Looking back on it, Michelle appears to have been given a mulligan for her Milwaukee statement. The official campaign response was anyone listening to it would clearly understand she was speaking of politics. The storm died down, and the steely glare of the media’s spotlight went elsewhere in search of controversy. Of course, as the campaign winds on, chances are Michelle’s number will come up again. I have no doubt she will handle whatever it is with similar aplomb.

The Obamas have clearly designed and crafted a message that resonates with millions of Americans. Without a doubt, more work remains. But if Michelle has her way, it looks as though she will finally have to bite the bullet and abandon the Windy City for our Nation’s Capital. Somehow, I think, should it come to that, she will do just fine.
I am done; holla back!

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

http://www.barackobama.com/about/michelle_obama/

http://www.newsweek.com/id/112849

http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/572303.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2176683/pagenum/all/

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8642.html

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/49244.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqCYFpUAJ2Q

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/10/AR2007051002573.html

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/10/080310fa_fact_collins

http://marriage.about.com/od/celebritymarriages/p/barackobama.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-05-10-michelle-obama_N.htm

http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/803267,CST-NWS-marin20.article

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/12/michelle_obama200712

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/04/21/michelle-obama-vs-hillary-clinton/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20041755/