I don't understand the attacks on Michelle.

[redstate_democrat]

I really don't. These people claim that she is "angry" or "unpatriotic", but what has she done or said that would lead anyone to that conclusion?

So she said that people getting involved in the political process has made her really proud for the first time in her adult life. So what? She was CLEARLY talking in terms of the election process.

What else has she done or said that has made people so vicious towards her?

She is simply being who she is. She is NOT going to back down and be the cookie cutter no voice woman typically called "wife" by the political elite. She is a regular woman.

I think folks are just JEALOUS of her. They are jealous of the life she has. They are jealous of her education. They are jealous she is married to Barack. They are jealous that she has such beautiful kids. They are simply JEALOUS and MAD that she has the audacity to be where she is. The fact that she is not shy and comes across as a very confident and proud woman is also another reason for people to hate her. Some people think she should walk around with a big smile on her face thanking and bowing down to everyone for allowing her to be where she is. She is who she is and where she is because of her own hard work. No one gave her anything. Some people probably think she should be less proud, less confident, less than a woman, but she is not. She is a WOMAN. She is a force to be reckoned with. People better learn to love it or get out of the way. Stop hating on her.

[hokies4ever]

1. It makes a great talking point to decribe black people as angry

since it feeds into the stereotype.

[blogslut]

2. You said cookie

hee hee :hi:

Whatever it is these scumbags are trying to do by going after Michelle, it ain't gonna work. In fact, it will backfire. Michelle Obama is authentic. Cindy Lou McCain is a plastic princess.

[redstate_democrat]

9. Hee hee so you caught that huh? I tried to work cookie-gate into my description of a plastic wife.

:hi:

The GOP and the scumbag MSM better watch their steps. It will backfire in the worst way.

[silverojo]

23. Plastic, yes. Princess, no way. n/t

[SoCalDem]

3. It easy to understand..

1) they insult her
2) Barack defends her
.......a. becomes angry black man ...oooh scary
.......b. shrugs it off and becomes weak, unchivalrous elitist snob

the offenders are egging HIM on ..so HE can respond ...

They have nothing against her, personally.....

but if SHE lashes out, then they can paint her as some radical, uppity woman who "wears the pants" in the family

[redstate_democrat]

11. I can see this. But sometimes I think some of this is PERSONAL.

when it comes to her.

[opihimoimoi]

4. Thats how The GOP Operate...create Distrust, Suspicion, and Denigrate, nit pick on

BS Charges...

They have nothing Positive to discuss / bring to the Table....only Negative Crap...Shame on them...

[redstate_democrat]

12. Why is our media so friggin useless? Why aren't they asking HARD questions like

why is the GOP focused on Michelle? If it's fair to attack Michelle, is it also fair to attack Cindy McCain? What about the ISSUES?

The MSM is as useless in this country.

[opihimoimoi]

30. If they cannot attack Obama...go for the wife....if not, go for the kids. these guys are ruthless

heartless, and are so desperate, they would nit pick on his Positive Plan to Advance America...even if it means being counter productive.

These dudes are outta control with the thought of losing POWER...

[sandnsea]

5. It's politics, they started months ago

Like Ann Richards said a long time ago, it's like the slow drip on a stone. That's what these Rove Republicans do. Drip drip drip. They count on heartland Americans to not question what they say because most people don't lie and don't think others lie. Our media doesn't even get it, I don't know how we expect voters to.

[redstate_democrat]

14. I'll be so glad when we rid ourselves of the cancer that is GOP rule.

They always fuck everything up. What good have they ever done? NOTHING. Not a gawddamned thing ever.

[samplegirl]

6. despair

their attacks are not working so good these days.

[Sans Givingadamn]

7. I have never seen her angry

I have never heard her raise her voice at anyone or express anger. She seems poised to me.

[redstate_democrat]

15. I haven't either. That's why I'm like, what the hell is this REALLY about?

Even the media have bought into this. People are seriously asking what's wrong with Michelle. There isn't anything wrong with her. There is something wrong with them. Assholes. One comment does not make a person. They have these stereotypical views about her and they just come to the situation with these preconceived notions not based in reality. If Michelle had once had a drug addiction and stole from the hospital she worked for to feed her addiction, Barack Obama would never have been allowed to get this far. She would have been trashed in the MSM long ago. As a matter of fact, Michelle would probably have been sent to jail, kids taken away, and Obama would never have been allowed to be a senator. That's how fucked up this country is in regards to how justice is handed down.

Assholes.

[truedelphi]

8. I think there is a very large segment of Repug supporters that are very swayed by attacks

On the Dem candidates' wives. I knew of two people who would not vote for Kerry because Limbaugh and others kept saying waht a "b" Teresa Heinz Kerry was.

And even Newsweek went with that story - their last issue before the election had a photo of Kerry and Teresa at a ballgame. The couple was leaning into each other talking, with the Newesweek caption that Teresa was explaining the game to John. (I was like, "from a photo they can tell what people are saying?") But they accomplished two things with their caption - one that Teresa "wears the pants," and two that Kerry is a weak guy who doesn't even understand sports!!

The M$M would not be doing it again this time around if surveys didn't show them how it gets some people's vote for the Republican candidate.

[mystieus]

10. GOP is desperate.

[grantcart]

13. It isn't just one thing but a very large part of the attack on Michelle Obama is pure racism.

[vaberella]

16. Exactly and they use racist verbiage against her as something she's said.

She's fair game for them and they will attack her to no end.

[redstate_democrat]

17. I know. Could you imagine Cindy McCain being labeled by the MSM as a "baby mama"?

Or "angry white woman"? Cindy McCain is a recovering drug addict, spoiled heiress, homewrecking liar, and generally a very rude and obnoxious person. Why aren't people focused on THAT?

PURE AND UNADULTERATED RACISM. The fact is, she is clearly black, comes from two black parents, raised on the South Side of Chicago, and most of these characters on tv have never even known or held a conversation with a person like that. They are uncomfortable. Barack makes them feel just a little comfortable because of his background. But her? Oh no. She is just TOO black for them.

[grantcart]

25. Yup and you know what really is at the bottom of a lot of it?

Barack could have done a Tiger Woods - he could have gone Wall Street and married into rich white or rich AA.


But he loved her and it makes them uncomfortable.

[Darth_Kitten]

32. Not really.

I don't know her, so I don't really care....but if some people choose to not like her,whatever. Doesn't keep me up nights.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

42. If you don't care then why do you find it necessary to weigh in on this thread?

Actually, I think I know why.

[Cleita]

18. This is how they picked on Hillary.

They looked for some vulnerabilities and went after them. Hillary sometimes was defeated by them. I hope Michelle looks back in history and studies Jackie Kennedy. Jackie was originally targeted for criticism because she was pregnant when John was campaigning and she didn't go on the campaign trail for him, for speaking French and Spanish and so many ridiculous things, but she was able to handle the attackers with steely grace and eventually they had to back off.

[pnwmom]

20. She also had that little tiny baby girl voice.

Michelle's not going to copy that any more than Hillary -- and neither of them should. Even at the risk of some people calling them "shrill."

[Cleita]

22. You are talking about Jackie?

Jackie actually didn't spend a whole lot of time talking. As a matter of fact a very little time which added to her mystique. She only spoke when she had something to say and it was a quiet voice but I would hardly call it a baby voice.

[pnwmom]

27. It was a whispery voice in the same vein as the FLDS women, although

with the Mainline accent.

There's one video where she's giving a tour of the White House that I remember. The first time I saw it (as an adult), I was surprised at the voice. It was so little girlish -- not what I had expected.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peggy-drexler/where-have-all-the-good-g_b_63237.html

There are few roles more precisely written than First Lady - the term, alone, speaks volumes. From Jackie Kennedy - speaking in her best breathy little girl voice about redecorating the West Wing to Laura Bush, who always seems to be walking several paces behind her husband, Americans have certain expectations about the woman of the White House.

[Darth_Kitten]

36. Frumpy fashions?

Sorry, but Jackie O dressed like a frump. Evil. I wonder what her cookie recipe was? :evilgrin:

First Lady? What an out-dated role and concept. The U.S. is a still way too comfortable with the term, IMO.

[pnwmom]

41. The French considered her quite fashionable.

But what do they know?

[Cleita]

45. Oh, for crap's sake. She was dressed by Oleg Cassini and women ran to

the stores to emulate her look. Unlike Nancy Reagan who somehow looked cheap in designer clothes, Jackie was very much a princess in elegance and chic similar to Princess Diana. I still have a pillbox hat from that era. I suppose you think Mamie Eisenhower and Barbara Bush were elegant, not to mention our present First Lady who looks like she shops in a thrift shop or remakes the drapes into her outfits. And whether you think the term First Lady is quaint, the majority of the nation doesn't and will be watching Michelle's every step and misstep. She needs to emulate Jackie's way of speaking on her own terms not theirs. She can wear whatever she likes.

[Cleita]

44. So as far as you are concerned she's not a good role model because you

don't like her voice. Jackie never spoke except on her terms so the opposition could never trap her in putting words into her mouth like they constantly did Hillary Clinton and should have with Laura Bush, but they don't attack Laura because she's First Lady to a Republican President. She was interviewed only on her terms. I don't think Michelle needs to lower her voice but she needs to study Jackie's way of keeping the press and the Republicans behind that metaphorical velvet rope and on her terms like Jackie did.

[pnwmom]

46. You're putting a lot of words in my mouth that I didn't say.

Yes, Jackie used a little-girl voice that helped make her seem very "feminine" -- in the old-fashioned sense -- and "non-threatening." She must have been taught to modulate her voice that way in order to be "ladylike."

No, Michelle and Hillary shouldn't be expected to adopt her method of dealing with the press.

[Cleita]

48. I was asking because your post

sounded like that. I think Hillary could have learned a lot from her on how to deal with the press and so could Michelle.

[pnwmom]

49. I think we're past the day when First Ladies should be seen and not heard. n/t

[Cleita]

50. Well, then they are going to have to be prepared for what the enemy

flings at them. Hillary often wasn't. We don't know how Michelle will do it yet.

[pnwmom]

51. They're always going to be flinging stuff.

Michelle will handle it.

The only thing that will bother me is if the Democrats join in, like they did with Hillary.

[Cleita]

52. Who did with Hillary?

I don't remember any Democrats sanctioning the right wing attacks on her when she was First Lady, whether it was the statement she made about tea and cookies or when she talked about a vast right wing conspiracy. I don't remember one, and if you have some source to prove otherwise, please post it so we can all be better informed.

[pnwmom]

53. When HRC ran for the Senate, some of her opponents' supporters

used the same kind of language against her that the Rethugs had always used. This continued on into her Presidential race. She was too cold and calculating, she was a witch with a cackle, etc. etc.

[Cleita]

54. But she was no longer First Lady, but a candidate.

[pnwmom]

55. So that made blatantly sexist attacks by other Dems okay? n/t

[Cleita]

56. Keep focused.

We are talking about First Ladies. No it doesn't make it okay but it didn't happen when she was a First Lady. Only the Republicans attacked her then.

[pnwmom]

58. I think First Ladies should be more than decorators and decoration.

Laura Bush should be the end of the line.

[pnwmom]

19. Did you understand the attacks on Hillary when she first hit the national scene?

It's the same thing. Strong, smart, ambitious women threaten a lot of people.

[redstate_democrat]

21. I guess my question was rhetorical. Ignorance just never ceases to amaze me.

I guess my real question should be why are supposedly serious journalists actually covering the smears and buying into them. Why is this still allowed? Michelle is attacked because she is black and she is attacked because she is a strong, smart, ambitious woman. This should not be allowed in this day and age. "Obama's baby mama" was just on Fox "News" a week ago. People actually watch that network for news. Why are people so damn stupid!?

[pnwmom]

29. The reason it's still happening is because we didn't fight it enough the first

time around -- when the Hillary-haters began. Instead, too many of us actually joined in. It shouldn't be a surprise that the Rethugs would start this up again -- it worked so well the first time.

[Raine]

24. I got to agree...JEALOUSY plus

FEAR of a strong woman. I remember them going after both Hillary and Teresa Heinz when their husbands were running too. If it's not fear and jealousy, than what the hell else could it be. There is no other reason for it! On the other side, Betty Ford took crap too from the media.

[Donkey_Punch_Dubya]

26. They started this. We must respond with facts and mention Cindy McC's drug theft

Most people today don't even know that Laura Bush killed someone accidentally with her car when she was 17. If she weren't married to a Repuke, it would've been all over the news and pundits for months.

Most people don't know that Cindy McCain stole drugs from her charity to feed her addiction and used it to get illegal prescriptions. This would be talked about NONSTOP if she were married to a Dem. Hell, just the fact that she broke up his first marriage would be talked about nonstop if she married a Dem.

Hillary made some smart trades in cattle futures and made some money from it in the 1990s, and it was talked about NONSTOP in a negative way. Not that she was smart or lucky, but that there was something sneaky, evil and unamerican about it.

Hillary was first in her Yale Law School class, and that was talked about in a negative way while Bill was campaigning. I don't remember anything about Carter's wife, so I'm using the only Dem First Lady and some GOP wives as evidence.

Don't we see a pattern here? Read David Brock's "The Republican Noise Machine" for a good description of how the GOP media like talk radio, Fox, conservative columninsts and others create an echo chamber that makes it seem like something is on everyone's minds across the country, when it really is a carefull planned and controlled GOP talking point or smear. And the mainstream media then runs with it and it dominates many news cycles.

After the way Clinton was treated in the 90s, people were then surprised that Gore was treated badly and Bush was given a pass for so many things? After the way Gore was treated, people were surprised that the Swift Boat smears were given legitimacy by the media and much of the summer talk in 2004 was about how unpatriotic and terrible Kerry was for opposing Vietnam after he served there? After the way Kerry was treated, people are now surprised Obama's wife is getting an unfair shake relative to Cindy McDrugstealer? Obama will not get a fair shake in this election because of the Republican noise machine and the media's willing assistance. We have to fight back and all Dem strategists should use as much air time as they get to fight back and level the playing field.

Obama will lose the election despite his current lead if we all sit back and hope the attacks don't happen this time or the attacks will not be believed this time.

[bridgit]

28. I do...

[Darth_Kitten]

31. My guard always goes up when people say "You're just JEALOUS!!!"

Maybe some people are just too tired, worn out, or just don't care one way or the other. :shrug:

[LostinVA]

37. Same here

[mrreowwr_kittty]

43. And maybe some people have to continually post in threads about subjects they don't care about.

Maybe they're jealous. :shrug:

[a kennedy]

33. It happens because African Americans are,

Undervalued, Underestimated, and Marginalized......per Joe Madison, The Black Eagle, XM channel 169. :patriot:

[Medusa]

34. They went after Teresa Kerry too, remember?

they (the repugs) like their women quiet, subservient, not smart and vocal.

[high density]

39. Yes this seems to be something out of the GOP playbook

Make the candidate's spouse into something evil and it makes hating the candidate themselves all that much easier. The only way the GOP can win these days is to whip up mobs of hatred.

[frickaline]

35. I think they are trying to force her to make herself more known

in the hopes that she speaks in public more often and makes some mistakes.

The more they attack her, the more the O folks need her to "let America get to know her" to fight the attacks. She has been known in the past to say some off-the-wall things. She is not the politician Obama is and the Rs know this and are trying to use it.

[Peacetrain]

38. When you have nothing to offer the American people...and the republics don't

and they know it.. most of the base does not even like their republic candidate.. does not mirror their values ??? (if anyone can figure those out please let me know)..

So what have they got left.. personal attacks..woooooo.. scary people.. maybe not American enough.. way too tan.. yadda yadda yadda.. and the last few times, our people have fallen for it, and let the gollums on the other side define our people..

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THIS TIME!:kick:

[Buzz Clik]

40. The whole point is to keep reminding everyone that she is not white.

[Imagevision]

47. Repugs and Mccain can't touch Barack so all they have left is smear Mishelle

[uponit7771]

57. EVERY WOMEN SHOULD BE UP IN ARMS!!!! First Hillary, then Kerrys wife and now Michelle!!