Naomi Wolf: Michelle Obama is poised, clever, savvy, shrewd ...

[babylonsister]

Michelle Obama is poised, clever, savvy, shrewd ...
By Naomi Wolf
Posted: 03/22/2009 12:30:00 AM MDT



NEW YORK — In one week, Michelle Obama sat for a formal White House portrait, dressed in somber, tailored clothes; posed for a snazzy People magazine cover, dressed in a slightly down-market, hot-pink lace outfit that showed plenty of skin; let the national media know that the First Family would be getting its new puppy from a rescue shelter; and had her press office mention casually that "secretaries and policymakers" had been invited for popcorn and movies at the White House.

That same week, in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, a national poll found that support for President Barack Obama was remarkably high, with respondents consistently saying that he "cares about people like me."

These two phenomena are closely related. Almost from her first appearance in the public eye, Michelle Obama has used clothing, etiquette and such cues as where she shops and entertains to send out a subtle but radical message to American voters and to the world.

For the first time since the days of Andrew Jackson, the White House is aggressively "democratizing" the highest office in the land, and symbolically inviting in the common man — and now the common woman.

In other words, Mrs. Obama is managing to set herself up, unprecedentedly, as the "people's First Lady." She has carefully studied not only Jackie Kennedy — a comparison obvious from her sheath dresses, boat collars and page-boy haircut — but also the triumphs and failures of that other glamorous but underestimated stealth radical, Princess Diana.

more...

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_11954752

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. I think so much of Michelle Obama - she's down to earth and brilliant

Amazing woman.

[gblady]

2. Great article....

about an amazing woman.
Thanks for sharing.

[Top Cat]

3. Great article and oh so true

[tanyev]

4. Nice to see a few props for Princess Di in the article, too.

Yes, she had her troubles, but I agree she was underappreciated for many things.

[KittyWampus]

5. Jackie Kennedy had Oleg Cassini who was skilled as a designer working with movies and camera

He knew what worked and what didn't.

Michelle Obama hasn't apparently "studied" anyone, as far as I can see. And would benefit a great deal if she'd find a professional stylist to work with her.

But getting to Klein's main point about democratizing the White House and expressing that through symbolic gestures and visual cues, I agree that Michelle is not just savvy and clever. However, I think she is entirely authentic. Maybe she thought about Princess Diana, but somehow I kind of doubt it and think Michelle Obama is being assuredly herself with only minimal input from advisors.

Although I appreciate Klein's summary of Diana's influence and just how powerful a personality she was and how far an impact she created.

As far as backgrounds, both Jackie and Diana were born into aristocratic families and destined to marry wealth and power to act as broodmares. Jackie seemed to be aware of that on some level. Diana seemed tragically unaware and unprepared.

IMO, Diana was equally about wanting to reach out to the public to help them as well as NEEDING the public for self-fulfillment and love. Heavens knows, she wasn't getting the affirmation any person needs from her husband or the inbred aristocracy she ended up being surrounded by.

All in all, that was a thought provoking article.

Fascinating to compare Diana and Michelle.

[babylonsister]

6. You think she needs a professional stylist? I don't.

I think she's doing just fine because of her authenticity, and I like that she's spotlighting fashion from new designers.

[Cha]

7. I, too, think Michelle Obama is

awesome just the way she is without having to call in any professional stylist.

Reality is in, baby.

[KittyWampus]

9. then you must not have read the article linked to in the OP. Klein points out the importance

of symbolic gestures and appearances.

Reality.

You can be the best cook in the real world, but if your dish is featured in a magazine it'll look like crap on a plate without a food stylist.

Reality in real time is one thing. Reality when caught on film is another.

[KittyWampus]

8. She can easily spotlight new designers and still look better in public than she does now

Most of the time Michelle Obama looks good in a half-assed way.

She has a very good BASIC fashion sense but it's obvious she doesn't know how to pull looks together. But then, she's a working woman who also happens to be a mom and probably not all that concerned with external trappings like fashion. That's why she should consider hiring a talented, sensitive stylist.

A good stylist and personal shopper doesn't force stuff on their client. They know their clients' taste and work within it.

It's like home decorating or web design. You can tell who's had a professional designer and who hasn't. And just because you walk into a house or navigate to a website that's been decorated by a professional doesn't mean that interior or layout doesn't reflect the owner's taste.

[babylonsister]

10. I like her because she's not perfect. She wouldn't

be herself if she felt she had to depend on a stylist to get it right.
Granted, I don't like everything she wears, but I just bet she doesn't care, and that's okay, too. She's uniquely herself and I'd hate for a stylist to ruin that.

[Cha]

13. Remember Naomi Wolfe was the one

who advised Al Gore to wear Earth Tones and the corporatemediaWhoredom made their usual stinky mess about it.

Al Gore looks very good in Earth tones, though:)

[Number23]

11. LOL I love how the author claims that Michelle has "studied" Jackie O and Princess Diana

As if it just beyond the realm of human comprehension that the life experiences of a black chick born on the South side of Chicago would cause her to develop an "empathy chip" a mile long and wide.

Many of the most community-involved and civic-minded people I know are middle class black people. And especially middle class black women.

[polichick]

12. Michelle is very real imo - it's always fun to see what she does next!