Michelle Obama @ Marie Claire
Marie Claire Intvs Michelle Obama:
The chic, shoot-from-the-hip newcomer talks about her critics, her life in the media whirl, and Wal-Mart vs. Target
She’s been called everything from Barack’s better half to his bitter half. Critics tsk-tsk her for being too blunt and, more recently, for seeming too soft. Feminists say she shouldn’t sideline her career to focus on her husband’s job, while fans call her the strength behind the historic presidential candidate. So how does Michelle Obama cope? With a little help from Beyoncé, natch….
Marie Claire: You’ve said that if Barack
is elected, you’ll become “mom-in-chief” in the White House. What does that mean, exactly?
Michelle Obama: What I meant is that my first priority would be my two girls - making sure they’re happy and comfortable during what would be a major transition for them. Throughout this campaign, I’ve built my schedule around the girls and their activities, so I’m there when they wake up in the morning and home in time to have dinner and tuck them into bed at night.
MC: How have your girls been affected already by life in the public eye?
MO: Well, there’s all the consideration that their search for the perfect dog has gotten from the public. We’re getting lots of mail with suggestions! The girls think this is just great - they’re excited that so many people want them to get the best dog ever. Also, one thing that has helped keep their lives normal is that we’ve kept the same friends since the girls were born. And today the girls attend the same school and play on the same teams as they did 19 months ago. Their teachers and coaches know that this is a huge change for our family, and they know the girls well enough to treat them the same today as when this all started.
MC: Barack said that you and he regretted going on Access Hollywood with your daughters. Why did you do it?
MO: You know, it was a onetime thing; it was Malia’s birthday, and we were out on the road having a fun weekend together as a family. We don’t foresee it happening again in the near future … I think we’re all figuring this out. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to talk to people who’ve done this before. I’ve had great conversations with Hillary Clinton, Tipper Gore, and Caroline Kennedy, and they’ve all given me advice on how to make sure your kids are whole and grounded. I think a part of that is keeping them, keeping their worlds, very much their own.
MC: How do you handle massive stress? Do you ever have meltdowns?
MO: Exercise is really important to me - it’s therapeutic. So if I’m ever feeling tense or stressed or like I’m about to have a meltdown, I’ll put on my iPod and head to the gym or out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls.
MC: So, what’s on your iPod?
MO: I have a pretty eclectic mix of everything, from Beyoncé to Stevie Wonder. He’s my favorite artist of all time, so I probably have every song he’s ever recorded. But if I hear something I like somewhere, I’ll add it. I just heard this CD by Anthony David, who’s an R&B guy - I put him on there. That’s brand new, so I’m kind of enjoying that a lot now. I also have some old Mariah Carey; the girls have reintroduced me to some of her older stuff. So I have a good mix: some pop, some R&B, some jazz.
MC: How do you deal with all the women swooning over your husband? Obama Girl, Scarlett Johansson - even New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd compares him to Jane Austen’s hero Mr. Darcy.
MO: I can’t blame them - he’s cute!
MC: Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen has advised Barack to head to Wal-Mart to connect with the “Wal-Mart women” who supported Hillary. What do you say to people who think your husband is too slick or elite for working-class voters?
MO: I find it funny that people have tried to label Barack as an elitist. This is the man who grew up not knowing his father, with a young, single mother who he watched struggle to make ends meet - even going on food stamps at one point. And despite the economic struggles that his family went through, Barack turned down lucrative careers on Wall Street and went to work in communities to help folks in need on the South Side of Chicago, helping families who’d been devastated when the local steel plants shut down.
MC: Do you shop at Wal-Mart?
MO: I’m more of a Target shopper.
MC: How does it feel to be a media target? Do you feel picked on?
MO: One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.
MC: What do you think of John McCain’s claim that Barack is a celebrity like Britney and Paris?
MO: You know, I haven’t seen the ad, but I think the comparison is pretty silly!
MC: You’ve complained about the cost of summer camp, when your household income was $4.2 million last year. Do you think you can relate to moms who can’t pay their mortgage?
MO: Barack and I were paying off our student loans until a very short time ago. We’re lucky that he’s had a couple of best-selling books … but we didn’t come from privileged backgrounds. We both know what it’s like to struggle and work hard, and we’re not very far removed from families who are doing everything they can to keep up with rising costs.
MC: What do you think of Sarah Palin?
MO: I think Governor Palin has a compelling life story, and she’s certainly accomplished a great deal while also balancing raising a family. She’s a working mom, so we have that in common. The benefit of being your party’s nominee for president is that you - and you alone - get to select a running mate who shares your vision for the country and is the strongest partner for you.
MC: You’ve said your best accessory is Barack on your arm. What’s second best?
MO: If I have Barack on one arm and the girls on the other, then I’m all set!
MC: Are you much of a heels gal?
MO: I’m 5′11″, so typically, I’m in flats. They’re much better for keeping up with the girls and the pace of the campaign trail.
MC: Has your style had to change as you’ve taken on the role of candidate’s wife? More pearls and Jackie O. dresses?
MO: You know, Barack has been in politics for a long time, and my style really hasn’t changed since he started running for president. I don’t have a stylist, but for special events, I work with designer Maria Pinto here in Chicago, who’s not only a great designer but also a good friend.
MC: What’s your guilty pleasure?
MO: French fries and barbecue!
MC: Tell me about your roundtables with wives of soldiers overseas.
MO: I’ll never forget a moment when a young mother started pouring out how overwhelmed she felt. And when she finished, another woman stood up and said, “I don’t know you, but when you leave here, you will have my phone number. And you will be able to call me anytime. You’ve got the support of this friend right here.” Another story that touched me was when one woman said that every day, she gets up, puts on her pretty face, puts on nice clothes, holds her head high, and keeps her spirits up. But then she goes home every night, climbs into bed by herself, and cries. The thing about these women is that they are doing everything that’s asked of them and more. And really, the only thing they’re asking for in return is compassion and understanding from their country.
MC: What sparked your interest in wives of soldiers?
MO: The issues facing working women and their families are closest to my heart. I decided to focus intently on the challenges military wives face because they juggle the same pressures as their nonmilitary peers, all while coping as single parents while their loved ones are overseas. I wanted to help make their voices heard.
MC: Your mom has said you’ve never phoned her in tears. What does make you cry?
MO: My girls. Thinking about them, how much I love them, wondering what they’re doing, how they’re feeling … it moves me.
MC: Anything in particular they’ve said or done recently that really got to you?
MO: After my speech at the Democratic convention, we surprised the girls with an appearance by Barack, via satellite, on a huge screen. Well, when he came up on the big screen, Malia instinctively walked up to it - and then stopped. She knew that he wasn’t actually there with us; she just wanted to be closer to her father. And when we got backstage, she cried, because she really misses him and worries about him when he’s away from home for such long periods of time. Moments like that one are the most difficult for me when it comes to the girls.
MC: What have you learned from other moms in the White House?
MO: Hillary Clinton has been a great source of inspiration … she and President Clinton did an incredible job raising their daughter, Chelsea, who has grown up to be a beautiful, intelligent, caring, successful woman. Laura Bush has also handled herself and her girls so elegantly during their years in the White House.
MC: You grew up in a humble family in Chicago and later wrote a college thesis about black women at Princeton. How do you raise your daughters to prepare them for innate racial or gender prejudices?
MO: Growing up, my parents worked to instill a sense of pride and self-confidence in me and my brother. They taught us to work hard, pursue our dreams, and not worry about things that are beyond our control. Barack and I pass those same lessons along to our daughters. And I think this campaign has illustrated how far we’ve come as a country to overcome prejudices. It was empowering and remarkable to see Barack and Hillary Clinton - an African-American and a woman - achieve as much as they have.
MC: You’re used to speaking your mind. Do you have to self-censor now so it doesn’t look like you’re telling your husband what to do?
MO: It would be hard for me to edit myself and still be me. And I think that in the end, that’s what the voters deserve and it’s what they want: They want to know who I am, and it’s my responsibility to make sure they know who I am and who Barack is; then they can make a clear, informed decision based on authenticity.
MC: Workplace romance is fraught with peril, but you and Barack met on the job at a law firm. How’d you make that work?
MO: Well, I initially resisted Barack because I was his summer adviser and he was a first-year summer associate, and I thought it would be tacky for us to go out. But then I got to know him and learn about his family, his strong values - and he was persistent and cute - so here we are!
MC: If you become first lady, are you going to go clubbing with France’s first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy?
MO: Malia and Sasha will be the first to tell you that I go to bed much too early to go clubbing!
Michelle over the Palins any day !!!!!
Guess what, Michelle dont have to ask Barack for help on any issues, she is her own woman !!!!
Unlike Palin, who dont even know what magazine she reads… or what direction the wind is blowing…
She is such a lady! I really like her.
She usually has a positive word about everybody.
Michelle Obama - Pure Class
Jill Biden - Respected Teacher
Cindy McCain - Thief & Drug Addict
Let’s throw in Sarah Palin - Stupid (see her SAT) & White Trash - Race Baiting hate-monger
Wow, the choice is pretty clear!
John McCain you are NOT ENTITLED to be POTUS! Go away.
You Go Omama mama! You are the real American success story and I’m proud of the example you set for young women everywhere! You are far more accomplished than Cindy or Sarah.
Michelle will make a wonderful First Lady! She is very gracious and while supportive of Barack, does not take the attack dog role like Cindy did. I was surprised Cindy has taken that role. I saw Michelle being interviewed by Larry King and she is very genuine. Go Obama and Biden!
I don’t see michelle out there as a first lady doing charitable works or involving herself in much of anything. she hasn’t so far in life, I doubt if obama is elected she will be a cindy or a laura.
I missed the part where she explained about her relationship with Dorhn @ Austin Sibley. I also missed the part where she went into detail about the assignments with Mayor Daleys office with Bill Ayers. When will they stop having their love fest and ask a real question. I never thought I would long for the days of Hillary Clinton.
The comments from Anna & Nancy is so unfortunate & idiotic. Women always want to put other women down because they themselves are without a clue & can be so full of hate!
Ms. Obama is nothing but grace, so likeable & a good mother/wife. Michelle, keep on being who you are & don’t let the racist haters get to you…they are few and far between!!!
CINDY — Anna & Nancy are entitled to their opinion … as are you BUT to make it a race issue is the entire problem with this campaign. The “FACTS” related to the questionable character of Barack Obama with is CONFIRMED relationship with Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, Saul w/ACORN, his employment with ACORN, Rev Jeremiah Wright, Farakan … how many do you need to realize Obama is in NO WAY READY FOR PRESIDENT !!??
Race is not an issue with me — he could be green w/white polka dots … but a LIAR with an ego bigger than the lower 48-states is not what we need in the White House right now. Michele Obama can go back to her $300K/year job — she has no clue what traits are necessary for a First Lady (charity, assistance with poverty-striken areas & their children, etc.)
BUCKEY: Can you not read?? If “militant black lady” isn’t a racist comment than what is? Racists are the lowest life form, and you’re not far behind when you defend people like that. To think there are not more racist comments where that one came from is just plain ignorant.
With that said, I think Michelle Obama is a very inspirational person and it’s too bad you are too blind with racist hate to see that.
GO OBAMA/BIDEN!
She seems to be a very good mother but other than that I can’t relate to her at all. Hpefully she will soften her views towards white America and realize that not all white people are racist. I also agree that she has to involve herself in charitable works , at her age and with her husband being a Senator I would of expected more from her by now. I think she will have alot to prove that she could be wothy of the First Lady title.
So I guess she is really proud to be a American now…….we are screwed with these 2 mondays in the white house.
The slow release of information from the Obama campaign concerning the exact nature of the relationship between Sen. Barack Obama and William Ayers, former head of the domestic terrorist group the Weather Underground continued tonight. This time the source is Obama himself. After a week of denying that he had any knowledge of Ayers’ terrorist past, Obama will admit that he did learn of Ayers’ role in the 1970’s bombing campaign against the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, and New York City Police Headquarters, among other targets, but chose to associate himself with Ayers anyway.
Sen. Obama told a Philadelphia talk radio host in an interview to be broadcast tomorrow that he met Ayers while serving on the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a philanthropy that distributed roughly $50 million dollars for education projects in the Chicago area. Obama explained his service with Ayers essentially as a case of bad judgment.
“Ultimately, I ended up learning about the fact that he had engaged in this reprehensible act 40 years ago, but I was eight years old at the time and I assumed that he had been rehabilitated.”
This is the first time that Obama will own up to the fact that the two men worked together in a close capacity. Until now, the campaign and Sen. Obama have maintained either that Obama did not know about Ayers’ past or that the two were not close.
But Obama’s explanation raises still more questions about the Obama-Ayers relationship. Now that he has admitted he thought Ayers’ radical past was behind him, Obama will have to answer why he continued to serve with Ayers’ on the board of the Woods Fund in late 2001 and 2002. By that time, it should have been clear the Ayers’ was unrepentant. Ayers’ now infamous New York Times op-ed was published on September 11, 2001. In that article, Ayers said that he did not regret setting bombs, “I wish we had done more,” he said. And Ayers was featured on the cover of Chicago Magazine standing on an American flag during the same time frame. Now that Obama has admitted that he did know of Ayers’ past, he will have to provide an explanation for continuing to associate with him after it was clear that he had not been “rehabilitated.”…….. pretty good facts of why he will lose with his lie’s
Lord i pray for humility for myself and the people all over the world. let them see the pick in their own eye. erase the hate that exist in the hearts of so many. replace with compassion and love for all. In Jesus name I pray Amen
Michelle is well educated, highly intelligent and classy. She has a successful career and a family life. She is balancing a lot and doing it well. She would represent our country well as the First Lady. As women, both republicans and democrats, we should be proud of her representation of what womanhood should look like for all of our young girls.
Whoever ends up the President of the US, my comments here will still stand. She is a positive example of womanhood for young women.
Ha!
Didn’t work did it!
All of the attempts to take down Palin have failed!
On the other hand it looks like Obama might need to start a legal defense fund!
It would appear that it is the FBI that is investigating the voter fraud by ACORN and with all of the other usually biased news networks telling the Obama story about of the $800,000 that he paid ACORN, it doesn’t look good for Obama.
Looks like this IS the October surprise.
So……..Obama fans, keep donating to the Obama defense fund.
He’ll need it.
Oh, and then there’s the ethics committees looking into all of the Senators and Congressmen that accepted monies from the failed mortgage giants.
All of this on top of shady associations (read as radicals and terrorists) and friends.
Hmmmmmmmm…………
I bet the Democrats wish they would have stuck with Hillary!
If Biden had the wisdom and good sense that he claims that he has he will wake up and distance himself from Obama and escape the attention that is coming his way.
NOBAMA 08!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ha!
Didn’t work did it!
On the other hand it looks like Obama might need to start a legal defense fund!
It would appear that it is the FBI that is investigating the voter fraud by ACORN and with all of the other usually biased news networks telling the Obama story about of the $800,000 that he paid ACORN, it doesn’t look good for Obama.
Looks like this IS the October surprise.
So……..Obama fans, keep donating to the Obama defense fund.
He’ll need it.
Oh, and then there’s the ethics committees looking into all of the Senators and Congressmen that accepted monies from the failed mortgage giants.
All of this on top of shady associations (read as radicals and terrorists) and friends.
Hmmmmmmmm…………
I bet the Democrats wish they would have stuck with Hillary!
If Biden had the wisdom and good sense that he claims that he has he will wake up and distance himself from Obama and escape the attention that is coming his way.
NOBAMA 08!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’d like inform you that Scarlett Johansson (actress)actually is a clone from original person,who has nothing with acting career.Clone was created illegally using stolen biomaterial.Original Scarlett Galabekian last name is nice, CHRISTIAN young lady.I’ll tell more,those clones(it’s not only 1)made in GERMANY-world leader manufacturer of humans clones,it’s in Ludwigshafen am Rhein,N. Bavaria,Mr.Helmut Kohl home town.You can’t even imaging the scale of the cloning activity.But warning,H.Kohl staff 100% controlling their clones spreading around the world,they’re NAZI type disciplined and mind controlled,be careful get close with clones you will be controlled too.Original family didn’t authorize any activity with stolen biomaterials,no matter what form it was created in,it’s all need to be back to original family control in Cedars-Sinai MedicalCenter in LA.Controlling clones is US military operation.Original Scarlett wasnt engage,by the way
Scarlet Johansson (actress)actually is a clone from original person,has nothing with acting career,was created from stolen biomat.Original Scrlett Galabekian last name is nice,CHRISTIAN lady.Clones(not1)made in GRMANY,leader manufactrer of humans clones,it’’s in Ludwigshafen am Rhein,Bavaria,H.Kohl home twn.Original family didn”t authorize activity with stlen biomaterials,it’’s all should go to Cedars-Sinai MedCenter in LA.Clone control is US Army job.Original Scrlett wasnt engage,by the wy
will the typical middle class American will have friends like this? Obama’s convicted financial advisor rezko , obama’s spiritual mentor that loves America wright ,another obama’s spiritual advisor that hates the white man and racist farrakhan , obama’s friend the unrepentant terrorist that have not denounce terrorism ayers , and don’t forget is lovely wife how much she loves her country for the first time in her adult life Michelle obama? Is this the real middle class America? I live it up to the American people to make that judgement.
I think the thing i find the most offensive about the comments in this thread are the anti-feminist comments that compare Michelle, Jill, and Cindy with Governor Palin. I am a democrat, but how sexist is it to compare the wives with the one female candidate, instead of comparing the wives to the husband. Will women ever be equal in this country?
What an incredible double-standard some of you have. Do you expect the husbands of successful female politicians to quit their jobs and take up charity as a career? The double-standard is shocking. Michelle Obama has a successful career and takes care of her kids. Why on Earth should she have quit? The fact that she is now willing to put her career on hold in order to become the First Lady should be more than enough.
Could someone PLEASE explain to me why ambulance service is NOT socialism, but universal health insurance IS? Sounds bizarre to me.
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