![]() In this ugly time, I tear up when reminded of the knowledge, the eloquence, the idealism of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. Sometimes, I entertain the fantasy that Mrs. Obama will offer herself as a candidate for President – not that I would subject her, or her family, to the viciousness of another campaign, another presidency. Besides, any ephemeral hopes have been dashed by reading Mrs. Obama’s stimulating book, “Becoming,” which confirms what has seemed apparent: since she was young, Mrs. Obama has felt a visceral distaste for politics. In her book, she recalls qualifying for the elite Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, which entails a long two-bus commute, but also introduces her to new friends like Santita Jackson. Sometimes, after school, she is invited to the Jackson home, which takes on a frenzy when the man of the house, Jesse Jackson, is in town, making plans for one campaign or another. One day Michelle and Santita find themselves “conscripted” into marching in the annual Bud Billiken Day Parade on the South Side. “The fanfare was fun and even intoxicating, but there was something about it, and about politics in general, that made me queasy,” she writes. When she comes home that afternoon, her mother, the stalwart Marian Shields Robinson, is laughing, saying: “I just saw you on TV." ![]() Michelle Robinson Obama has always known her own mind. She was enough of a realist to admit that she had fallen for a charismatic summer intern at the law firm she had worked so hard to join. Barack Obama had many plans and dreams, and in her telling, she had enough faith in him that she would change her own life around. That is the first half of the book – how Michelle was raised by Fraser and Marian Robinson, and her older brother, Craig, a basketball star at Princeton, and strong-willed, talented relatives. The richness of her family life – the wisdom of her parents – challenges any stereotypes of African-American life that might get thrown back at the Obamas, to this day. The second part of the book is about Michelle Obama’s reactions to her husband’s abrupt rise to presidential candidate. Mrs. Obama describes how campaign aides failed to prep her for public appearances, leaving her to improvise. She realized she was no longer primarily a lawyer or community organizer but a political spouse who can jangle a campaign with one impromptu phrase. A born organizer, she seems to have impressed upon the handlers: That won’t happen again. She describes election night in 2008, when her husband, seemingly so confident, watched on television, and how her mother reached out and patted his shoulder. Mrs. Obama describes how much she already admired Laura Bush from afar, for her poise and advocacy of books. During the transition, she quickly came to like Mrs. Bush’s husband, and has often been photographed hugging and laughing with him.
She describes life in the White House, how close the family – including her mom -- felt to the mostly-black staff, and how much she relied on advisors to help with her interest in nutrition and gardening and with her wardrobe. She praises the President as a loyal husband and father. I know this is true because a journalist friend of mine, who often traveled on the Presidential plane, told me how day trips were planned to get the entourage back to Washington in time for the Obamas’ 6 PM supper in the White House. How Michelle Obama really felt about being a White House wife comes out in one of the most charming anecdotes in the book: On the evening of the Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage, large crowds celebrated in front of the White House. Michelle and her older daughter, Malia, made a break for it, rushing past their guardians, finding an exit to a quiet corner of the garden, just to feel and hear the jubilant crowd. For a few minutes, they beat the system. There are many sweet memories in this book (written with the help of a talented journalist, Sara Corbett): the entire family meeting an elderly Nelson Mandela in his home, and feeling so comfortable with Queen Elizabeth, who motions for Michelle to sit next to her, referring to palace protocol as “rubbish.” The book includes gracious mentions of all the people who helped her, and minimal references to the candidate who tried to portray her husband as an illegal alien. I would have liked to hear what Michelle Obama really thinks of that man, but the Obamas live by smart lawyerly aphorisms: “Don’t do stupid stuff.” And “When they go low, we go high.” In its high-minded way, Michelle Obama’s book reminds me that this family has earned its independence, mostly out of the spotlight. We were lucky to have them.
Art
10/19/2019 09:09:14 pm
Great job George, I admired them both
George Vecsey
10/20/2019 01:16:44 pm
Art: thanks for the comment. Nice to see your name here. GV
Altenir Silva
10/20/2019 07:43:15 am
Dear George,
George Vecsey
10/20/2019 01:27:41 pm
Altenir: In fact, a large swath of America believed the Trump BS about "looking into" Obama's "birth in Kenya," Reality TV has ruined a lot of brains. He was portrayed as an angry black man, his wife as an angry black woman.That's how it rolls here.
Altenir Silva
10/21/2019 03:33:02 pm
Dear George,
bruce
10/23/2019 04:03:33 pm
george,
Mary Henrich
10/20/2019 04:41:48 pm
About befriending 43, stunned. But listening. Some people know more than I do.
George
10/21/2019 11:59:57 am
Mary: 43 and MO clearly found kindred souls — probably laugh at the same jokes. It is a good example. Nothing in the book goes near this, but GWB is a good father and husband, and Mrs. O would respect that.
John McDermott
10/21/2019 11:04:24 am
Maintaining decorum and treating everyone with respect and decency were never in doubt during the Obama presidency. They are rarely on display in the administration of Obama’s coarse, self-centered successor. He, and as a consequence, we, were widely admired in the world. That has largely gone and it will take a long time to get back. Irrespective of any policy differences with Republicans, which there will always be, the Obama’s lived up to, even exceeded, the expectations of the American people when it came to how the President and First Family should behave and how they treat everyone.
George
10/21/2019 03:25:49 pm
John: i was privileged to be in the White House when Stan Musial and others received thenPresidential Medal. Seeing the Pres. mingle with athletes, scientists, artists and particularly Yo Yo Ma made me feel i was in a warm private home. He knew who they were. He was gracious.
bruce
10/21/2019 12:16:18 pm
george, 10/21/2019 03:37:01 pm
Many years ago, I took a wine tasting course with Kevin Zraly, who was then in charge of the Windows on the World wine cellar. It was magnificent tasting wines on the 107th floor of one of the World Trade Center buildings while watching the sun set over the NYC harbor. Comments are closed.
|
Categories
All
|