Mrs. Obama ahead of the curve

By Erin Brodbeck
Collegian Editor
March 19, 2008

There is virtually no end in sight to the Democratic primary election, and the fight between Clinton and Obama gets more intense with each passing day. Pennsylvania voters are feeling the pressure—should we cast a vote for the experienced yet rigid Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton or the savior-esque newbie Sen. Barack (middle name withheld) Obama? It’s a tough call, no doubt. All this back-and-forth leaves me wishing there was a separate election for First Spouse, because that’s an election I’d confidently vote in.

Over the past few weeks, it’s become apparent that Michelle Obama is pretty much the coolest woman on the political scene right now. She’s down-to-earth, independent and doesn’t compromise her personality for the sake of her husband’s campaign. She’s the one, after all, who remarked at one of Barack’s rallies that this was the first time in her adult life she felt proud of her country. It was a controversial statement, but I’d take bold proclamations over dainty words of praise any day of the week. Buttoned-up potential First Lady Cindy McCain quickly reacted to Obama’s statement with an obligatory, “I’m always proud of my country.” BOR-ing.

Obama is irreverent yet elegant; she speaks her mind without mincing words but has the grace and intelligence to back up her claims. After growing up in a middle-class family, Obama was educated at Princeton and Harvard. She then took a job as a vice president for legal and governmental affairs at the University of Chicago Hospital. Since Barack threw his hat into the race for president, Obama scaled back her work involvement to 20 percent.

In an interview, Obama acknowledged how seemingly anti-feminist it might seem to sacrifice her own career for the sake of her husband’s, but she pointed out that she felt so strongly about this country’s need for a superior president, she simply had to help him.

And help him she did. While Barack supporters compare the man to JFK, MLK and...you know...God, Obama brings her husband back down to our level when she reminds voters that this is a man who often forgets to tie up the bread so it won’t get stale.

Obama met her future husband when they were working at the same law firm and she was assigned to mentor him.

After he asked her out numerous times, she finally agreed to see Do the Right Thing with him, and the rest is history.

We’re in the 21st century now, and it’s about time our country was represented by a first lady who would probably balk at such a title. Obama would be more of a first partner, or maybe just Michelle. Perhaps one of the best steps towards change, that ever-present word in this election, would be to put the woman with most progressive attitude in the White House, and I’m not talking about Hillary.

My vote undoubtedly goes to that tall, glamorous spitfire named Michelle Obama.

brodbecke1@lasalle.edu