Michelle Obama had two jobs last night: one, to dispel the "elitist" image imposed on the Obamas by the McCain campaign; the other, to deal with the "anger" issue.

That "anger" has to be dealt with is the same as saying race has to be dealt with. I don’t know about you, but I keep hearing that Michelle is "an angry black woman" – which congers up memories of Jesse Jackson, Malcolm X and the old days. Even before he got into politics, Barack Obama realized that projecting a sense of rage would hold him back. It does seem that African Americans who did not grow up in places like the south side of Chicago (where Michelle was raised) are less likely to give off that vibe of wrath. Consider Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. They never scowl or menace.

So: How to deal with the problem? Michelle’s way of dealing with it last night was to keep on smilin’. Deliberately. Smile. Smile. Smile.

Let me digress: The school of political handlers – particularly those masters of the photo op – believe that what we see is far more powerful than what we hear. That’s another way of saying that visual images on television have more impact than words. And there’s some evidence to back this up. Subliminal pictures penetrate our eyes and then somehow descend to that hidden place in our guts where our judgments are formed.

Sure, issues matter in the race for president, but the character and personality of the candidates may matter more: Do I trust him? Do I like him? 

So, Michelle kept on smilin’. Barack did too in his cameo appearance via satellite. A toothy grin is like penicillin: It’s supposed to knock out the politically dangerous anger bacterium.

Not only did she smile a lot, Mrs. Obama kept her voice soft and mellow. The quality of voice is also important. I remember thinking, when Ronald Reagan was president: He sounds like cashmere! That soft, toned-down sound was so assuring and inviting.

How the wives come across matters. Cindy McCain will be dealing with her own image problems. She too has to dispel any notion that she’s an elitist (how many houses do they own?). Note that she has flown off to Georgia to highlight the issue of land minds. Watch for the photo ops!