I think Michelle is gloriously 2008 and shouldn’t change. Pretty Mrs. McCain stands still on the side, slightly behind, like so many of the women.
In America’s history, wives of heads of corporations as well as wives of presidents – they barely breathe, they smile demure smiles, we are not supposed to focus on them, but we all register: nice ladies. Mrs. McCain must be cute to know – he had a wide choice. But when a woman is as still as she is you get an idea that he is the general and she marches to his tune.

Hillary’s face is active and expressive and can be dramatic and she has learned a new smile that is big and lovely and somebody new is doing her makeup this year — good for her!!! But Hillary moves like a girls’ basketball coach — back and forth, from an older era. Michelle moves from head to toe, she moves her slim athletic body as if she could jam with the best of them, clicking her fingers. The two of them, Barack and Michelle, use a podium or speech area differently than other political couples.

They move around each other, like a dance routine, and they relate to each other and even touch each other, groovy, feeling free. She makes me feel good. She isn’t scared. She has opinions. He cares about them. They have a dancing marriage that has spirit. Other good marriages in the White House, no matter how glamorous, have been still and typical of the puritanical American past. Some of the male presidents have had secret or not-so-secret affairs. But there was no happy heat that we could see – no strong communication that was obvious to us between the president and his wife. The Obamas look and act like change, like 2008, like good times. I don’t want to lose any of that.

Feminists will put a contract out on me and I NEVER thought I’d say this but it would be relaxing if she acted like being First Lady in the traditional sense was the first order of business. Devote herself to the arts or something like that. But stay out of politics, religion, and not offer the strong-minded opinions that have gotten her and him in so much trouble. And double on abandoning any evidence of taking revenge on anybody. Just be Mrs. Obama for THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. I have always wanted First Ladies to be so much more than they ever are, but in her case, I just want her to be adorable.

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