Larry Sabato, in commenting on Michelle Obama, just said on Anderson Cooper, that “probably the best thing a first lady can be is innocuous.” I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt & assume he wasn’t talking about his own personal opinion, but more as a spin-doctor and political historian.
Still: Eleanor Roosevelt, anyone?
There were Eleanor Haters just as there were people who couldn’t stand her husband…it’s the usual gender trap for women. One can only wonder how people would try to apply a gender trap to good ol Bill if Hillary were to somehow win
Perhaps he meant, “do no harm” in a political sense. Or to better clarify, “don’t say anything controversial that damages the President.” But of course this is speculation. The word “innocuous” is vague and confusing in this context.
Michelle was a cohost on the View yesterday. (I don’t watch day TV but heard about it on the News shows. Anyone see it?)
Inside track, the campaign is softening her image for the general campaign. She herself is an accomplished woman, in many respects as accomplished as Hillary, great academic pedigree. But she does not connect well with “Mrs. Bungalo”, not due to race, but due to her academic pedigree and $365,000 per annum former job in non profit. Her negatives are high. She also has never been popular in Chicago.
So expect more talk about day to day things to make her more normal, diminish her presence… keep the limelight where it should be, Barack.
She also complimented Laura Bush for her support when Michelle was under heavy pressure from the hard right, a classy thing to do. But it was also very astute politically. Data shows Laura Bush is a popular First Lady. Her positives have not followed her husbands. Linking Michelle to Laura’s transcendent class is one of the components of the campaign to attract bi-partisan directed female independent voters.
Smart move.