Michelle = Hillary? You Be the Judge
Categories: PunditMom Ponders, We're More Political Than You Think
“For her, politics wasn’t so much about being inspirational as it was being practical — about getting something specific done.”
“She can be tough, and even a little steely, an attitude that stems, at least in part from wanting to live up to the high expectations her father set for her. ”
“Politics and policy animate her — like her husband, [after attending Ivy League law schools] she turned away from a lucrative law career to work in public service.
Another profile about Hillary Clinton, you say? Nope.
Those are all quotes from last week’s cover story in Newsweek about Michelle Obama. But they sound vaguely familiar in a Hillary sort of way, don’t they?
As I read the Newsweek story, I couldn’t help wondering why Michelle continues to get such great press and Hillary is sucking gas in the media.
While clearly not a mirror image of each other, I sense that Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton are much more alike than they are different. They both even have a certain amount of low-level snarkiness that appears on the campaign trail when they’re tired. Yet, Michelle gets the benefit of the doubt, and the piling on with Hillary continues.
News reporters seem much more enamored with Michelle than Hillary, and that’s had a huge negative impact on Senator Clinton’s campaign and an equally positive effect on Barack Obama’s efforts to move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Why? I can only think of one reason — fresh blood.
But I have this feeling in my gut that while so many of us are pining for change and fresh faces, we are forgetting that many politicians, regardless of party affiliation, are cut from the same fabric — they almost have to be in terms of the drive, ambition and super ego required to think, “Hey, I think I’m good enough to be leader of the free world” — a self-esteem lesson worthy of Daily Affirmations.
Clearly Michelle and Hillary are not the same — but they’re a lot closer than you think. I’d like to see reporters cut them all a little more slack — just show us what they say, tell us what they believe without your spin, and we’ll be OK making our minds up for ourselves about what kind of women they really are.
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Great observations. It just continues to get The upside is that if Obama gets the nomination, the media love affair with his wife will really help the Democrats.
You don’t mention race as an issue. Why? Seems to me that’s a pretty obvious reason Michelle Obama has escaped these types of scathing attacks (so far). Unlike, say, Elizabeth Edwards. Is it not fair to say that journalists/pundits temper their comments about her because they are afraid they’ll be perceived as racist?
Diane | February 25th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Diane, I’ve been reading posts at other blogs about this very thought — and I’ve been thinking about it since I wrote this post last nite — and I think you’re right. For better or worse, the media doesn’t mind if we think they’re sexist, but they don’t want to be seen as racist, even when critique might be fair.
PunditMom | February 25th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
PunditMom,
Don’t even get me started on this one. I happily spent $$ last night to go hear Hillary speak in Boston. I was fairly indifferent to her candidacy until I started seeing the blatant sexism. I agree with Billie Jean King when she recently said something like, “I feel like I am seeing my life flash before my eyes. To see a committed, experienced and capable woman with decades of service being wiped out by a cute young guy.”
On the Michelle thing, it’s just not that complicated. Race. Been reading lots of research lately supporting the view that racism is malleable, but sexism is not. ie. people can overcome racism in individual cases, but they cannot overcome sexism.
I know that comment applies more to Barack, being a man, than to Michelle. But it’s a factor here, and white guilt in the media too. We’ve all been trained to be PC when it comes to race (thank God–would not want it any other way) but not when it comes to gender.
Jules | February 25th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
“…we’ll be OK making our minds up for ourselves” — well said. Give me the facts: don’t tell me what to think. I can interpret for myself.
Daisy | March 15th, 2008 at 9:00 pm