Like Bill Clinton’s female counterpart Hillary, Michelle Obama is arguably more radical in her outlook than her husband. Leon Puissegur at Freedom Outpost is in the midst of compiling what can be gleaned from Mrs. Obama’s light historical footprint, and what he has compiled from her younger days is illuminating.
More recently, Mrs. Obama’s February 2008 reaction to her husband’s breakout performance in the Democratic primaries may have been the most direct window into her soul we will ever see.
Her husband Barack’s presidential candidacy had turned an important corner earlier that month. He outperformed rival Hillary Clinton in a slew of contests on February 5 and 12, establishing a significant lead in Democratic Convention delegates and a clear perception of unstoppable momentum. To Mrs. Clinton’s chagrin, the “first black president” was in the process of completely trumping the “first woman president.”
So what emotions should one have expected from Michelle, a seasoned political spouse, once it was evident that her husband had just become the favorite to win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination? Positivity, excitement, and optimism, of course.
But that’s not what we saw.
Instead, she acted as if some — but far from all — of the weight of over a quarter century of misery had been lifted from her shoulders — not once, but twice in the same day:
ZitatSpeaking in Milwaukee, Wisconsin today, would-be First Lady Michelle Obama said, “for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.”
Then in Madison, she said, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”
Michelle Obama has been an adult since her eighteenth birthday on January 17, 1982.