A Real Wife, In a Real Marriage

Um, what exactly makes you think she's racist,anyway? And you can bet whatever opportunities she had that came her way, she busted her behind to make good use of them. The reality is that being a black woman she had to work a lot harder and prove herself in ways that most white women dont even have to THINK about, let alone worry about. And what does all this "opportunities" busines have to do with her possibly being First Lady? Basically you come off with this condescending "Well she should be grateful she even got where she was because she's a black woman" racist attitude. Apparently, a hell of lot of people didn't agree with you because she's our FIRST LADY now. The reality was McCain wasn't fit to be in the White House because he thought that he was ENTITLED to it since he's a white man, plain and simple. Michelle IS fit to be in the White House, so get over it already.

So you see women admiring Michelle Obama. Well many of us dont. What we do see is a racist woman who has no soft side but wants to punish all who stand in her way. She does not see that she had more opportunities than the women who her supporters call White Trash. If some of those White Trash had Michelles opportunities II doubt if they would be criticizing the hand that fed them. She and her husband are not fit to live in the White House even if the media sees fit to downplay who she really is.

I recently read this article in the print copy and was shocked that your magazine published this puff peice. Where is your journalistic integrity? In your cover article, you mentioned that Michelle Obama's mother *WAS* a stay at home mother, and pages letter you publish this dribble? Totally inaccurate information. What happened to your editing staff?

Raina Kelley needs to do her reserch. Michelle Obama's mother was a homemaker; Kelley's statement that all black women do not have that as a choice is narrow and stereotyping. Michelle herself gives credit to her mother for how important it is to the Obamas to have her mother's steady, available caretaking of their children.
Michelle Obama is, I'm sure, learning that whole sentences and paragraphs don't get quoted, only sound bites. It's a shame that this magnificent woman has to be "tamed" that way, but a reality of life with modern media always on the hunt for a controversial soundbite.

Regarding your third paragraph: what a bunch of self-righteous c**p. Where, exactly, did you get your information? On what basis have you formed your opinions? I can not believe Newsweek published this article--your assumptions are, frankly, disgusting, off base, totally unintellectual and contradictory. Did I not read on a previous page of the magazine that Michelle Obama's mother was a stay at home mom?

"I was raised in a working-class family on the south Side of Chicago. That's how I identify myself, a working-class girl," Michelle Obama standard line in stump speeches.

Michelle Robinson Obama is a vocal and valuable asset to her husband's campaign for the Democratic nomination. Or is she? Aside from her remarks on her lack of pride in being an American, Mrs. Obama has been less than truthful in her depiction of her early years.

Michelle Robinson Obama claims to have grown up in 'a one bedroom tenement on Chicago's south side'. This does not square with the facts of her Father's US$42000 plus a year salary in the late 1960's-80's (More than US$150000 in today's dollars) as a senior engineer with Chicago Water or the gracious first floor 4 bedroom apartment at 7436 Euclid Avenue, Chicago in which she was raised--an area of spacious homes in tree-lined garden streets. Nor with the fact that Mrs. Robinson did not work but spent her time ensuring that her son and daughter had the best that could be offered to comfortably middle class children--the magnet school for gifted children, home-cooked nightly family dinners, music lessons, sports and vacations that were all taken for granted by the young Michelle.

It is sad that for political gain, Michelle Obama is less than accurate about her background and less than proud about her father's achievements in providing so well for his family.

Unfortunately, I would have to agree with the other commenters that this article is not at all well written. After reading it I came away confused as to whether Kelley was insulting Michelle Obama or praising her. I certainly hope it's the latter. I must admit that I too struggled in the beginning with Michelle Obama's brutally honest assessments of her husband. I too wondered if she was coming across as negative and unsupportive, but I've had to check myself on that. As black women, in fact as all women, we no longer have to exist inside a box where we're forced to hold our tongues, hide our intellect, and demure to anything a man says or does. And if you'll notice Barack Obama never misses an opportunity to praise his wife's abilities and candidly admit how much he admires and needs her strength. Their is no doubt in my mind that the Obamas would not be the fortified family that they are without the rock that Michelle Obama apparently is. As a black woman myself, I'm so impressed that Barack Obama is confidant enough in his role both as a man and as the head of his household to be able to acknowledge his wife's virtues, even in some areas where she may be better than him, with genuine admiration and without intimidation. He recognizes how having a strong, educated, well-spoken black woman by his side as a partner is a huge assest to him in both public and private life. I wish more black men felt the same.

I dont like her, she is a B

I am sorry that Raina Kelley does not have someone assigned to write about her, but, really, should she have done so herself? Ms. Kelley seems like a very intelligent woman but she was supposed to be writing a story about Michelle Obama, on Ms. Kelley; where was the editor?

"give Barack a chance he is not a terrorist"

I agree. He is just a bad politician.

I'll leave that to others to decide which is worse.

PEOPLE WAKE UP, stop being so damn closed minded America! it is about time the black families and children of the United States see people (LIKE THEMSELVES) in the news doing something positive just as we KNEW they could instead of seeing another report about how the blacks in the U.S. are allegedly undereducated and violent, give us a break people just be happy for this historic event and stop the negative B.S., give Barack a chance he is not a terrorist! Go Michelle, Go Barack, Go Hillary and anyone who can please, just bring my damn son home safe from iraq! Go Marines and may God bless our sad closed minded little nation! Get over it people you brought blacks over here years ago it was bound to happen one day! HELL YEAH BLACK AMERICANS ARE ON THE RISE, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN NOT DO! STOP TREATING US LIKE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS! make a change today, America stop the racial hatred, we want the same things you do... go to work, school whatever freely without prejuiced. thank you.

Michelle is B. Obama's Achille's heel.

Michelle is Obama's Achille's heel.

Enough already with the Obamas, both Mr & Mrs....

Honestly, who really cares what the first lady is going to be like? We're supposed to be mesmerized with her because she makes Obama pick up his socks and put away the butter. You go girl!!

This is Martha Stewart fluff...

As a subscriber to Newsweek, I must say that this article is an embarrassing attempt at journalism. If there is one source I look to for quality election coverage, it is most certainly here. However, this piece left me with little more than I started with 5 minutes ago. In fact, I have most certainly regressed. I don't find it hard to believe that this writer has met the aforementioned criteria of a strong black woman. Perhaps, Ms. Kelley should overcome these stereotypes. First of all, she could save the STUCO election story for her "biracial" boy, just after teaching him how to "pick up his socks and put away the butter first". Then, maybe she could spending less time gloating about her self-righteous accomplishments and parenting ability and focus on writing an article, which doesn't register as a waste of time to the viewing audience. Archive this one in the 'Home and Garden' section.