Thursday, October 23, 2008

My Not-So-Secret Love Of Michelle Obama

I am not the kind of person who normally looks at who a candidate is married to when deciding who to vote for. In fact, I never have. And it won't be a factor this time.

BUT....

I gotta tell ya, I think a great extra benefit of an Obama presidency would be having his wife as First Lady. I admire this woman immensely.

Someone born into a modest, working-class family who grew up in a one-bedroom apartment who worked hard in school and got admitted to the best and most competitive public school in Chicago. More hard work and a dedication to education led to a degree from Princeton, graduating cum laude, and another one from Harvard Law School.

Successful stint at a high-profile law firm before steering into a career of public service in city government, non-profits and community outreach for a prominent university.

All of this while being a black woman in America, where your abilities and credentials are questioned every step of the way if you are anything but a white male.

Then watch as she balances being a mother and the wife of the man who is trying to be the leader of the free world. Not just any candidate, the first minority to ever have a chance to win and the most viciously attacked candidate in the history of this country. Lots of those smears get aimed straight at her.

And she handles it all with a grace and dignity that is unmatched by anyone I've ever seen in the public eye.

It is rumored that I'm going to be the father of a little girl any day now (six days overdue and counting, I'm still not convinced). When I think about the idea that the most high-profile woman in America over the next four to eight years could be Michelle Obama...well, that's just a fantastic thought.

We certainly won't be hurting for smart, hard-working, successful female role models around our house with my wife being an accomplished physician, so we don't necessarily need a famous female role model.

But it'll be nice to add another to the list.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

we share that love too. Michelle Obama is definitely inspiring.