Former first lady Michelle Obama remains to be among the most influential political figures not just in the Democratic party, but in the world as well. However, during the days of her husband Barack Obama’s presidential bid, she was once considered a liability.
Before becoming one of the most prominent voices in American politics, Mrs. Obama previously received criticism from members of her own party especially when her husband was vying for the presidency. In the Amazon Prime series “Michelle Obama: Life After the White House,” University of Essex government specialist Professor Natasha Lindstaedt delved into what insiders of Obama’s presidential campaign felt about the then-future first lady. Professor Lindstaedt shared that it was because of some of the things Mrs. Obama said that brought on the impression that she may harm more than do good to her husband’s campaigning.
“When Michelle was originally campaigning with Barack in 2008, what is impossible to think of now is that she was thought of as a liability because of several things that she had said,” said Professor Lindstaedt. “She was being interviewed by reporters in early 2008 and she had mentioned that this is the first time in my adult life that I’m proud to be American. This really didn’t play well. People didn’t like the fact that she was emphasizing race too much.”
A report from Newsweek that year also expressed concerns that Republicans may use Michelle’s comments against her husband which inevitably happened. Obama would later defend his wife when he appeared at a radio show in Texas saying that what she actually meant was that this was the first time she was proud of American politics. Obama added that Michelle saw more people get involved and thus felt encouraged.
From one first lady to another, Michelle received a care package from her now-fellow first lady Dr. Jill Biden last week. The former first lady took to social media to share that Dr. Biden sent her a basket of vegetables from the White House Kitchen Garden, a project that she started during her time as the first lady and has since been continued by her successors, Dr. Biden most notably.