Oprah Writes Michelle's TIME 100 Tribute

The top 100 inclusions just keep rolling in the First Lady Michelle Obama.

Jeff Riedel / Contour by Getty ImagesWriting Michelle's tribute for TIME magazine's , Oprah Winfrey says that the First Lady's "political power is secondary to her heart power."

Watching her on the global stage greeting the Queen and chatting with dignitaries and representing us the way we imagine presenting ourselves on our best day, I was reminded of lines from Maya Angelou's poem "Phenomenal Woman": "It's the fire in my eyes,/ And the flash of my teeth,/ The swing in my waist,/ And the joy in my feet./ I'm a woman/ Phenomenally."

Comments

[Heather]

Why is this even a story? This is why the media is becoming irrelevant, first, let's start with Oprah I do not care for her show, her entertainment, etc. but I'm a a capitalist and as so I admire her for working hard and succeeding. Now to her hypocrisy, you see, it is only under a capitalist system that her efforts, talent, and hard work got rewarded with success, money, and privilege. Had she been born in France, Spain, Kenya, Zambia, or Tanzania she would have been simply Oprah who works on a television show.

Now to Michelle Obama who has stated "for the first time in my life, I'm proud to be an American", yes she went to an Ivy League so did millions of others and she is a lawyer so are 100s of thousands of others, remember that prior to her being the first lady she was a lawyer who was married to a Senator and most of the people that voted for her husband did not even know she existed, let alone what she excelled at.

So I ask what has she done to deserve such fame? oh yeah I forgot she is the first lady who is married to the Socialist in Chief who not only thinks that the best way to reward producers is by punishing them for being successful, he is in the process of turning the private sector into government run companies a la French mode. This incompetent president is on his way to derail everything our forefathers have fought for. The Constitution to the Socialist in Chief is more of a redaction than the supreme law of the United States and let's talk about his "accomplishments" so far:

1.a spending program of epic proportions that our kids will have to pay for to our "owners" the debters i.e China et al.
2.Naming a Tax cheat to run Treasury which includes the IRS, just brilliant
3.Naming many other tax cheats to cabinet posts, i.e Nancy Killefer, Bill Richardson, Tom Daschle, Hild Solis, Ron Kirk..
4.Moving the census out of the Department of Commerce and into the White House, politicizing how federal aid is distributed and electoral districts are drawn.
5.Waived his lobbying rules for William Lynn, who lobbied for a defense contractor as recently as last year, to serve as deputy Defense secretary
6."For months, the Obama administration and members of Congress have known that insurance giant AIG was getting ready to pay huge bonuses while living off government bailouts. It wasn't until the money was flowing and news was trickling out to the public that official Washington rose up in anger and vowed to yank the money back." -- Associated Press, 3/18

I can go on and on about his failing policies. Now before anyone out there comes out with character attacks on me, since that what seems illogical people do because they cannot reason, here is a bit about me.

1.I'm an American who believes in individualism, hard work, and belief in oneself.
2.I did not vote for Bush neither in 2000 nor 2004
3.I'm not a Republican and never been one
4.I do not vote party lines. I vote on principles
5.Oh yeah I almost forgot I'm a black woman so don't try the race card on me

Thanks and I would love to hear your comments

[Editor]

Anne here. I believe in the right to free speech in America, so obviously Heather's comments will stand.

I personally resent the Michelle Obama comment "for the first time in my life, I'm proud to be an American" being posted on Michelle-Style.

Years ago, the Village Democrats in Manhattan wanted to run me for office at a low level, after I successfully stopped an OTB office from renting space in the old Village Voice office on University Place and was considered an up and coming go-getter.

I said 'no" to a career in politics, because when one is an articulate and extemporaneous talker, as I am, words don't always come out of one's mouth with the intended meaning. Pre-Internet, I knew that the power of a few words, taken out of the larger record of accomplishment in one's life, could haunt me forever.

In my case, I had already been stalked for six months and was under police protection because a man didn't like a comment I made on TV, regarding women's rights. Already, I understood the ends that some people will go to in a "civilized" society, to intimidate others.

This is the power of those few Michelle Obama words. I sense that nothing she does will ever move them off Page 1 of Google, because certain people are dedicated to keeping them there, regardless of her popularity ratings or record of achievement.

Heather is clearly of that opinion and is committed to defining FLOTUS on the basis of that remark. That is her right.

Prior to reading this comment today, I posted some earlier Michelle articles from the campaign. By my own admission, I was a Hillary supporter and didn't follow Michelle that closely until last summer. I did not read her Princeton thesis, and work post-graduation.

I believe that Mrs. Obama has an exemplary track record of achievement, leaving corporate America to form the Chicago branch of Public Allies Chicago, as one example. I will not debate the value of Public Allies, having Googled it before I wrote an earlier post. There are anti-Obama folks who deride Public Allies, but it has been widely praised by Republicans.

I view Michelle Obama as a woman who has walked her own walk, and -- like me -- she may well have stumbled on the curb, on occasion. When one is an activist and not a critic, you will screw up at times.

As to why Michelle Obama is so beloved in America, I have written these reasons for weeks. As a professional who studies trends for a living, I believe that Michelle Obama has demonstrated an authenticity and a personal commitment to self-expression unknown in a First Lady. She is sophisticated and intelligent but also 'of the people' and not-rarified. Michelle encompasses a wide range of attributes cited today, May 10, in the Sally Quinn essay.

The mere fact that the anti-Michelle forces are diluted to the point of near passivity in attacking her -- resorting not to her record as First Lady -- but to "that" old comment, confirms that Michelle Obama is doing a brilliant job as First Lady.

Professionally, I believe that this Smart Sensuality woman is key to moving the world forward. To business readers, I say that the Smart Sensuality woman is more important than Faith Popcorn's "cocooning" ever was. Michelle will become a role model in ways that even she has not anticipated.

As a marketing and branding professional, I know that Team Obama can write a biz book on how to succeed against all odds. The country was not prepared to adore Michelle Obama, and that includes me. I had no negative opinion about Mrs. Obama, but I certainly wasn't predisposed to launch a website supporting her.

Michelle-Style doesn't exist as a fan club to FLOTUS. I believe that we are at a pivotal moment in the future of America and the world. I personally share the ideals and objectives of Team Obama. Do I understand or endorse every single move they make? Of course not.

Deciding to invest myself in Michelle-Style, I did and do have an objective of publishing a website that is fair and hopefully thoughtful in tone.

Like Heather, I, too, have been an independent, supporting one Bush but never the other.

Like most Americans, I am stunned to understand the changes that occurred in our American economy in the name of free enterprise. The entire economy became a ponzi scheme, as far as I'm concerned, creating nothing of value. We all share blame for what happened.

Americans are shaken to the core about the fundamentals of our beliefs, vs. the reality we've just witnessed in American business. And I'm as entrepreneurial, "Atlas Shrugged" as they come. Dagny Taggert is my heroine and the model for how I've lived my life.

I'm not big on conspiracy theories, but this moment -- like the vast majority of Americans -- I am sick to my stomach over what I'm learning and experiencing personally, in the name of free enterprise. I have many Republican friends, and many men friends in the financial industry. None have a defense for what has happened in the name of free enterprise.

Team Obama wants to change the focus from "he who has the most toys wins". I support that vision. Anne

[murphy]

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