Michelle Obama says she was held to different standard in '08 campaign due to her race

CNN ^ | May 9, 2015 | Allie Malloy and Sunlen Serfaty

[Zakeet]

Michelle Obama gave an impassioned and personal commencement speech Saturday on the trials she's faced as the first African-American first lady of the United States, saying she was held to a different standard than other candidates' wives during the 2008 campaign because of her race.

Speaking at Tuskegee University in Alabama, Obama told the audience that when her husband was running for office in 2008, she faced questions which she said were not typical for other candidates' wives.

"As potentially the first African-American first lady, I was also the focus of another set of questions and speculations, conversations sometimes rooted in the fears and misperceptions of others," she told the class of 2015. "Was I too loud or too emasculating? Or was I too soft? Too much of a mom and not enough of a career woman?"

[Snip]

"Back in those days, I had a lot of sleepless nights worrying what people thought of me," she recalled. Obama added that she let the criticism get to the point where she would wonder if she was hurting her husband's chances of becoming President, while also fearing what her daughters would think.

The first lady said eventually the only thing she could do to prevent others from defining her was to "ignore all of the noise."

[Zakeet]

From Aunt Esther's pity party:^* I have had a heavy burden to carry ... it can feel isolating and like your life somehow doesn't matter ... and those feelings are real ... and they are playing out in communities like Baltimore and Ferguson and so many others across this country ... and that is why I have had to be so hard on my coterie of servants, and eat out as so many expensive restaurants and spend so many millions on luxury vacations ... but you should never give up or lose hope ... cause you are entitled!

^* Note: A couple of minor enhancements were added to Moo's direct quotes for clarification purposes.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

More’s the pity...

[Vaquero]

Chewey was given a free pass on just about anything you could think of. So yes....she was held to a different standard, indeed.

[bert]

The standard is in fact different for avowed racists. Her only qualification is being black

[OttawaFreeper]

Yeah right. The friendly neighbourhood drive-bys in reality made her into the black Jackie Kennedy all of this time, even though I am really beginning to find her very repulsive. I seldom speak of a woman in that manner, but I (even as a Canadian) am getting really fed up with her image and her poor little rich girl worldview being plastered up everywhere it seems.

[Theodore R.]

The American people are so compassionate they get really upset when their favorites are having a pity party. If it weren’t for that pesky 22nd Amendment, the sky could be the limit.

[Tax-chick]

"Was I too loud or too emasculating? Or was I too soft? Too much of a mom and not enough of a career woman?"

I remember these very discussions about Hillary Clinton when Bill was a candidate.

Don't these people ever get bored with obsessing on their race?

[rovenstinez]

Well, at least she can now be proud of the United States..

[Gen.Blather]

The only place I regularly run into blacks socially now is Gold’s gym. That’s because I’m retired and live isolated in the woods. At my former employment blacks outnumbered whites about 1.5:1.

I’ve lately noticed something odd. Several black men have been gratuitously and noticeably nice and solicitous. (I’m a 61 year old white male.) A few have gone out of their way to engage me in conversation. It is so startling that I wonder if they’re trying to make up for the horrible images we’re getting on TV and from our president and his first whiner.

Now, I always nod and smile if I have eye contact with anyone. But my behavior hasn’t changed. I have at times had black men scowl at me, but not in the last year or so.

[newfreep]

"As potentially the first African-American first lady..."

Hyphenated "Americans" are NOT Americans.

In addition, a white African who legally emigrates to America and becomes a citizen is not allowed to be called an "African-American".

There's so much BS and propaganda it's become sickening as we watch America & our Constitution fall to these communists/racists...

[Real Cynic No More]

I agree 100%. She and her husband were given a free pass on issues like no one else ever before.

[Senator_Blutarski]

The Obama’s have an amazing arrogance and sense of entitlement. I wish they would go away.

[laweeks]

From which exotic vacation site did this Royal Lard-Ass speak of her emotional toll. Would be great if this humungously huge lardass would STFU

[BCW]

wouldn’t have anything to do with your husband stating that he is about to “fundamentally change the US” and “redistribute wealth”....I don’t think the color of paper was as important as what the actual message written down was....IMHO...

[The_Victor]

As potentially the first African-American first lady, I was also the focus of another set of questions and speculations, conversations sometimes rooted in the fears and misperceptions of others," she told the class of 2015. "Was I too loud or too emasculating? Or was I too soft? Too much of a mom and not enough of a career woman?"

[Snip]

"Back in those days, I had a lot of sleepless nights worrying what people thought of me," she recalled. Obama added that she let the criticism get to the point where she would wonder if she was hurting her husband's chances of becoming President, while also fearing what her daughters would think.

During the campaign in 2008, if she was being subjected to racist assumptions about her personality or behavior, it wasn't coming from the GOP or conservatives. I guarantee she had zero contact with anyone from the other side of the aisle. This is coming from her democRAT handlers and coaches, trying to keep her from harming the campaign.

[jsanders2001]

She is a professional bictim isn’t she? Next I guess she’ll tell us about her ancestors being rounded up in Africa and put on a boat but they had o oss several of them overseas because their butts wouldn’t it on the boat.

[BitWielder1]

She wanted NO standards, NO critique, only fawning.
No such luck - for anyone.
Whatever she did hear, of course she had to interpret as racism.
As if no previous first ladies ever had to learn how to behave in the public spotlight.

[Tennessee Nana]

“Were my knees too far apart ? Could anyone see up my dress ?”

[jsanders2001]

She is a professional victim isn’t she? Next I guess she’ll tell us about her ancestors being rounded up in Africa and put on a boat but they had to toss several of them overseas because their butts wouldn’t fit on the boat.