Michelle Obama - should she be more active in the White House?

I think Michelle Obama is an interesting case. Not only is she the wife of the first African American President, but she is also a Princeton grad, a fashionista, and a mother of two children. Clearly, Mrs. Obama has a lot on her shoulders, but I constantly wonder why she is not motivated to be more active in the White House.

At the University of California Merced, Michelle spoke to the graduating class and urged them to be bold and embrace challenges. Her words are wise, and she continues to successfuly caputre the nation with her friendly aura. Students at the university were very happy to have Michelle there, and one student commented on the role Michelle Obama plays.

"I think she's just a new modern type of role model for women. She's incredibly intelligent, well spoken, and she's just interesting," she said.

"It's very good to see the White House pushing people to help others. That's what my university's always done too." (Piya Radia, BBC Newsbeat)

I agree with Piya, Mrs. Obama is a role model. But still, I long for a woman in the White House, not just a Mom-in-Chief, which I think is great, but a Woman-in-Chief. During the Clinton Presidency, we all know that Hillary was very active, and she was able to make positive changes. Now, I hope, Michelle will realize the power of her position and maybe take on some more polticially charged tasks. Of course, she's already been around the world and is helping, I just want to see more! I have high hopes for both President Barack Obama and Michelle.

Sorry, you're only the wife

Word on the street is that Michelle Obama wants to be more active in her husband's administration, and Jeremy Mayer has a problem with that. Mayer posted a piece on Politico today about how being the First Lady and invovled in the government is disastrous.

According to Mayer, despite the fact that Michelle Obama is highly qualified woman with a lot of experience, she should not be significantly involved in the government (after all, look what happened with Hillary!). Mayer points out, "Marrying a top policymaker doesn’t magically grant you the rare skills necessary for your spouse’s profession, any more than marrying Serena Williams would enable you to win Wimbledon." While that is true, Michelle Obama is an educated, skilled woman who has something to offer this administration.

Being elected president, or really any elected official, is about the circumstances. Who you are, where you are, and when the election is play an enormous role in becoming elected. Michelle Obama is an intelligent and successful woman who is married to our president, and the events that led to his election also put her in a position to make a difference.

If she was not married to the president, would her offered skills and passions be more acceptable? Are we really going to say that being married to the head of state is something that disqualifies her interest and efforts?

When her husband was elected, her life changed and she had give up some of the power she had in her career. It is ridiculous to keep her from using her skills and pursuing her interests just because she is the First Lady. And frankly, I'd like to see more in the news about Michelle Obama other than that she wears sleeveless dresses and what events she attends.

Palmetto Pride?

I often struggle with my relationship with dear South Carolina. As both a University of South Carolina alumni and a feminist activist it was never hard to find reasons to fight in the Palmetto state. So it comes as no surprise to hear of former chairman of the state elections commission, Rusty DePass, racist comments about First Lady Michelle Obama.

Clearly in jest, you say? Silly me. How could I have missed the hilarity of your ignorance.

Sadly, comments much like the ones from ol' Rusty can easily be heard in South Carolina. There is so much to fight against that I am often torn between the need to stay and fight back and the refreshing sigh of relief to finally be in an area that "gets it."

There are many great organizations in South Carolina and across the South that are working to fight back against long standing hatred and ignorance. I can only hope that one day the Rusty Depasses of the world will be the exception and not the norm.