In Praise of Michelle Obama

I don’t normally fawn over First Ladies but I’m making an exception in this case. Michelle Obama is the absolute sh*t.

I watched her on "Late Show with David Letterman" last night and was awed by how cool she is. She’s not the least bit threatening or arrogant or bland or bitchy as other recent presidential spouses have been; she’s charming, witty and extremely likable. She seems real – she doesn’t seem to measure her words before she uses them like some politicians – yet I didn’t wince once.

I was surprised to learn that I’m almost two years older than she is (she was born on January 17, 1964) because she’s so darn accomplished, poised, confident and classy. Raised on Chicago’s tough south side, Michelle went on to graduate from Princeton and Harvard Law, which tells you a lot about her drive and character. She held big jobs – including working at a law firm, for Windy City mayor Richard Daly and for the University of Chicago Medical Center – before joining her hubby on the road to the White House. There’s obviously a lot more to her than the fancy ball gowns she sometimes must wear might lead you to think.

Speaking of Barack, say what you will about his presidency but you can’t deny that he snagged a real winner, which says something about him. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by his or her partner. I don’t know her, of course, but Michelle comes across on the Boob Tube as elegant, personable, interesting, strong and wise. There must be something special about the guy to have attracted someone like her to him.

I was going to compare her to other First Ladies but I changed my mind, not because I’m short on time or low on energy but because Michelle Obama deserves to be recognized for who she is rather than how much better she is than her predecessors. I got the sense last night that she’d be just as impressive as a car dealer, wedding planner or insurance saleswoman; she seems exceptional in spite of the fact that she shares a bed with the Leader of the Free World, not because of it.

She told Letterman last night that she has two girls, Malia and Sasha, and a boy, Bo, who’s the smartest dog on the planet. Although she didn't need to score any more points with me, the dog lover thing put her over the top. Oh, and she’s sensitive about people’s weight issues; when Letterman complimented her for helping “fat kids” – a reference to her efforts to promote healthy eating and nutrition – she gently but immediately corrected him, saying, “I don’t talk in terms of weight, David, but in terms of health.” As someone who dreads getting on the scale at the Michigan Athletic Club, I can dig that.

Last night I posted a pro-Michelle status update in Facebook. So far, 23 of my friends have “liked” it; one of ‘em, Mike Little, responded that he’s voting for her in 2016.

That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.

Click here for a few video clips from last night.