Obama’s campaign managers are giving her image

a subtle makeover, with a new speech in the works

to emphasize her humble roots Last Wednesday she did

a guest turn on “The View,” the daytime talk show,

with an eye toward softening her reputation

Blanding Michelle Obama [Source]

Are we witnessing the bleaching of Michelle Obama? Not so much in terms of race or skin color, more in terms of how benign, how eerily beige in manner she seems determined to come across.

Appearing on women's US daytime chat show The View, with Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters, the wife of the Democratic candidate revealed homely nuggets such as the fact that her husband has bad habits like never taking the trash out or failing to understand that a lady needs time for her hair. All the really important stuff then.

In fairness, Ms Obama did explain her fist-bump when Barack won the primaries (just the new high five, taught to her by young staff); the 'first time I am really proud of my country' remark (good old media misrepresentation).

As for Hillary for VP... she's just glad that decision has nothing to do with her. But never mind all that: Michelle doesn't wear tights anymore because they get torn. 'It's fun to look pretty,' she trilled.

At which point, one thought - is it that time so soon? Who's going to ring Stepford and tell them that one of their robots is malfunctioning?

One doesn't want to be too harsh on Michelle Obama. It can't be easy having your husband's political enemies cast you as a cross between Louis Farrakhan and the Wicked Witch of the East (Black Power division).

Moreover, at least Ms Obama made a conscious decision to 'rebland' if you like.

Michelle's Makeover [Source]

Apparently Michelle Obama needs a makeover. No less than the New York Times says so. So let it be written. So let it be done. The most recent piece of fiction crafted by the mainstream media is that there is something wrong with Michelle Obama.

In the words of the Times, Michelle has a "strong personality".

Recognizing the extent to which Republicans view Michelle Obama’s strong views and personality as a potential liability for her husband, Obama’s aides said they were preparing to bring aboard senior operatives from previous Democratic presidential campaigns to work with her.

This is a clear departure from the typical way the spouse of a candidate is staffed. Mrs. Obama’s operation would include senior aides devoted to responding to attacks and challenges to her, particularly if she continues to campaign as much as she has so far.

I don't think they meant "strong" in a good way - like strong bones, strong bridges, strong families or a strong national defence.

In Michelle's case, being "strong" is a liability, not an asset. There is something about Michelle that the American media thinks is too much. Is it that she is too confident? Too eloquent? Too intelligent or too compassionate?

After declaring that she was just too much, on Wednesday, the New York Times followed up by inferring that Michelle needs to be made over into a softer version of herself, but I didn't see anything wrong with the original version we've grown to know.

As critics have increasingly frothed at the mouth with charges that she is some angry, unpatriotic black radical, I can't help think of those iconic images of black women and girls during the civil rights movement. Marian Anderson on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Rosa Parks being fingerprinted and booked into jail. Thelma Mothershed, Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Gloria Ray, Melba Pattillo, Carlotta Walls, Daisy Bates - the young black girls of the Little Rock Nine.

Images of black women and girls exhibiting grace and class while being buffeted by an onslaught of indignities, unjust laws and, in some cases, seething rage.

The truth is that any woman who would submit her children to the circus-like gauntlet that has become the presidential nomination process in this country, has a deep unwavering love for her country.

Only a woman who loved her country would be willing to sacrifice so much and endure the negative stereotyping, spurious rumours and the incessant chatter from prognostitutes psychoanalysing her decision to go sleeveless and wear the colour purple.

And so, on Wednesday, Michelle Obama found herself surrounded by the ladies of the ABC daytime talkshow The View, pontificating on the perils of pantyhose.

Because nothing says more about your spouse's fitness to be the next leader of the free world better than your ability to chew the fat on national television about eschewing painful undergarments.

Having declared her to be flawed, the mainstream media could now push a new narrative and chronicle her transformation into an adoring candidate robo-wife with no true voice of her own.

Michelle Obama doesn't need a makeover.

She was a classy, eloquent spokesperson for her husband's candidacy. What needs making over are the puny little minds of the editorial decision-makers in this country who once again are forcing an accomplished professional spouse of a man seeking high office to contort herself to fit into their tiny little archaic boxes.

Political campaigns, being the risk adverse sheep that they are, follow the media's lead.

Thus every four years they force the country to watch a very public lobotomy via daytime talk shows, fluff pieces in supermarket tabloids and magazine bake offs - minimizing a woman's professional accomplishments in favour of reminding us that she can bake a mean cookie.

They did it to Hillary Clinton. They did it to Teresa Heinz Kerry. They would have done the same thing to Elizabeth Edwards. And they are doing it to Michelle Obama.

All of these women are accomplished in their own rights and have been vocal surrogates for their husbands' campaigns. In Michelle's case the cookies are shortbread with lemon zest topped with dried fruit and nuts.

Nuts is exactly what we are for allowing the mainstream media to drag us on yet another cycle of their election year lunacy where they force professional women to jettison their careers, their education and their professions to become cookie-baking candidate robo-wives.