Life these days for first lady Michelle Obama is a mix of the mom-in-chief role she said she would pursue first and foremost, and the ongoing development of a policy and outreach role. Since the Obamas moved into the White House 100 days ago, they have certainly brought change to the presidential residence. There is now a puppy, Bo, the Portuguese water dog, running around on the South Lawn, and a swing set for first daughters Malia and Sasha, installed outside the Oval Office. Obama got her hands dirty planting a vegetable garden with local students, and the executive mansion has been the site of a few sleepovers of giggling tweens. "Sometimes they sleep in the girls' rooms, or sometimes they sleep upstairs where there's a TV," the first lady told a group of schoolchildren at the White House last week. "They like sleeping in front of the TV, probably like you all do when you have a sleepover."
The first lady has graced the cover of dozens of magazines, inspired a comic book and a Web site that tracks her outfits daily. The fascination with her fashion began from the moment she made her debut at the inaugural ball in a flowing gown by Jason Wu. "The biggest thing that she's done is kind of transform the way we think a first lady is supposed to look," said Robin Givhan, the Washington Post's fashion editor. "One of the most distinctive things is that she dresses in a way that's very contemporary and is not concerned with trying to fit into the traditional costume of a first lady." Obama wears a mix of ready-to-wear basics from stores like J.Crew, with high-fashion pieces from designers such as Isabel Toledo and Jimmy Choo. Her style is decidedly more modern than any of her predecessors, particularly her penchant for sleeveless dresses. Her decision to bear her arms in her official White House portrait raised some eyebrows. "I think it's surprising only because we're so used to first ladies being covered up," Givhan said. "They're arms of a particular generation. They're about athleticism. They're the arms of a woman who came of age when women went to the gym and they lifted weights and that wasn't deemed as unfeminine, so I think in some ways it's generational."
Beyond the 'Fun Stuff'The first lady has said on a number of occasions that she has the best job in the White House, because she "gets to do the fun stuff." But America has yet to hear much from the other side of Michelle Obama, the Harvard-trained lawyer, the executive, the woman who once was President Obama's boss. Danielle Belton, who blogs for blacksnob.com, said, "She is very careful about what kind of energy she puts out there, about what she has to say. She's very mindful. She's very smart. I feel like she is waiting for the right time." First lady Hillary Clinton learned the hard way that too strong, too fast, did not work. First lady Laura Bush kept her politics fairly private during her husband's time in office.
What's Next for the First Lady?
Blogger Belton said if there's anything Michelle Obama has displayed in these 100 days, it's versatility. "She 'metamorphed' into this cross between Susie Q. homemaker meets I'm every woman executive meets classic diplomatic. I can be in a ball gown first lady, I can be at a business meeting, I can go visit every department here in our government and speak to anyone, and go meet the queen of England in my perfect little cardigan sweater, and I'm ready to go," Belton said, laughing. "I think she really studied and got into the role and just like everything else in her life, she's prepared herself. She's adaptable."
The first lady's office has said she would continue to build her role working with military families. Her first trip outside Washington was to Fort Bragg, N.C., where she met with military families at an emotional roundtable discussion. She will continue her listening tour of federal agencies. And, of course, she will continue the transition into the role of mom-in-chief. "She's really not dealing with controversial issues, not talking about the economy or Afghanistan," Gutin of Rider University said. "The things that she's chosen to do and the way she's gone about them have really played very well."
Gutin said Obama's impact will develop as she delves more deeply into her signature issue.
"Any first lady can really have a considerable impact because it draws the national spotlight to whatever the project is," Gutin said, noting the work of former first ladies Barbara Bush (literacy), Rosalind Carter (mental health), Lady Bird Johnson (environment).
"It ends up being a boon to whatever the initiative is." Personally I would say that the first 100 days have been a success wouldn't you agree...
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