PrintJune 16, 2008
Innoculating Michelle Obama from Criticism
This piece by John Hendren at ABC News is something we should probably have to get used to. Apparently, we are to be prevented from being beastly to Michelle Obama because, after all, she's only the candidate's wife.
And when she is out stumping for her husband and criticizes McCain or Republicans, we're supposed to hold our fire because it would be unfair to respond to that criticism. This is the meme gaining steam in recent weeks and will soon make the jump and include Obama himself as off limits as far as criticism is concerned:
The conservative National Review recently showed a stern-faced Michelle Obama on its cover, under the headline, "Mrs. Grievance." The Tennessee Republican Party questioned her patriotism.Michelle Obama has become a favorite target for critics, drawing many to compare her arrival on the national stage to Hillary Clinton's after she infuriated conservatives when she said, "I could have stayed home and baked cookies."It's likely to get worse."It's going to be very ugly stuff," Democratic strategist Tad Devine said. "They're going to try to depict her as someone who is angry, outside the mainstream and not proud to be an American."
I realize it's not polite to laugh at fools but for crying out loud, just about every word uttered by the woman proves that she is "angry," that her politics are "outside the mainstream," and, according to Michelle Obama herself, she is "not proud to be an American."
But we can't criticize her for it because that would be "unfair."
Hendren calls her "not proud" statement "artless." I have seen it described elsewhere in the media as "unfortunate" (how true), a "misstatement" (stretching it), a "gaffe" (a doosy), and even that it was "taken out of context" (putting it in context would have made it sound worse.).
The point being, it is ridiculous to describe the statement as "artless." How about "heartfelt." How about "relfecting her true feelings." How about "in a moment of candor."
But that doesn't follow the narrative so instead, Michelle Obama's clear statement of out of the mainstream political thought is described as "artless."
This stricture against criticizing Michelle Obama will soon make the jump to the candidate himself. This will occur when the race card is employed to maximum effect - that any criticism of an Obama gaffe or policy position will be portrayed as racist. And why wouldn't they use the race card? It is the most effective weapon in the history of presidential politics. They will shame people into voting for them and the press will love them for it.
