Michelle Obama Watch

Forbes Magazine has ranked First Lady Michelle Obama number 40 on its’ list of the “100 Most Powerful Women in the World.” According to The Washington Post, the magazine ranks the women based on two factors: visibility and the size of the organization or country they lead. Michelle Obama was joined on the list by several other U.S. Government officials, including:  

2.) Sheila Bair, Chairwoman of the FDIC

35.) Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House

36.) Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State

48.) Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice

51.) Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary

54.) Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court Justice

55.) Mary Schapiro, Chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission

56.) Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary

When I first saw the stories about the First Lady wearing shorts I thought for sure they would pass rather quickly. But low and behold, almost one week later and there are still new stories cropping up about the First Lady’s “right to bear legs”. Who would have ever thought that one pair of brown legs could stir up so much controversy. It’s as if some people were not considering that it is August and the First Family was headed to Arizona.

According to the Associate Press,  an NBC’s “Today” show poll had over 300,000 responses with 83% giving the First Lady’s shorts a thumbs up. The blog post was the show’s most commented-on of 2009. A similar Huffington Post poll revealed the same with 58% giving a nod to Mrs O vacation fashion choice.

“Why not wear linen pants…more tasteful. She may have been on vacation — oh yeah I’m having a senior moment, she has been on a tax-payer-supported world wide vacation since the inauguration — but she should respect the Office of the President and the USA,” commented Charlie Smith of  Montgomery, Alabama on the Today Show site.

Question for Mr Smith, and the like: If you’re a senior, do you remember this photo?

 I guess Mrs O was channeling one of her predecessors, Jackie O, when she came up with the “strange” idea to wear shorts on a family summer vacation.

Robin Givhan, of  The Washington Post, stated that she was “ambivalent” about the first lady’s shorts — mainly because stepping off Air Force One makes it an “official” photo and so should, perhaps, be considered a more formal moment.

“I think in many ways it’s symbolic,” Givhan explained. “We don’t see first ladies looking informal, and I think it’s a wonderful thing that she’s bringing informality to that position. But we’re still grappling with what the first lady is supposed to be all about.”

In my humble opinion Mrs Obama looks fabulous in whatever she decides to wear. She is fabulous because she is a proven strong, confident, trailblazing woman who is very comfortable in the skin she is in and there are not many people that can make that claim.

Posted by Aminah Hanan