I am 63 and old. But after her convention speech I wanted to have about 5 more children so I could name them all “Michelle.” Somehow my wife didn’t quite agree so don’t worry.
mostlymarveloussays
Yay, Michelle. I saw this an hour or so ago on The Guardian.
How often do you see such long periods of hear-a-pin-drop silence during speeches at political rallies? Absolutely riveting.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trollssays
Michelle 2024!
I could vote for that.
Another possibility, Justice Obama. Barak Obama has said he isn’t interested, but would Michelle carry on in the tradition of RBG after her death/retirement? That will give me nice dreams tonight just contemplating the idea.
cartomancersays
This is the big problem with the Obamas. They make all these wonderful, inspiring speeches, and promote all kinds of good things, but still oversee ruinous foreign wars, order drone strikes on civilians and acquiesce in the enrichment of the 1% and all the systemic problems that leads to.
Or at least Barack does. I don’t know exactly how political Michelle is. But if we’re taking them as a pair then I think it’s a fair comment.
Because I really like them. They come across as very good people. Which automatically makes me better disposed to forgive any atrocities they are complicit in. Which is a problem. It makes me want to defend them, to reach for justifications such as a hostile Republican Congress impeding their attempts to do good, or inheriting an appalling foreign policy situation they couldn’t cleanly extricate America from. I don’t want people who are capable of making inspiring speeches about gender equality and marriage equality for LGBT people to be in the pockets of Wall Street bigwigs. I don’t want people who fight to introduce basic healthcare for the poorest in America to be hawkish warmongers with a butcher’s bill of Libyan and Syrian blood to account for. Or, at the very least, willing to cooperate with such people. I don’t want to fall for a cult of personality. But I sort of do.
Perhaps these thoughts are slightly unworthy. Perhaps now they’re no longer at the helm we can start to indulge in the harmless pleasure of adulation, and focus on the messages of hope and progress. Particularly in Michelle’s case. Perhaps this is not the time and place for holding the Democrats to account. I just wonder whether that will be harder to do because they are such likeable people.
appleheadsays
“Oh no, PZ ‘Blue Dog Scum’ Myers supports infamous war criminal Barack Hatehim Ohitler!”
*The gist of too many comments on this piece.
appleheadsays
@5, cartomancer,
And those valid grievances are either legacy baggage or actually controlled and commanded by powers greater than the POTUS. Don’t undersell how much good ACA and inspiring speeches did and will do, or how Obama is one of the finest presidents the US ever had.
applehead, perhaps it is a foreign idea to you, but many of us can simultaneously admire the Obamas for their ideals, and recognise their flaws. They’ve been an amazing image for Black America to see, to begin healing that appalling rift in US society. They’ve been incredibly dignified in the face of a racist onslaught for eight years. The ACA is a small step forward, accomplished in the face of two obstructionist Houses. They have many admirable qualities.
But Mr. Obama did step up drone attacks, and has spread US military involvement into new areas. I have no problem holding this complex legacy in my head. Why do you believe we are incapable? Projection?
ck, the Irate Lumpsays
Matt G wrote:
Michelle 2024!
As nice as that’d be, I think she has the good sense not to. Her opponent would just campaign against Barack, and the closest thing they came to a real controversy was Benghazi, and can you imagine an entire election campaign centred around Benghazi? *shudder*
She is just so heartfelt, genuine, and persuasive. I really hope she doesn’t just fall out of public life in January. We need people like her in politics. Her ideas and outlook are good, so far as I’ve seen them, she’s inspiring and intelligent as hell, instead of cruel and stupid.
I hope she runs for some elected office, something tells me she will.
F.O.says
@cartomancer #5, @CaitieCat, Harridan of Social Justice #10
I agree with both of you, but thank you for articulating so well all of it.
eggmoidalsays
Incredibly powerful speech. Incredibly powerful speaker.
I agree with comment #1 by Matt G:
Rachel Maddow ran the speech on her show. She gave it a big build-up, saying it was very important that everyone see this, and that she had worked to get it on her show, uninterrupted, and they only clipped out some pro-Clinton bits. Yay, Rachel!
rietpluimsays
Great speech. That little shaky sound in her voice tells us how very, very real it was.
Moggiesays
Jeez, Americans love their political dynasties! Maybe Michelle Obama can fight Chelsea Clinton for the nomination in 2024, with the winner going up against another Bush?
anarchobyronsays
Fawning and deference to power is pretty disgusting.
Seems like some of the people here have stockholm syndrome.
chigau (違う)says
anarchobyron #20
What do you think of her speech?
anarchobyronsays
@21
Myers said “I’m going to miss the Obamas” – plural. My comment is in reference to that, regardless of the quality of Michelle’s speech, since Obamas entails Barack.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trollssays
Another Obama hater heard from with anarchobryon. Sigh.
anarchobyronsays
I’m certainly no fan of the man who had Manning jailed indefinitely (but not the criminals from the iraq war he exposed, the chopper killers, or any of Bush’s torture regime), or who wants to sentence Edward Snowden for revealing unconstitutional power, or who assassinated the first American Citizen without due process, or who is presently engaged in drone warfare in at least 7 countries, or who appointed his entire cabinet from Citibank recommendations with all wall street players, or oversaw a coup in Honduras, among other things. Yeah, don’t really feel like missing that guy or praising him. And if you next door neighbor acted like you wouldn’t either. Deference to power and stockholm syndrome are entirely too commonplace.
anarchobyronsays
*and if you’re next door neighbor acted like him, you wouldn’t either.
chigau (違う)says
anarchobyron
Refering to
“Man, I’m going to miss the Obamas.”
as Fawning and deference to power
is overblown hyperbole.
Bless your heart.
anarchobyronsays
Missing leaders who commit morally atrocious deeds is fawning and deference, since it implies one can paper over those egregious actions.
@7
It is possible to find Obama to have been a good, or even commendable president in some areas, while also acknowledging that he is also guilty of war crimes and directly responsible as commander in chief for slaughtering innocents.
The ACA is the only reason my family still has healthcare, and overall I’m glad we got him rather than an idiot like McCain or Romney, but I’m not going to blow smoke up his ass and pretend he’s just some tragic onlooker, completely incapable of stopping the drone strikes that slaughter families.
consciousness razorsays
Moggie:
Jeez, Americans love their political dynasties! Maybe Michelle Obama can fight Chelsea Clinton for the nomination in 2024, with the winner going up against another Bush?
Billy may need a job. (Then again … has he ever?) His magic blood makes him a prime candidate.
anarchobyron:
who assassinated the first American Citizen without due process
Just wondering. What would it mean to assassinate someone with due process?
Would that be like the death penalty? Was Obama also responsible when the first citizen was executed … “with due process”? Or are you just full of shit?
Why is it not a problem when a non-“American Citizen” isn’t afforded due process or other basic rights?
oversaw a coup in Honduras
Not sure what you mean by this. Obama orchestrated a coup? Or he saw it, more or less passively and distantly, as if looking over their shoulders, and didn’t stop it from happening or condemn it strongly?
numerobissays
I’m going to miss the Obamas because I can’t imagine a better alternative.
He’s accomplished a great deal domestically despite disloyal opposition, and abroad he’s defused to some extent two long-standing petulant conflicts (Cuba and Iran).
The drone war bothers me deeply, even more so US support for crushing the Arab spring in Egypt and Saudi (which has invaded two countries — Yemen and Bahrain — to prevent the Arab spring from spreading).
rietpluimsays
Let me guess… anarchobyron is Mike Smith under a new name?
jack16says
I had some hope for Obama when he was elected and then he selected a wall street cabinet. What does Michelle say to him about his atrocities? Does she only get mad within a month of elections?
John Moralessays
jack16, WTF?
You don’t dispute the gist of of the OP or this thread, but insinuate she’s a hypocrite nonetheless?
—
In passing, PZ and others within the commenter-base here had trepidations about Obama before he was elected, so they probably weren’t quite so disappointed as you claim to be.
Michelle 2024!
I am 63 and old. But after her convention speech I wanted to have about 5 more children so I could name them all “Michelle.” Somehow my wife didn’t quite agree so don’t worry.
Yay, Michelle. I saw this an hour or so ago on The Guardian.
How often do you see such long periods of hear-a-pin-drop silence during speeches at political rallies? Absolutely riveting.
I could vote for that.
Another possibility, Justice Obama. Barak Obama has said he isn’t interested, but would Michelle carry on in the tradition of RBG after her death/retirement? That will give me nice dreams tonight just contemplating the idea.
This is the big problem with the Obamas. They make all these wonderful, inspiring speeches, and promote all kinds of good things, but still oversee ruinous foreign wars, order drone strikes on civilians and acquiesce in the enrichment of the 1% and all the systemic problems that leads to.
Or at least Barack does. I don’t know exactly how political Michelle is. But if we’re taking them as a pair then I think it’s a fair comment.
Because I really like them. They come across as very good people. Which automatically makes me better disposed to forgive any atrocities they are complicit in. Which is a problem. It makes me want to defend them, to reach for justifications such as a hostile Republican Congress impeding their attempts to do good, or inheriting an appalling foreign policy situation they couldn’t cleanly extricate America from. I don’t want people who are capable of making inspiring speeches about gender equality and marriage equality for LGBT people to be in the pockets of Wall Street bigwigs. I don’t want people who fight to introduce basic healthcare for the poorest in America to be hawkish warmongers with a butcher’s bill of Libyan and Syrian blood to account for. Or, at the very least, willing to cooperate with such people. I don’t want to fall for a cult of personality. But I sort of do.
Perhaps these thoughts are slightly unworthy. Perhaps now they’re no longer at the helm we can start to indulge in the harmless pleasure of adulation, and focus on the messages of hope and progress. Particularly in Michelle’s case. Perhaps this is not the time and place for holding the Democrats to account. I just wonder whether that will be harder to do because they are such likeable people.
“Oh no, PZ ‘Blue Dog Scum’ Myers supports infamous war criminal Barack Hatehim Ohitler!”
*The gist of too many comments on this piece.
@5, cartomancer,
And those valid grievances are either legacy baggage or actually controlled and commanded by powers greater than the POTUS. Don’t undersell how much good ACA and inspiring speeches did and will do, or how Obama is one of the finest presidents the US ever had.
Michelle Obama is a national treasure.
I’d never noticed it before, but she has long, beautiful fingers.
applehead, perhaps it is a foreign idea to you, but many of us can simultaneously admire the Obamas for their ideals, and recognise their flaws. They’ve been an amazing image for Black America to see, to begin healing that appalling rift in US society. They’ve been incredibly dignified in the face of a racist onslaught for eight years. The ACA is a small step forward, accomplished in the face of two obstructionist Houses. They have many admirable qualities.
But Mr. Obama did step up drone attacks, and has spread US military involvement into new areas. I have no problem holding this complex legacy in my head. Why do you believe we are incapable? Projection?
Matt G wrote:
As nice as that’d be, I think she has the good sense not to. Her opponent would just campaign against Barack, and the closest thing they came to a real controversy was Benghazi, and can you imagine an entire election campaign centred around Benghazi? *shudder*
She is just so heartfelt, genuine, and persuasive. I really hope she doesn’t just fall out of public life in January. We need people like her in politics. Her ideas and outlook are good, so far as I’ve seen them, she’s inspiring and intelligent as hell, instead of cruel and stupid.
I hope she runs for some elected office, something tells me she will.
@cartomancer #5, @CaitieCat, Harridan of Social Justice #10
I agree with both of you, but thank you for articulating so well all of it.
Incredibly powerful speech. Incredibly powerful speaker.
I agree with comment #1 by Matt G:
Michelle 2024!.
And let me add:
Yes she can!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qiVnRxt6I8A
In case you are seeing a blank space up top.
huh
Rachel Maddow ran the speech on her show. She gave it a big build-up, saying it was very important that everyone see this, and that she had worked to get it on her show, uninterrupted, and they only clipped out some pro-Clinton bits. Yay, Rachel!
Great speech. That little shaky sound in her voice tells us how very, very real it was.
Jeez, Americans love their political dynasties! Maybe Michelle Obama can fight Chelsea Clinton for the nomination in 2024, with the winner going up against another Bush?
Fawning and deference to power is pretty disgusting.
Seems like some of the people here have stockholm syndrome.
anarchobyron #20
What do you think of her speech?
@21
Myers said “I’m going to miss the Obamas” – plural. My comment is in reference to that, regardless of the quality of Michelle’s speech, since Obamas entails Barack.
Another Obama hater heard from with anarchobryon. Sigh.
I’m certainly no fan of the man who had Manning jailed indefinitely (but not the criminals from the iraq war he exposed, the chopper killers, or any of Bush’s torture regime), or who wants to sentence Edward Snowden for revealing unconstitutional power, or who assassinated the first American Citizen without due process, or who is presently engaged in drone warfare in at least 7 countries, or who appointed his entire cabinet from Citibank recommendations with all wall street players, or oversaw a coup in Honduras, among other things. Yeah, don’t really feel like missing that guy or praising him. And if you next door neighbor acted like you wouldn’t either. Deference to power and stockholm syndrome are entirely too commonplace.
*and if you’re next door neighbor acted like him, you wouldn’t either.
anarchobyron
Refering to
“Man, I’m going to miss the Obamas.”
as
is overblown hyperbole.
Bless your heart.
Missing leaders who commit morally atrocious deeds is fawning and deference, since it implies one can paper over those egregious actions.
For those of you thinking Obama represents you, view the wikileak:
https://newrepublic.com/article/137798/important-wikileaks-revelation-isnt-hillary-clinton
@7
It is possible to find Obama to have been a good, or even commendable president in some areas, while also acknowledging that he is also guilty of war crimes and directly responsible as commander in chief for slaughtering innocents.
The ACA is the only reason my family still has healthcare, and overall I’m glad we got him rather than an idiot like McCain or Romney, but I’m not going to blow smoke up his ass and pretend he’s just some tragic onlooker, completely incapable of stopping the drone strikes that slaughter families.
Moggie:
Billy may need a job. (Then again … has he ever?) His magic blood makes him a prime candidate.
anarchobyron:
Just wondering. What would it mean to assassinate someone with due process?
Would that be like the death penalty? Was Obama also responsible when the first citizen was executed … “with due process”? Or are you just full of shit?
Why is it not a problem when a non-“American Citizen” isn’t afforded due process or other basic rights?
Not sure what you mean by this. Obama orchestrated a coup? Or he saw it, more or less passively and distantly, as if looking over their shoulders, and didn’t stop it from happening or condemn it strongly?
I’m going to miss the Obamas because I can’t imagine a better alternative.
He’s accomplished a great deal domestically despite disloyal opposition, and abroad he’s defused to some extent two long-standing petulant conflicts (Cuba and Iran).
The drone war bothers me deeply, even more so US support for crushing the Arab spring in Egypt and Saudi (which has invaded two countries — Yemen and Bahrain — to prevent the Arab spring from spreading).
Let me guess… anarchobyron is Mike Smith under a new name?
I had some hope for Obama when he was elected and then he selected a wall street cabinet. What does Michelle say to him about his atrocities? Does she only get mad within a month of elections?
jack16, WTF?
You don’t dispute the gist of of the OP or this thread, but insinuate she’s a hypocrite nonetheless?
—
In passing, PZ and others within the commenter-base here had trepidations about Obama before he was elected, so they probably weren’t quite so disappointed as you claim to be.