Bill Clinton may have a tough time trying to define his role as “first laddie,” but Michelle Obama also walks a delicate line. Smart, tough political wives like Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush are acceptable; in public, they are adjuncts to the husband elected by the voters, even as they wield power behind the scenes. As first lady, Hillary Clinton openly crossed the line into politics and policy, often to harsh reviews.
Last week, [Obama] said that when rivals use her husband’s full name — Barack Hussein Obama — they are throwing “the obvious, ultimate fear bomb. … When all else fails, be afraid of his name.”
If voters continue to embrace such candor from a prospective first lady, it will be another sign the country is ready for change. Ironically, Michelle Obama may owe a shift in attitude partly to her husband’s rival. Hillary Clinton pushed the boundaries of the role of a first lady, generating controversy that dogs her presidential bid today. But, she also changed expectations.