Each of those other candidates lost because of major weaknesses. Obama, however, does not have a readily apparent Achilles heel; Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) thought it was his inexperience, but her inability to exploit that suggests she was wrong. But no campaign is perfect, and Michelle Obama '85's recent actions have crystallized my fears about Obamamania. This is not an attack on her; rather, it is an attack on how her statements are the perfect embodiment of my pre-existing doubts. While many of these were misstatements, they are Freudian slips and not mere malapropisms.
It started with a profile in The Wall Street Journal which quoted her imploring Barack to "feel - don't think!" And here I thought that truthiness had dropped out along with Stephen Colbert. I doubt that someone accused of offering "an eloquent but empty" campaign by his presumptive Republican challenger should emote more and think less, especially considering that many of our current problems stem from President Bush's failure to think things through.
The same article revealed that Michelle has no male staff members and quoted a passage in her Princeton senior thesis where she wrote, "I will always be Black first and a student second." My first reaction to the quote was to think that she is a disciple of extreme identity politics, but unfortunately her thesis is embargoed so I can't find out the context. The idea of identifying first as a member of a small group worries me, especially considering her hiring practices. I have no problem with being proud of one's background; I certainly am proud of mine. There is, however, something wrong with putting identity first. Any president or first lady must follow JFK's example and put being American above being a hyphenated American.
Her beliefs as an undergraduate would be immaterial to this discussion if they did not appear to be part of a continuing pattern. The Obamas' church is led by a pastor who espouses black separatism. The Obamas say they disagree with many of their pastor's actions, and I commend Barack for condemning his church's 2007 endorsement of Louis Farrakhan. Actions, however, speak louder than words, and at some point Obama must ask his pastor to stop serving as his personal spiritual adviser if they really disagree on so much. My worry here is that the post-racial rhetoric does not match the reality of his beliefs.
Another disturbing comment was Michelle's quip that only Barack understands that "we have to fix our souls; our souls are broken in this country." The President's job isn't to save our souls, and this statement sounds like Pat Robertson's rhetoric. There's also an astonishing level of arrogance in thinking that one's husband can fix our souls, and it fits well with the occasionally messianic overtones of Obamamania.
Then there is her statement that "things have gotten progressively worse throughout my lifetime." This country has problems, but a time traveler from 1990 would marvel at the improvements in urban areas, the dramatically lower national crime rate and a GDP about twice as large when adjusted for inflation. While debate on these points is possible, it is silly to pretend that we have been in a consistent downward spiral.
The final straw came last Monday when she said that because of her husband's success in uniting many, "for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country." That's incredibly self-centered and insulting to those of us proud to be Americans. Ronald Reagan won the Reagan Democrats in part by describing America as the "last best hope of man on earth." You will not win those voters back by telling them that the only aspect of America to be proud of is a willingness to unite behind her husband's vacuous calls for change. It's mind-boggling that she would make this statement when Barack is running against a war hero; McCain fired back on Tuesday saying he's "never lived a day ... that I haven't been proud [of my country]."
Clearly, this and many of the other statements were not what she meant to say, but I believe that they are Freudian slips. Obama supporters who hammered former President Bill Clinton's missteps - see: "fairy tale" - have no right to deem a spouse's statements off-limits now. Perhaps events will change my mind about the Obamas before the election, but my mental alarms are blaring now.
Barry Caro is a history major from White Plains, N.Y. He can be reached at bcaro@princeton.edu.
Author's Note
Since this column was published, Michelle Obama '85's senior thesis has been released to the press by her husband's campaign. As it appears to still be embargoed by the University, I would direct readers wishing to view it to visit it here. Since reading it, I have determined that the comment "I will always be Black first and a student second" referred specifically to how others viewed her on campus, not to how she viewed herself. However, other passages seem to reinforce my overall interpretation of the document, i.e. that her primary identity was "black" and that she viewed her immersion in a predominantly white institution as threatening and in many ways bad. No matter what you think of it, this thesis is a look inside her head and a clear enunciation of the thought processes that to my mind still shape her worldview.
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