Althouse: "Michelle Obama is the real politician in the family in the sense she is more effusive, better at connecting instantly with people."

January 6, 2012

"Michelle Obama is the real politician in the family in the sense she is more effusive, better at connecting instantly with people."

"A good source of mine once said to me, 'Here’s what you have to remember: She is Bill Clinton, and he is Hillary.'"

45 comments:

cliff claven said...: If he's Hillary then he's got the pantsuits down better than her.; 1/6/12, 11:56 AM
MayBee said...: Quick! Let's find one of them to like!

Remember when the really awesome thing about Michelle was supposed to be that she's the kind of woman who doesn't care what people think about her?; 1/6/12, 11:56 AM
Meade said...: Turns out it's Barack who is not likable enough.; 1/6/12, 11:58 AM
traditionalguy said...: So the successful politician needs to connect to people instantly.

That leaves Mitt Romney out. Mitt connects with 25%, and does it very slowly.; 1/6/12, 11:58 AM
Pastafarian said...: I wonder if Michelle can read that and not feel as if the author is condescending to her.

I had the impression that Hillary bristled at the fact that she was the figurehead First Lady and that dick-for-brains Bill was the President. There are times when the fleeting facial expression from Michelle gives me that same eating-a-shit-sandwich vibe.; 1/6/12, 12:07 PM
cassandra lite said...: Hard to imagine Bill saying that he was never proud of his country before Hillary started doing well on the campaign trail.; 1/6/12, 12:07 PM
MayBee said...: Jodi Kantor received a seven figure deal on this book about the the Obama's marriage after she wrote e fawning article about their very special love. As Kantor wrote then, “the Obamas mix politics and romance in a way that no first couple quite have before.”

How disgusting are politicians, using their marriages for votes?

In the post-John and Elizabethe Edwards era, who reads and/or believes this stuff?; 1/6/12, 12:11 PM
prairie wind said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/12, 12:13 PM
edutcher said...: Even at that, people don't warm to Michelle very much while Willie could (and still does) bamboozle some Conservatives and many of those who don't pay any attention while convincing the Lefties what an Alpha male he was.

OTOH, remember when Hillary was running in the PA(?) primary and was trading shots with a few of the boys in a neighborhood bar, loose as a goose and looking like she was actually having fun? Anybody think they'd see Barry ever do something like that?

Or Michelle?; 1/6/12, 12:14 PM
bbkingfish said...: I largely agree with this assessment.

I always have thought that Obama's biggest weakness as a candidate is his somewhat stiff and patrician bearing.

That's why I can't understand why the GOP is so bent on going with a guy like Romney in today's populist environment. He's the one guy who makes Barry come across as regular as Jimmie "Dyn-o-Mite!" Walker.; 1/6/12, 12:14 PM
MadisonMan said...: Love the phrase A good source of mine. I have friends. Kantor has sources.; 1/6/12, 12:15 PM
MayBee said...: Everything I ever heard about the Clintons (from people who knew them*) was that their public personalities were the reverse of their private personalities.
Bill is the big, charismatic politician in public but the more stand-offish in private. Hillary is the warm friendly person in private.

But I guess Kantor's statement is about being real politicians, not being real people.

*I have sources! Good sources!; 1/6/12, 12:19 PM
Amartel said...: Marketing disguised as journalism. Mrs. O is clearly a prickly, self-centered, resentful, and unpleasant personality covered by a microscopically thin layer of civility and a bulky layer of free designer fashions. She does not care a fig about other people. Just look at her various tone-deaf historically ignorant public pronouncements. Like her husband, she's been promoted up the progressive chain for her abstract symbolic value rather than actual life accomplishments and merit. She has learned she can do whatever she wants without consequence and so she does. It's the progressive wet dream of power and wealth without accountability, and the perfect trifecta of black, female, and entirely lacking in any constitutional authority or any other limits or boundaries.; 1/6/12, 12:21 PM
DADvocate said...: Neither one of them is Bill Clinton, nor Hillary. Michelle does seems more likable on a personal level than Barack.; 1/6/12, 12:29 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: What Amartel said!; 1/6/12, 12:31 PM
Rose said...: I SECOND THAT, AJ LYNCH; 1/6/12, 12:44 PM
MathMom said...: Amartel @ 1/6/12 12:21 PM

+100!

Now I don't need to post. Primo!; 1/6/12, 12:45 PM
Anonymous said...: Her toned arms have won me over.

Did I just say that?!....cack!; 1/6/12, 12:49 PM
Anonymous said...: The media-invented personality is dead! Long live the media-invented personality!; 1/6/12, 12:52 PM
traditionalguy said...: Long live Queen Michelle.

All of this "limited government" nonsense from 1783 has seriously hindered our beloved Queen Michelle from rescuing we the 99% she loves so much from that 1% who live like Kings.

Michelle and her consort are our real Kings. Just ask them.; 1/6/12, 12:57 PM
Tank said...: Amartel, obviously, wins the thread.

Hey, I remember Bill Clinton, and MO is no Bill Clinton.

Christ, they had to hide her in the garage for half of the last campaign.; 1/6/12, 1:19 PM
Joe Schmoe said...: That leaves Mitt Romney out. Mitt connects with 25%, and does it very slowly.

He connected with that 25% early on and has had no success connecting with anyone else. I'd say he's more binary.

Don't know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl who'll stay
And won't play games behind me
I'll be what I am
A binary man
Binary MAANNNN!; 1/6/12, 1:26 PM
Known Unknown said...: He's the one guy who makes Barry come across as regular as Jimmie "Dyn-o-Mite!" Walker.

That's Racist!; 1/6/12, 1:29 PM
bgates said...: I wonder if Michelle can read that and not feel as if the author is condescending to her.

I wonder if Michelle can read that.

wv 'deggre' - what Michelle thinks she was awarded at Princeton.; 1/6/12, 1:39 PM
Blue@9 said...: I'll believe it when she starts stealing people's fries at the local McDonalds.; 1/6/12, 1:44 PM
Salamandyr said...: Perhaps it is because I rarely watch television, so I only see her in photographs, and she is incredibly un-photogenic, but I just do not see her as warm and "connecting".; 1/6/12, 1:52 PM
MayBee said...: Perhaps it is because I rarely watch television, so I only see her in photographs, and she is incredibly un-photogenic, but I just do not see her as warm and "connecting".

That's why a good source had to tell Kantor that Michelle is better at connecting instantly with people. Kantor, who has met Michelle Obama, did not make this observation.; 1/6/12, 1:57 PM
Paul said...: So Hillary is like Obama?

Now can you see what a Obama/Hillary ticket would be like?; 1/6/12, 2:01 PM
Tim said...: "I always have thought that Obama's biggest weakness as a candidate is his somewhat stiff and patrician bearing."

Oh.

And here I was, thinking it was his standing as least qualified ever for the presidency and status as "most liberal member of the Senate" that were his biggest weaknesses as a candidate, but the voters didn't seem to mind those.

Goes to show one can never underestimate the intelligence of the modern American voter.; 1/6/12, 2:06 PM
Blue@9 said...: So Hillary is like Obama?

Now can you see what a Obama/Hillary ticket would be like?

I'd get out of the White House if their menstrual cycles synced up.; 1/6/12, 2:09 PM
cf said...: NEVER, ever cross MayBee. Nothing escapes her keen eye.; 1/6/12, 2:22 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: I know someone who met with Obama during the Gulf Oil leak and they said it was obvious Obama had no interest in being there except for the photo opps.; 1/6/12, 2:26 PM
Wally Kalbacken said...: I have had about all I can take of her mispronunciation of the letter "s" as in shtring.; 1/6/12, 4:43 PM
Damon said...: Amartel @ 12:21 just owned this tread. Now that's a comment. Well said.; 1/6/12, 5:57 PM
kjbe said...: Armatel, you're quite the projectionist. Well done.; 1/6/12, 6:14 PM
Phil 314 said...: A good source of mine once said to me, 'Here’s what you have to remember: She is Bill Clinton, and he is Hillary.

Hillary was the source.

THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME!!!!; 1/6/12, 7:30 PM
Anonymous said...: Here's what you have to remember:

Blah, blah, blah.; 1/6/12, 7:52 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Zing you nailed it, Amartel.; 1/6/12, 8:54 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: ..especially your opening line:
"Marketing disguised as journalism"
We are hearing a lot of this now in our ridiculous biased media, and as the election nears, it will be wall to wall.; 1/6/12, 8:56 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: April:

As Obama sinks in the polls and his defeat looms, I think the media defense will be actually be "wail to wail" .; 1/6/12, 10:53 PM
reformed trucker said...: Michelle has the penis; Obama is a pussy.; 1/6/12, 11:18 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Uh... what?; 1/6/12, 11:44 PM
Gordon Scott said...: "a good source" sounds an awful lot like "Valerie Jarrett."; 1/7/12, 4:44 AM
Michael said...: Another statement about how brilliant they are that is supported by no visible public evidence (most of her public activities suggest she's a highly entitled shrew). It's lost credibility in regards to him, so now she gets to carry the water for a while.

Word verification: thell

as in Yuppie Couple from Thell; 1/7/12, 9:48 AM
Dante said...: You pick, which one is more offensive:
The idea that either of these people are somehow connectable to real humans is implausible to me:

"for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback." MO

"They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." BO; 1/7/12, 4:12 PM