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DURING THE OBAMA years at the White House, Michelle Obama became America’s sweetheart.
Now two years into Trump’s White House stint, Michelle has released her memoirs. It’s the first book written from her perspective about life as the wife of the commander-in-chief, but it’s also about much more than that.
In Becoming, America’s first Black First Lady provides a unique insight into the trials, fears and practicalities of life in the White House and beyond.
The job of First Lady of the United States isn’t an official role, but democrat or republican most agree its one Michelle Obama made her own.
A significant portion of the 400-page tome is dedicated to her life before the public spotlight.
Michelle paints an idyllic picture of growing up on the south side of Chicago, in a one-bedroomed apartment. Her aunt and piano teacher Robbie lived in the apartment below.
It wasn’t until Michelle got to Princeton that she learned “what it felt like to be the only black woman in a room”.
Run for president?
On the important matter of running for office: it’s never going to happen. Michelle has put into print her lack of political ambition:
Because people often ask, I’ll say it here directly: I have no intention of running for office, ever. I’ve never been a fan of politics, and my experience over the last 10 years has done little to change that.
However as we’ve seen in our own recent Presidential election, she wouldn’t be the first to change her mind.
From the first lines of the book, it’s clear the now world famous woman hasn’t forgotten her down to earth upbringing:
When I was a kid, my aspirations were simple. I wanted a dog. I wanted a house that had stairs in it – two floors for one family. I wanted, for some reason, a four-door station wagon instead of the two-door Buick that was my father’s pride and joy.
Trump
The book brings us through the Life and Times of Michelle, from a middle class south side Chicago to Princeton and a high flying career as a lawyer.
It’s a personal memoir which documents her life in her often very honest words. In her signature style Michelle makes clear her disappointment at the current President and his strategies.
From backing the birthers (the activists who believe Barack Obama wasn’t really born on American soil) to his tendency to stoke up controversy in a single tweet:
What if someone with an unstable mind loaded a gun and drove to Washington? What if that person went looking for our girls? Donald Trump with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family’s safety at risk. And for this I’d never forgive him.
Election night
In Michelle’s account of the now infamous 2016 election night, which saw Donald Trump win out over Hillary Clinton, the then First Lady took to her bed, hoping to “block it all out and go to sleep. I understood what was probably happening, but I wasn’t ready to face it”.
And on the results: ” I wanted to not know that fact for as long as I possibly could.
A gray sky hung over Washington. I couldn’t help but interpret it as funereal.
It’s a nice book, though perhaps not exciting enough for some – but can a former First Lady ever say what she really thinks?
Becoming by Michelle Obama is available in bookshops now. It’s dedicated to her friends family – and of course Barack, who the author said: “Always promised me an interesting journey”.
Becoming by Michelle Obama, published by Viking, is out now.
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It taught us the media have double standards one for Liberals, and a completely different one for Conservatives
@Alan Farrell: Fox news certainly does.
@Alan Farrell: OHHH ALAN, ALAN, ALAN ! LA LA LA LA LA
@Squiddley Diddley: they all do
Did she mention the regime change wars and nation building her husband was involved in the Middel east….Obama inherited two wars from President Bush and added two more Syria and Libya….Helping the Saudi backed Sunni Jahadi like Al Nusra was a bad policy…..As was turning Libya into a failed state with help from Britian and France. ..Somehow don’t think she will ever be asked about that policy….
@iComment: not to mention the 573 drone strikes during his tenure
@Quentin Moriarty: doesn’t matter though because he dropped mics. That’s what makes a great president.
@Quentin Moriarty: he also built walls & fences along the border with Mexico.
@Seamus Mac: fences were always there and Obama boosted the security of said border in 2010
@Quentin Moriarty: I’m surprised he didn’t remove them as he doesn’t believe in walls.
More liberal propaganda from the Journal.
@Mike Conway: You can always retreat to your Breitbart safe space
We learned that there are First Lady’s, and then there’s Melania Trump, has she even uttered a single word since 2016?
@PaulineSmith: unfortunately Melania can’t utter a single word Pauline, so much plastic surgery prevents her mouth to move.
@Sean Leonard: strange considering she’s fluent in 7 languages.
@Sean Leonard: strange considering she’s fluent in 7 languages.
@Lou Sypher: Not much good if you don’t use any of them.
@Lou Sypher: I think the line is that she knows 7 languages which is different from being fluent. She does seem to have ‘you’re fired’ down to a tee.
@PaulineSmith: Never understand people who are critical of others online while embarrassingly showing up their own poor education… The word you were looking for is ‘Ladies’. Learn the difference between the two words ‘Lady’s’ and ‘Ladies’.
@PaulineSmith: You’re always such a spiteful person Pauline, I’m surprised you’re not Trump’s biggest supporter.
@Lovely weather: Ah I think you’ll find you are incorrect! I was referring to First Lady in the singular, there is never more than one First Lady at any given time, although I’m sure Donald might try and change that.
@PaulineSmith: you weren’t referring to a singular. You said ‘there’s first ladies’ plural.
Try keep up.
@PaulineSmith: If referring to a First Lady (singular) should you not have then said ‘there is a First Lady………..’ rather than ‘there are’?
At the very least Michelle was always gracious and had great empathy in the role, she also had her own opinions which were well informed. She is correct to be fearful for her families safety after some of the hateful tweets that Trump posts, all it takes is one madman with a gun thinking he’s doing this POTUS a favour, I don’t envy them living with that fear
@Kay English Curtin: Her husband had very little regard for innocent families. Maybe she should have had a word with him about using drone strikes on civilians. He was a very nice man though and up there with JFK as an orator. Just a pity he couldnt be his own man.
@Kay English Curtin: just where do you buy the stuff you’re smoking?
@Kay English Curtin: oh you mean how they are hate President Trump and how many of them said they would love to see him dead and assassinated even as far as severed head being held I never in my lifetime seen such hate towards our president and his family so get out of here when you defend it Michelle who is just as guilty of stirring the pot
Who cares
@Conor Treacy: Securicor cares
Just more greed.
@Peter Kiernan: Maybe screwing over small contractors, arranging false bankrupcies and conning people with a fake university is more suggestive of greed then writing a book nobody is forced to buy?
@Martin Quinn: and with all that he is still the democratically elected president of the United States. Who are you?
Three great memories of Michele, turning the White House Lawn into a community garden and Dublin’s Bloom Festival reproducing it, her doing an amazing Carboot Karaoke, and her visit to Glendalough with her bored teenage daughters also getting bit up by midges.
Can’t believe people bought this rubbish, why should the irish worry what the wife of a warmonger has to say
Intelligent, eloquent and accomplished..great role model for young girls.
She’s my heroine. Hubbys my hero
Well I know how she got the title for her book becoming ,,,she got it by saying becoming a woman in a man’s body she is very racist and has made many racist comments..
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