Why We Love Michelle: Understanding Public Support for First Lady Michelle Obama

Abstract

After eight years as the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama left the White House beloved in the eyes of many Americans. Being well liked by Americans is not in and of itself an unusual phenomenon for first ladies. What is remarkable about the love so many Americans expressed toward First Lady Michelle Obama is that she was able to maintain high favorable evaluations through a period of political, social, and electoral acrimony that made high approval ratings for national political figures increasingly unlikely. By drawing on a wealth of aggregate data drawn from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research archives and individual-level public opinion data drawn from the 2012 American National Election Studies survey as well as original survey data, this article identifies several important forces behind Michelle Obama's popularity.

First Lady as Diplomatic Agent: Analyzing Michelle Obama’s Contribution in “Let Girls Learn!” Initiative

“…The favorability rating of Michelle Obama reached 69%, more than her husband and other national political figures (Elder, 2019).…”

“…To combat that, Michelle Obama clearly stated in interviews that her priority is to raise her daughters and take care of the family, despite her highly educated background and accomplished career. It is revealed that according to the polling data, she not only succeeded in doing her role, she also succeeded in convincing the Americans that she is a parental figure (Elder, 2019).…”

“…In order to oppose the negative image of African-American woman, Michelle Obama strategically craft her public persona, she were able to appeal the general public more effectively than other national political figures by actively promote her husband's campaign, crafting an image as a role model for women, and rooting for causes that inside the traditional sphere of women activities (Elder, 2019).…”

“…Mrs. Obama recognized that the public has a preference for traditional-mannered First Lady, then she cleverly crafted her image as the fitting First Lady that matches the public expectation by focusing more on emphasizing the role of "mom-in-chief" and tries to not be involved in politics (Elder, 2019). However, in the pursuit of fulfilling the motherhood expectation, it is more complicated for Michelle Obama to fulfill the expectation due to the negative stereotype that is deeply attached to black women and black mothers for a long time.…”

“…However, her fashion choice is not only just a clothing piece, but also a platform for political statement that has its political and symbolic importance. Her fashion choice helps her in countering the negative stereotypes that relate to black women and creates a relatable image for the public, her fashion value later on is further highlighted when she's being compared with Melania Trump who received criticism for her clothing choice (Elder, 2019).…”