Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
38 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Where was Michelle Obama? (Original Post) question everything 9 hrs ago OP
Wherever she wanted to be. marybourg 9 hrs ago #1
Perfect answer. Quiet Em 8 hrs ago #7
But her spouse is still in the public eye and acknowledged Jackson's activism as paving the road to his question everything 8 hrs ago #11
Maybe you should write her a letter and tell her that. marybourg 8 hrs ago #12
She has no obligation to do that. Quiet Em 7 hrs ago #14
Acknowledging the man who paved the way for her to be where she is now is not "political life." question everything 7 hrs ago #16
She never asked for and didn't want this "political life" Quiet Em 7 hrs ago #18
She paved her own way obamanut2012 4 hrs ago #31
Wow, telling others in the private sector what they should do in their spare time. Ferrets are Cool 4 hrs ago #27
Are you serious? yardwork 4 hrs ago #30
Michelle Obama Skips Jesse Jackson's Funeral Despite Facing Backlash for Missing Major Events quaint 8 hrs ago #2
Thank you. H2O Man 8 hrs ago #3
No problem, although I thought marybourg quite succinct. quaint 8 hrs ago #5
Likewise! H2O Man 8 hrs ago #10
Bravo to her. NewHendoLib 8 hrs ago #4
Good on her. Don't play their game. Solly Mack 8 hrs ago #6
She would not have been where she is now were it not for Jackson as her spouse acknowledged. question everything 8 hrs ago #13
Did she disagree with her spouse ? JI7 6 hrs ago #23
Her husband you mean JustAnotherGen 4 hrs ago #26
I understand the power to "say no" Skittles 4 hrs ago #28
Maybe she's not really into these events fujiyamasan 8 hrs ago #8
I thought she would've been there Bookreadingliberal53 8 hrs ago #9
Ah didn't know that fujiyamasan 7 hrs ago #15
Acknowledging the man who paved the way for her current luxurious life is not "these events." question everything 7 hrs ago #17
The man, Barack Obama, is quite comfortable with his wife living her life and making her own decisions. Quiet Em 7 hrs ago #20
Seems to be about her "luxurious" life. betsuni 4 hrs ago #32
She has said in interviews she is working on using the word "no" more in this chapter of life... hlthe2b 7 hrs ago #19
Yeah! MorbidButterflyTat 7 hrs ago #21
Jesse and Rainbow Push Beringia 6 hrs ago #22
What is with these demands for women like Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift JI7 6 hrs ago #24
Living her best life JustAnotherGen 4 hrs ago #25
Just as a matter of curiosity, is there some particular reason niyad 4 hrs ago #29
I'm confused also. It's feels like tabloid fodder. Ilikepurple 3 hrs ago #34
Thank you. Well put. niyad 3 hrs ago #38
"Vehemently.". What a vivid imagination. question everything 3 hrs ago #35
Yes, we do. Decency involves not making demands and judgments about niyad 3 hrs ago #36
I'm sure she had her reasons MustLoveBeagles 3 hrs ago #33
Exactly! niyad 3 hrs ago #37

Quiet Em

(2,825 posts)
7. Perfect answer.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:46 PM
8 hrs ago

I was going to answer the question with, "living in the heads of people who don't seem to understand that she is free to live her own life as she chooses."

question everything

(52,021 posts)
11. But her spouse is still in the public eye and acknowledged Jackson's activism as paving the road to his
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 07:20 PM
8 hrs ago

presidency. She should have done the same by simply sitting there.

Ms. Obama may have hated all eight years in the White House but these years allow her to live in the style that she now chooses. Her portrait in the National Gallery has inspired man young girls. Perhaps still do.

There is nothing wrong with going through life with a sense of responsibility.

Quiet Em

(2,825 posts)
14. She has no obligation to do that.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 07:26 PM
7 hrs ago

Michelle Obama has stated time and time again that she is not interested in political life at all. She gave eight years. That's it. It's her life.

question everything

(52,021 posts)
16. Acknowledging the man who paved the way for her to be where she is now is not "political life."
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 07:50 PM
7 hrs ago

But, of course, you know that.

Quiet Em

(2,825 posts)
18. She never asked for and didn't want this "political life"
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 07:56 PM
7 hrs ago

"paved the way for her"? That's pretty damn demeaning and insulting. Michelle Obama is an accomplished, successful, and respected woman all on her own.

Ferrets are Cool

(22,801 posts)
27. Wow, telling others in the private sector what they should do in their spare time.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:39 PM
4 hrs ago

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Not a position to which I would aspire.

quaint

(4,936 posts)
2. Michelle Obama Skips Jesse Jackson's Funeral Despite Facing Backlash for Missing Major Events
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:30 PM
8 hrs ago
AOL (hah!)

The former first lady responded to backlash during an episode of her "IMO" podcast, admitting: "It took everything in my power to not do the thing that was perceived as right, but do the things that was right for me, that was a hard thing for me to do."

Revealing she was practicing the "art of saying no," Michelle noted, "It's a muscle that you have to build."
And I think we suffered, because it's almost like we started training late in life to build that muscle, right? I am just now starting to build it," she continued at the time.

She added, "I want our daughters, I want the young women out there… I want my girls to start practicing different strategies for saying no."

"After all that I've done in this world, if I am still showing them that I have to keep- I still have to show people that I love my country, that I'm doing the right thing, that I am always setting, going high all the time, even in the face of a lot of hypocrisy and contradiction, all I'm doing is keeping that crazy bar that our mothers and grandmothers set for us," Michelle expressed.

Solly Mack

(96,809 posts)
6. Good on her. Don't play their game.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:43 PM
8 hrs ago
"After all that I've done in this world, if I am still showing them that I have to keep- I still have to show people that I love my country, that I'm doing the right thing, that I am always setting, going high all the time, even in the face of a lot of hypocrisy and contradiction...

question everything

(52,021 posts)
13. She would not have been where she is now were it not for Jackson as her spouse acknowledged.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 07:23 PM
8 hrs ago

Skittles

(171,005 posts)
28. I understand the power to "say no"
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:43 PM
4 hrs ago

but it's not like Jesse Jackson has a lot of funerals

fujiyamasan

(1,585 posts)
8. Maybe she's not really into these events
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:49 PM
8 hrs ago

That’s her right as a private citizen. I’m not sure why any of this matters.

9. I thought she would've been there
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:57 PM
8 hrs ago

Her best friend growing up was his daughter Santita. Santita was also Maid of Honor when The Obamas got married.

Quiet Em

(2,825 posts)
20. The man, Barack Obama, is quite comfortable with his wife living her life and making her own decisions.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 08:00 PM
7 hrs ago

You are the one who is seems to bother. She's not your wife. Move on and mind your own business.

betsuni

(28,986 posts)
32. Seems to be about her "luxurious" life.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:09 PM
4 hrs ago

Like Taylor Swift. Desperately taking out the Rich People Bad Both Sides Capitalism Bad Bad rubber stamp.

hlthe2b

(113,610 posts)
19. She has said in interviews she is working on using the word "no" more in this chapter of life...
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 07:57 PM
7 hrs ago

I am really glad she is doing things for herself after working for the Nation as First Lady all those years. I hate to criticize her and I think I do understand what she is saying.

That said, her missing President Carter's memorial is more understandable to me than the incomparable leader of the civil rights movement- side by side with MLK Jr- the late Jesse Jackson. That one-truthfully surprises me and saddens me. I would have thought of any figure important to her personally, Jesse Jackson would be one and thus a memorial she'd want to attend.

JI7

(93,488 posts)
24. What is with these demands for women like Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 08:44 PM
6 hrs ago

do this and that ?

JustAnotherGen

(37,986 posts)
25. Living her best life
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:35 PM
4 hrs ago

Her husband has been out of office for 10 years. She's a private citizen.

She's not obligated to do anything anymore.

niyad

(131,641 posts)
29. Just as a matter of curiosity, is there some particular reason
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:54 PM
4 hrs ago

that your OP, and all your posts in this thread, demand that Michele Obama answer to your perceived, vehemently-posted notions of her acceptable behaviour? Quite frankly, I am astounded to see the level of outrage expended here. I find it quite disconcerting.

Ilikepurple

(586 posts)
34. I'm confused also. It's feels like tabloid fodder.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:33 PM
3 hrs ago

If it was just the initial post, I’d chalk it up to mere curiosity, but somehow this seems unduly important to the poster. I have no idea why she didn’t show, but she hasn’t struck me as someone who makes decisions lightly. Furthermore, she has asked nothing of me and I will afford her the same courtesy. I’m not even sure what the aim is of this thread. I’m sure none of us know Michelle Obama’s personal situation or views on this matter. The only real options are to defend her or pile on her, so I don’t know what OP wants. I am grateful for Michelle Obama and will not go down this road any further.

question everything

(52,021 posts)
35. "Vehemently.". What a vivid imagination.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:46 PM
3 hrs ago

Just a common decency to honour a man who played an important part in her life. She was President Obama ‘s partner during his campaign and presidency. Wasn’t she? And has often appeared on posts here proposing her as a presidential candidate.

But I suppose we have different perspectives of what decency mean.

Good night. And “Spring forward.”

niyad

(131,641 posts)
36. Yes, we do. Decency involves not making demands and judgments about
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 12:10 AM
3 hrs ago

things one knows nothing about. Decency involves paying attention when one repeatedly says one has absolutely no interest in running for, or becoming president, no mattter how many times someone on an internet discussion board posts their desire for it. Decency involves knowing when to stop. remdi95

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Where was Michelle Obama?