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| Michelle Obama's life after the White House full of options – now or in 2016 | Michelle Obama's life after the White House full of options – now or in 2016 |
| (4 months later) | |
| Like her husband, Michelle Obama must wait until the results are in to find out whether she has another four years in Washington or gets to leave the White House and reclaim her life. | Like her husband, Michelle Obama must wait until the results are in to find out whether she has another four years in Washington or gets to leave the White House and reclaim her life. |
| It's hard to say which option she'd prefer because if the last four years have been tough for Barack Obama, they haven't exactly been a cakewalk for the first lady. But whatever the outcome of today's election the next four years will be easier for her. In either case they could be very different. | It's hard to say which option she'd prefer because if the last four years have been tough for Barack Obama, they haven't exactly been a cakewalk for the first lady. But whatever the outcome of today's election the next four years will be easier for her. In either case they could be very different. |
| Michelle Obama has never hidden her ambivalence about moving from Chicago to Washington. Even in this year's speech to the DNC she brought it up. | Michelle Obama has never hidden her ambivalence about moving from Chicago to Washington. Even in this year's speech to the DNC she brought it up. |
| "Our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys," she said. "Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma's house, and a date night for Barack and me with either dinner or a movie because as an exhausted mom, I couldn't stay awake for both. … And the truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls." | "Our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys," she said. "Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma's house, and a date night for Barack and me with either dinner or a movie because as an exhausted mom, I couldn't stay awake for both. … And the truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls." |
| The daughters of the self-described mom-in-chief are older now – one of them is in high school. They are more independent. They need her less. She has more time to do what she wants. And because this would be her husband's last term in the White House, she could push the boundaries of the role of first lady if she so chose. | The daughters of the self-described mom-in-chief are older now – one of them is in high school. They are more independent. They need her less. She has more time to do what she wants. And because this would be her husband's last term in the White House, she could push the boundaries of the role of first lady if she so chose. |
| Win or lose she has more options. Here are some for her to consider. | Win or lose she has more options. Here are some for her to consider. |
| If Barack Obama wins | If Barack Obama wins |
| She could change her issues. In her husband's first term, her first focus was on military families, but combat forces are already home from Iraq and are due to be out of Afghanistan within the next two years. While she can remain involved in the lives of military families and the problems they face post combat, this doesn't need to be a priority. Nor does obesity, which was a safe option for a first lady who didn't want to make waves. She can remain concerned with it, but as her heart never seemed to be in it, she should put it on the back burner (no pun intended). | She could change her issues. In her husband's first term, her first focus was on military families, but combat forces are already home from Iraq and are due to be out of Afghanistan within the next two years. While she can remain involved in the lives of military families and the problems they face post combat, this doesn't need to be a priority. Nor does obesity, which was a safe option for a first lady who didn't want to make waves. She can remain concerned with it, but as her heart never seemed to be in it, she should put it on the back burner (no pun intended). |
| She should be more vocal on behalf of women. As a lawyer, and a woman of eloquence she would be an antidote to the grey-haired men of the Republican party. She could become first lady in more than just name. If she speaks out on subjects like pay equity, childcare, even contraception people will listen. She has the power and the spotlight to make a real difference for women in and out of the workforce. An added bonus is, that if she did, it would add considerably to her husband's legacy. | She should be more vocal on behalf of women. As a lawyer, and a woman of eloquence she would be an antidote to the grey-haired men of the Republican party. She could become first lady in more than just name. If she speaks out on subjects like pay equity, childcare, even contraception people will listen. She has the power and the spotlight to make a real difference for women in and out of the workforce. An added bonus is, that if she did, it would add considerably to her husband's legacy. |
| She should position herself for a career after the White House. She will have four years to consider and prepare for whatever it is she wants to do next. By the time the Obamas leave Washington Malia will be headed to college and Sasha will be in high school. Michelle Obama could follow the Clinton model and head into politics herself, but she doesn't seem drawn to the political arena unless it's in a role like ambassador to the UN. But she'd have the time to try out a few ideas and make some relationships for the future. | She should position herself for a career after the White House. She will have four years to consider and prepare for whatever it is she wants to do next. By the time the Obamas leave Washington Malia will be headed to college and Sasha will be in high school. Michelle Obama could follow the Clinton model and head into politics herself, but she doesn't seem drawn to the political arena unless it's in a role like ambassador to the UN. But she'd have the time to try out a few ideas and make some relationships for the future. |
| She should write a book.No more gardening. But maybe she could put together a parenting book based on her unique perspective. After all she is the mom-in-chief, and there is the precedent of It Takes a Village. She'd get an enormous advance and the book tour would give her a platform to promote her ideas of child-rearing and family values. | She should write a book.No more gardening. But maybe she could put together a parenting book based on her unique perspective. After all she is the mom-in-chief, and there is the precedent of It Takes a Village. She'd get an enormous advance and the book tour would give her a platform to promote her ideas of child-rearing and family values. |
| If Barack Obama loses | If Barack Obama loses |
| She should immediately reclaim her own professional achievements and get a job. If the family moves back to Chicago she could explore local community-based professional options. That seems to be where she was happiest before. She could even take those options national. There's no reason why she can't pick up where she left off but with more of a megaphone. | She should immediately reclaim her own professional achievements and get a job. If the family moves back to Chicago she could explore local community-based professional options. That seems to be where she was happiest before. She could even take those options national. There's no reason why she can't pick up where she left off but with more of a megaphone. |
| She should NOT host a talk show. The talk in Hollywood is that the former first lady could be the secret to daytime TV gold. They say she is so telegenic (and she is) she could be the next Oprah. But taking that path is selling herself short. She should confine herself to being a guest not a host. | She should NOT host a talk show. The talk in Hollywood is that the former first lady could be the secret to daytime TV gold. They say she is so telegenic (and she is) she could be the next Oprah. But taking that path is selling herself short. She should confine herself to being a guest not a host. |
| She should re-embrace her alma mater. Obama admits that her Princeton years were not her happiest, but it's time she got over it. University officials have made at least six direct overtures to her to return to Princeton or speak at Princeton-affiliated events. (She even declined to attend her 25th reunion in May 2010.) In all but one case, she has rebuffed their advances, often citing a busy schedule, according the The Princetonian. Her Ivy League (don't forget Harvard law school) education is something she should be proud of and she should realize what an inspiration it could be to other women from less than privileged backgrounds. | She should re-embrace her alma mater. Obama admits that her Princeton years were not her happiest, but it's time she got over it. University officials have made at least six direct overtures to her to return to Princeton or speak at Princeton-affiliated events. (She even declined to attend her 25th reunion in May 2010.) In all but one case, she has rebuffed their advances, often citing a busy schedule, according the The Princetonian. Her Ivy League (don't forget Harvard law school) education is something she should be proud of and she should realize what an inspiration it could be to other women from less than privileged backgrounds. |
| She should continue writing op-eds. She wrote her first one last month, ("Do children who go to an understaffed, crumbling school truly have a fair shot at success? If a family has a son or daughter born with a genetic disease, should they have to fight day and night with insurance companies just to get the insurance coverage they need?") It was good. She has a voice and anyone will publish her. It's an easy way to keep her profile high and use her influence. | She should continue writing op-eds. She wrote her first one last month, ("Do children who go to an understaffed, crumbling school truly have a fair shot at success? If a family has a son or daughter born with a genetic disease, should they have to fight day and night with insurance companies just to get the insurance coverage they need?") It was good. She has a voice and anyone will publish her. It's an easy way to keep her profile high and use her influence. |
| In either case | In either case |
| She should take more risks. She has enormous influence, and nothing to lose. She should be more outspoken and more passionate about the causes she believes in. She should ditch the mom-in-chief title and revert to what she was before her husband ran for the White House – a bright well-educated, articulate, accomplished woman, inspirational in her own right. | She should take more risks. She has enormous influence, and nothing to lose. She should be more outspoken and more passionate about the causes she believes in. She should ditch the mom-in-chief title and revert to what she was before her husband ran for the White House – a bright well-educated, articulate, accomplished woman, inspirational in her own right. |
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