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Where was Michelle Obama? (Original Post) question everything Mar 7 OP
Wherever she wanted to be. marybourg Mar 7 #1
Perfect answer. Quiet Em Mar 7 #7
But her spouse is still in the public eye and acknowledged Jackson's activism as paving the road to his question everything Mar 7 #11
Maybe you should write her a letter and tell her that. marybourg Mar 7 #12
She has no obligation to do that. Quiet Em Mar 7 #14
Acknowledging the man who paved the way for her to be where she is now is not "political life." question everything Mar 7 #16
She never asked for and didn't want this "political life" Quiet Em Mar 7 #18
She paved her own way obamanut2012 Mar 7 #31
Wow, telling others in the private sector what they should do in their spare time. Ferrets are Cool Mar 7 #27
Are you serious? yardwork Mar 7 #30
Michelle Obama Skips Jesse Jackson's Funeral Despite Facing Backlash for Missing Major Events quaint Mar 7 #2
Thank you. H2O Man Mar 7 #3
No problem, although I thought marybourg quite succinct. quaint Mar 7 #5
Likewise! H2O Man Mar 7 #10
Bravo to her. NewHendoLib Mar 7 #4
Good on her. Don't play their game. Solly Mack Mar 7 #6
She would not have been where she is now were it not for Jackson as her spouse acknowledged. question everything Mar 7 #13
Did she disagree with her spouse ? JI7 Mar 7 #23
Her husband you mean JustAnotherGen Mar 7 #26
I understand the power to "say no" Skittles Mar 7 #28
AOL is just the news aggregator for that article. The article is from OK! Magazine, a British-based weekly magazine that Celerity Mar 8 #42
Thank you. quaint Mar 8 #45
here is the link Celerity Mar 8 #46
Maybe she's not really into these events fujiyamasan Mar 7 #8
I thought she would've been there Bookreadingliberal53 Mar 7 #9
Ah didn't know that fujiyamasan Mar 7 #15
Acknowledging the man who paved the way for her current luxurious life is not "these events." question everything Mar 7 #17
The man, Barack Obama, is quite comfortable with his wife living her life and making her own decisions. Quiet Em Mar 7 #20
Seems to be about her "luxurious" life. betsuni Mar 7 #32
Maybe she never aspired to a "luxurious life" PatSeg Mar 8 #44
She has said in interviews she is working on using the word "no" more in this chapter of life... hlthe2b Mar 7 #19
Yeah! MorbidButterflyTat Mar 7 #21
Jesse and Rainbow Push Beringia Mar 7 #22
What is with these demands for women like Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift JI7 Mar 7 #24
Living her best life JustAnotherGen Mar 7 #25
Just as a matter of curiosity, is there some particular reason niyad Mar 7 #29
I'm confused also. It's feels like tabloid fodder. Ilikepurple Mar 7 #34
Thank you. Well put. niyad Mar 8 #38
"Vehemently.". What a vivid imagination. question everything Mar 7 #35
Yes, we do. Decency involves not making demands and judgments about niyad Mar 8 #36
His wife JustAnotherGen Mar 8 #40
I'm sure she had her reasons MustLoveBeagles Mar 7 #33
Exactly! niyad Mar 8 #37
I find it curious too, Jesse Jackson was a cornerstone in justice and equality for Black people Beringia Mar 8 #39
Am I the only one who remembers what Jackson said about Obama during his 2008 campaign? milestogo Mar 8 #41
Who Are You to Ask That Question? MineralMan Mar 8 #43

Quiet Em

(2,942 posts)
7. Perfect answer.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:46 PM
Mar 7

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

(52,150 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
Mar 7

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

(2,942 posts)
14. She has no obligation to do that.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 07:26 PM
Mar 7

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

(52,150 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
Mar 7

But, of course, you know that.

Quiet Em

(2,942 posts)
18. She never asked for and didn't want this "political life"
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 07:56 PM
Mar 7

"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

(22,967 posts)
27. Wow, telling others in the private sector what they should do in their spare time.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:39 PM
Mar 7

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Not a position to which I would aspire.

quaint

(5,100 posts)
2. Michelle Obama Skips Jesse Jackson's Funeral Despite Facing Backlash for Missing Major Events
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:30 PM
Mar 7

Last edited Sun Mar 8, 2026, 04:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Adding link to actual article by OK! Magazine celerity
https://okmagazine.com/p/michelle-obama-skips-jesse-jackson-funeral-backlash-missing-barack/
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

(96,946 posts)
6. Good on her. Don't play their game.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:43 PM
Mar 7
"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...

Skittles

(171,745 posts)
28. I understand the power to "say no"
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:43 PM
Mar 7

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

Celerity

(54,450 posts)
42. AOL is just the news aggregator for that article. The article is from OK! Magazine, a British-based weekly magazine that
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 12:25 PM
Mar 8
primarily specialises in royal and celebrity news. That article is from their US edition.

quaint

(5,100 posts)
45. Thank you.
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 04:39 PM
Mar 8

For some reason, when I clicked on the OK! link, I coukd not find the story. I did try. Honest.😒

fujiyamasan

(1,703 posts)
8. Maybe she's not really into these events
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 06:49 PM
Mar 7

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
Mar 7

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

Quiet Em

(2,942 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
Mar 7

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

betsuni

(29,082 posts)
32. Seems to be about her "luxurious" life.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:09 PM
Mar 7

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

PatSeg

(53,214 posts)
44. Maybe she never aspired to a "luxurious life"
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 02:37 PM
Mar 8

I think she had some different goals than her husband and probably doesn't want to play the part of First Lady everyday for the rest of her life.

hlthe2b

(114,008 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
Mar 7

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.

JustAnotherGen

(38,057 posts)
25. Living her best life
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:35 PM
Mar 7

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

She's not obligated to do anything anymore.

niyad

(132,526 posts)
29. Just as a matter of curiosity, is there some particular reason
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 10:54 PM
Mar 7

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

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

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

(52,150 posts)
35. "Vehemently.". What a vivid imagination.
Sat Mar 7, 2026, 11:46 PM
Mar 7

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

(132,526 posts)
36. Yes, we do. Decency involves not making demands and judgments about
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 12:10 AM
Mar 8

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

Beringia

(5,509 posts)
39. I find it curious too, Jesse Jackson was a cornerstone in justice and equality for Black people
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 11:25 AM
Mar 8

Why not just go?

I did read that his daughters live together in LA and Obama is opening his Presidential Center at Jackson Park in Chicago on Juneteenth


Obama Presidential Center's opening date set for Juneteenth on South Side

Chicago will get its first full look at the Obama Presidential Center during a full slate of grand-opening celebrations over Juneteenth weekend, officials announced Saturday.

A dedication ceremony will be held June 18 for former President Barack Obama’s namesake museum and campus in Jackson Park, which will open to the public on June 19 after a decade of planning, fundraising, delays and construction. Additional community celebrations will be held on campus June 20-21.

The 44th president, who launched his political career in Chicago and has a home in Kenwood, announced the opening date in a social media video.

“Here on the South Side of Chicago, hope is getting a permanent home. Starting on June 19, you can visit the Obama Presidential Center,” Obama said. “This is not a monument to the past; it is a living destination for people who refuse to accept the status quo. If you feel that way, this is your invitation to join us.”

https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2026/03/07/obama-presidential-center-opening-juneteenth-chicago

milestogo

(23,088 posts)
41. Am I the only one who remembers what Jackson said about Obama during his 2008 campaign?
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 12:24 PM
Mar 8

It was pretty nasty.

Jesse Jackson provoked a maelstrom last week with his off-air comments in relation to Barack Obama that he wanted to ''cut his nuts out'', and that he was ''talking down to black people''.

However it has since transpired Jackson actually used a far more offensive term which until very recently went unreported.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/deadlineusa/2008/jul/17/newonethefullforceofjess

MineralMan

(151,282 posts)
43. Who Are You to Ask That Question?
Sun Mar 8, 2026, 02:28 PM
Mar 8

Why do you think she has a responsibility to answer personal questions you ask?

I'm sorry, but her decisions are hers alone to make. As far as I know, she is not required to explain any of her decisions to you, to me, or to anyone else.

Pretty simple, I think, but you continue to ask the same question downthread as well. Why?

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