The Presumptive Nominee is a happy man right about now. He's fist-bumping whoever he's coming into contact with. He's thinking, "Maybe I should make MICHELLE the vice president " hey, Hill was veep to Bill during two terms ... "
He's thinking, "What did Whoopi just say ... Oh, it doesn't matter." He's thinking, "Man, that dress was expensive but it was worth every penny." He's thinking, "Behind every successful man, there's a woman ... No, I better not think that. That's sexist as all get out. Hill would take me to town on that one ... doesn't matter, she's not running anymore. Or is she ... ?"
Of course, I have no idea what the Presumptive Nominee is thinking. I only know what I am thinking: Michelle Obama's appearance on "The View" was a political slam dunk " a performance so adroit and so skillful and so savvy that the political attack dogs out there are writhing in agony.
You know, I'm pretty certain (but, being a seat-of-the-pants sort of blogger, not 100 percent certain) that millions of people suspect Michelle Obama is a Teresa Heinz type -- the sort of significant other who just can't help but say something that will turn a hundred million Americans against her with just one verbal slip " or as Freud might say, a "lapsus linguae" that'll tell people what's really going on in her subconscious.
I'm no Freud, but her subconscious seems to match her conscious pretty nicely, if this outing was any indication. She was funny, smart, interesting and " most important " likable. She even said nice and remarkably disarming stuff about Laura Bush. Michelle O " you don't mind if I call you "Michelle O," do you Michelle? " was seated in the middle of our kaffee klatch crew, and joked immediately (again, shrewdly) about the bump: "It's my signature bump," and Whoopi comes back with a good ice breaker (not that there was any ice to break) with, "You should be really happy it's not a chest bump."
Michelle O got all the hard questions almost before the first commercial break, which is exactly when and where she wanted them.
How does she feel about all the attacks that have started up " the ones about her patriotism, etc.? (Our "View" gals didn't dignify the ludicrous "whitey" slur with a question, to their great credit.)
"I take them in stride. It's part of the process. Of course I'm proud of my country. Nowhere but in America could my story be possible. I'm a girl that grew up on the South Side of Chicago; my father was a working class guy who worked a shift all his life, and got two children through Princeton. ... I tell people just imagine the pride that parents who didn't go to college felt through their own hard work to have us achieve the things they couldn't imagine. So I'm proud of my country without a doubt."
Now you may be as cynical as me, and think " "Well, what do you expect her to say?" " to which I'd answer: I actually think she's being sincere.
Joy Behar asked her the Hill/sexism question, as in " do you think that Hill was subjected to it during the campaign? Said Michelle O, "Yes, people aren't used to strong women and at times we don't even know how to talk about them, so yes, and there were elements of racism that will go on (too). I think Hillary Clinton has said she's created 18 million cracks in the ceiling and we need to keep pushing on it and keep pushing ... so that when my girls come along they won't have to feel it as badly."
Masterful response. Notice the first use of "we," as if to suggest that even SHE might be complicit in this whole sexism thing.
Next up, Babs asked the 'ol "should Hill be veep?" question.
Michelle O stepped up to the plate, squared away, and saw a big fat pitch come right down the middle " without ANY heat or motion " connected, and sent that sucker right into the parking lot:
"My answer, and people have asked me this before, is that the one thing that a nominee earns is a right to pick the vice president that they think will best reflect their vision for the country. And I'm just glad I will have nothing to do with it."
Oh, you're good, Michelle O. You're very good.