Michelle Obama: White House Rebel

Michelle Obama laid down her markers quickly and in a way that has set Washington back on its heels. The White House was not going to imprison her, the media were not going to own her, and she would not be driven by external expectations.

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But is it? What the chattering class has missed is that Michelle Obama, in an understated way, has in fact been transforming the job—but on her own terms. She may have disappointed the Georgetown salon set with a casual disregard for social convention and annoyed the old political-wives club by not indulging them. But she has also spent untold hours with the other Washington—consciously extending the reach of the White House into D.C.’s black community, mentoring students, and choking up when she reflects on her own success to offer hope and dreams. Later this month she will make an official trip to South Africa and Botswana to further expand her commitment to students and young leaders, education, and wellness.

In short, Michelle Obama has figured out ways to navigate the bubble while channeling her own passions and holding on to her life.

But her carefully crafted world at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is about to be challenged anew. Her husband is entering his reelection bid battling rough economic headwinds, against a GOP energized by the successes of the 2010 mid-terms. Barack Obama will need every ounce of his wife’s considerable star power—she’s polling 20 points ahead of her husband—to win reelection. Although the full-throttle campaign is still months away, Michelle is already traveling the country fundraising.

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“I think she’s willing to do things, but she’s not someone you send out with talking points as an adjunct spokesman for the government,” says David Axelrod, the Obama strategist who recently left the White House to work on the campaign and who has known her for nine years.

Meanwhile, outside allies and advisers have encouraged Michelle’s staff to push the envelope beyond her two signature issues—childhood obesity and helping military families—and raise her profile.

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First ladies essentially step into these unpaid jobs with no official duties and work to carve out an agenda that at best dovetails with the president’s—or at least doesn’t get in his way. History shows that finding the right issues and tone can be a tricky effort. Nancy Reagan was viewed as a vapid California socialite until she latched onto her signature “Just Say No” campaign to discourage teenage drug use. By contrast, Hillary Clinton drew harsh criticism for leading her husband’s failed drive to reform health care. Michelle has come across as neither the doe-eyed adoring wife nor the intense political adviser. But she has been fully engaged in shaping her own image and goals.

Michelle’s staff of 22 knows not to cram her schedule with events that don’t serve some larger strategic agenda. “What’s the purpose?” she frequently demands of aides when presented with a proposal. “Am I value-added?” Once she settles on a schedule, her staff says she will spend hours and even days preparing for one appearance. For a major speech, like her address to West Point families at last month’s commencement weekend, she will hand-edit multiple drafts. Staff will then drag a lectern into her office, where she will rehearse the speech with a teleprompter for days. “She demands a lot of herself,” says Axelrod.

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The first lady has made regular visits to schools in Anacostia, one of Washington’s poorest, most difficult neighborhoods. She has initiated a high-octane mentoring program, linking White House aides with urban minority high-school students—and, NEWSWEEK has learned, she presses famous entertainers eager to perform for the president at tony events for a quid pro quo: an agreement to conduct a music workshop for selected students at the White House while they are in town. In late March, Motown greats Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson worked with a couple of hundred musically gifted students from across the country. At an earlier workshop, music students found themselves jamming one afternoon with five members of the Marsalis family—New Orleans jazz royalty—-under the sparkling chandeliers of the East Room.

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During a recent visit to Anacostia’s Ballou High School, she took questions for 30 minutes. Asked what she would tell a teen mom who hoped to go to college, Michelle said she would say, “Good for you.” She advised the students to think about what kind of careers they would want. “College is no joke because it is so expensive,” she said.

The visit was part of an ambitious mentoring program she has held for students in Washington, Detroit, and Denver since 2009. In D.C., she has brought together a diverse group of female high-voltage celebrities who fan out to public schools. Students are later invited back to the White House to mingle with stars such as Geena Davis, Hilary Swank, Alicia Keyes, and Michelle Kwan.

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Michelle’s reluctance to expand her circle may stem from the awkward early days of the 2008 campaign when opponents portrayed her as unpatriotic, snobby, and a caricature of an angry black woman. The president’s advisers now candidly admit that she was poorly served by the campaign. Conservative commentators, who carefully steered clear of racial references when it came to Barack, had no such reservations about stirring up racial stereotypes about his wife.

Eventually, Axelrod hired Stephanie Cutter to bolster Michelle’s image and help her shape her passions into an agenda. She parlayed her interest in childhood nutrition into Let’s Move, a national campaign to deal with an obesity epidemic among young people.

Michelle’s other signature issue—helping military families—first attracted her attention while she campaigned in Iowa. She found herself in small towns comforting wives whose husbands had been deployed to Iraq and mothers who had lost sons. Once in the White House, she spent months consulting with families and veterans about their needs.

“We believe that this is what you deserve from us,” she told the 200 military wives and mothers at the White House for a Mother’s Day tea, her voice quavering. “Thank you for your strength.”

For now, Michelle has made clear that along with her mentoring efforts, these two issues will keep her busy and fulfilled professionally for the foreseeable future.