Neil Lewis, Jr.: Michelle Obama is one of the figures Americans like to forget that they used to demonize and dehumanize when she was actually in the political spotlight.

Michelle Obama is one of the figures Americans like to forget that they used to demonize and dehumanize when she was actually in the political spotlight.

My god the terrorist fist bump, for starters?

'We love Michelle Obama!' Since when?

Anyway, this is a very classic pattern. Americans only grow to love Black leaders/public figures after they are no longer in positions of power. See also: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

How public attitudes of Martin Luther King Jr. have changed since the 1960swww.pewresearch.org About eight-in-ten American adults (81%) say civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. has had a positive impact on the United States.

We *love* our Black folks* as long as they stay in their place and don't try to change anything or hold any power *I mean, not really, but at least in public opinion

As long as we stay in our black jobs and away from any authority everything is fine.

Whites also came to love MLK Jr once they figured out that they could misquote him to further their own goals.

WTF?!?! There are accounts on Xitter with millions of followers, including those followed by Musk, that still regularly post about how Michele Obama is a man and conspiracy theories about how her kids aren't really hers.

Yea, and people are out here saying if she replaced Biden on the ticket that would be the solution. Leave that woman in peace and gtfo.

So many white racists would come out of the woodwork if she stood, virtually guaranteeing a Democratic win. The MAGAs hate her. The optics for Republicans who deny that they are racist would be terrible. @chrislhayes.bsky.social

They loved to call her a man, but now she’s perfect.

I still see them calling her that unfortunatey. People have thick skulls and will repeat things like a broken record.

I have always thought she was wonderful, in every way.

People were so NASTY to her, about everything! And folks have just retconned it!

There was a Ben Garrison cartoon recently that labeled a figure with some derisive epithat of Michelle Obama, and a lot of people struggled to recognize the figure, epithat, and meaning. The retcon/memory hoing of that nastiness is really striking.

The absolute shittery of white America when it comes to gracious, dignified, intelligent people like the Obamas will never not be repugnant.

And everyone is all pika_shocked when she doesn't want anything to do with politics

Well Hillary Clinton was very popular as Obama’s SOS. Republicans would demonize Jesus if he ran for president as a Democrat.

(And also Michelle isn’t running)

Is your impression that many people have changed their views on her? From what I've seen, conservatives continue to demonize and dehumanise her, while she's always been viewed pretty positively amongst democrats. Disagree?

My impression is that the right never liked her and probably never will (at least while she's alive). The left was lukewarm about her and then grew to love her over time (her "when they go low, we go high" speech was a big moment of change).

Fair enough, I was firmly in the liberal undergrad pro-Obama vacuum at the time, could've missed the wider feelings towards MO. (And now I'm feeling nostalgic for a time when a politician managed to convincingly campaign on "hope" 😭)

Her sneakers at the garden project.

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