Michelle, Ma Belle

Michelle Obama

Is there trouble in Paradise?  Four recent developments seem to indicate that there may be problems abrewing for President Obama and the First Lady:

1)      Michelle Obama, it appears, will be spending considerable time away from the White House this summer … “vacationing” with her daughters at Martha’s Vineyard … see: White House Dossier.

2)      In his recent summit meeting in California with President Obama, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, was not accompanied by his wife.  The reason – Michelle Obama decided not to attend this tete-a-tete, a bit of a diplomatic insult since the Chinese leader’s wife is quite a celebrity in China and was preparing to make a splash at this meeting … see: Telegraph Story

3)      Michelle Obama has exhibited unusual testiness of late … witness her ungraceful handling of a heckler at a recent New York fundraising … see: Christian Science Monitor Story

4)      In America, hairstyles seem to take on unusual significance, so Michelle Obama’s recent buzz cut (see above photo) and her wearing of black “helmet” wings in public tells this commentator that she has decided to alter her former lifestyle … to what end, it is unclear.

What does this all indicate?  To most Americans, not a bagatelle.  But the confluence of these events tells me that there is a change … maybe a sea change in our First Lady … and that there might be more interesting revelations waiting in the (White House) wings.