Pearls and politics

First lady Michelle Obama gathered with a group of fifth graders in Washington to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s famed victory gardens during World War II.

Back then, such gardens were deemed a wartime necessity, but now, locally owned produce has taken on new meaning as markers of sustainable living. Obama said as much when she stressed the importance of a good diet to the students.

While I was happy that the White House was serious about promoting ethical consumption practices, I wasn’t too thrilled to see that Obama was the female spokesperson.

Americans have generally been rather conflicted on the role they would like to see the first lady establish for herself. Historically, women who took on active roles within their spouses’ administrations found themselves taking on more than just bitterly partisan critics.

There was a reason people revolted against Hillary Clinton’s presence in health care policy during her time as first lady – and it had little do with the plan itself. For many, Clinton’s involvement signaled an effort to establish herself as an equal with her husband, and people often don’t want any of that.

Thus begins an elaborate grooming process to downplay the accomplishments of first ladies. This has been painfully evident with Obama as well.

During the Presidential elections in 2008, Obama embarked on a “reintroduction tour” in order to address, among other issues, concerns over her patriotism and her supposedly harsh persona.

She appeared on such woman-friendly shows as The View, making a point to emphasize that she was just like everybody else. We learned that she’s a regular mom who shops at Target and refuses to wear panty hose.

In effect, we saw Obama being billed as more feminine and consequently less threatening than her former self – or worse yet, Hillary Clinton.

This is complicated by Michelle’s race and her standing as a powerful woman of color in a society with few role models. Many of the (mis)perceptions about her undoubtedly stem from our conceptions of what a black woman ought to be, imposing a sort of double bind on her.

To be sure, Obama’s involvement in the White House garden project has little to do with her individual choices and is more indicative of society’s expectations for women. While it was perfectly acceptable that Laura Bush chose a more traditional and domestic role for herself, we shouldn’t expect the same from all first ladies.

There is also the issue of symbolism.

When People magazine repeatedly refers to Obama as a “helpmate” rather than an equal partner, it matters. When political elites are worked into a tizzy over Obama wearing too many sleeveless clothes and exposing her arms, we should be concerned.

Our perceptions of the first lady and her role deeply reflect the way we feel about the institution of the American family today.