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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Michelle Obama and the Power of America's First Lady

    White House historians say first ladies are windows into America's cultural and social ideas, and while it's subtle, they have enormous power. Mamie Eisenhower gave parties and kept her mouth shut. Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan embodied high fashion.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    White House historians say first ladies are windows into America's cultural and social ideas, and while it's subtle, they have enormous power. Mamie Eisenhower gave parties and kept her mouth shut. Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan embodied high fashion. Hillary Clinton was a liberated woman who botched healthcare reform. Laura Bush advocated literacy in a much quieter way. As the first African-American spouse in the White House, Michelle Obama's unique. But her style and persona make her novel in other ways. Beneath her remarkable round of activities, is there a message? What about the bare arms and the vegetable garden?

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      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

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      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

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      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

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      Carl Sferrazza Anthony

      Historian, First Ladies' Library

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      Nia-Malika Henderson

      Washington Post

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      Barbara Seals Nevergold

      Co-founder, University of Buffalo's Uncrowned Queens Institute

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