Michelle Obama: Redefining the (White) House-wife

Abstract

This paper seeks to understand how Michelle Obama's race and gender were invoked and deployed in her public appearances throughout the 2008 US presidential election. It aims to introduce a new conversation about the construction of Michelle Obama’s rhetorical campaign persona in relationship to race and gender, with an emphasis on viewing her as another carefully-scripted presidential campaign production created to bolster her husband's candidacy. Through keyword analyses of four speeches, this piece also examines the ways in which Michelle Obama employs or excludes biographical and historical formations of race and gender when presenting herself to diverse audiences.