NYT: Obama campaign embarks on Michelle makeover

Michael Powell and Jodi Kantor write in today’s New York Times that Michelle Obama has been in the shop for a "subtle" image makeover, "with a new speech in the works to emphasize her humble roots and a tough new chief of staff." This is a rite of passage in the making of any would-be first lady who has been prone in real life to speaking plainly or seriously; remember Hillary cast as the less-than-beaming cookie baker in 1992?

The prescription? Softer. Less angry. No more sermons.

Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, a close ally of the Obama campaign, says Mrs. Obama must stop sounding like a lawyer trying to win an argument. The trick, she said, is “not pushing so hard to persuade people that Barack is the right one.”

“All she has to do is be likable,” Mrs. McCaskill said.

The new Michelle’s first outing was an appearance on this morning’s The View, and it appears to bear out the Times report. When asked, for instance, whether Hillary Clinton should be her husband’s vice-presidential choice, Michelle swallows her tongue and her pride, expressing joy at being excluded from the decision. The full appearance, and that excerpt, are below.

Michelle Obama on The View (complete) (24:34)

Excerpt: Michelle Obama on Hillary Clinton (1:53)