Your "Aww" Moment of the Day
June 4th, 2008 by KimAt first, I couldn't believe CNN would devote an entire segment to the fist-bump Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, shared after their victory yesterday.
Then I watched the YouTube replay, and went: "Awww."
Maybe it was the excess estrogen I was recently exposed to, having watched the "Sex & The City" movie at Ward just a few days ago. Something about now much-talked-about fist-bump just got me. It was both playful and romantic, and showed a mutual admiration and appreciation that said, "We did it."
You gotta admire Michelle Obama. A graduate of Princeton and Harvard, her resume is packed with accomplishments. One wonders how much of her own career and life goals she has had to put aside for her husband's dreams. Gone are the days when politicians' wives were empty trophies to be trotted out at campaign functions -- and thank goodness for that.
It seems the fist-bump isn't only about being "with it," it also suggests equality and teamwork in a relationship. Is it only a matter of time before it replaces the safe hug, the sometimes awkward "get-a-room" smooch, or the polite peck-on-the-cheek?
June 5th, 2008 at 6:37 am
GREAT. The fist bump used to be something that was used only between men and now has degenerated into an "obamanation" of a formerly masculine greeting...the cute, "aww" moment creating with cherries on top interaction between a man and a woman. What's next? Are men and women going to start giving each other the chest bump? The wet finger in the ear? The wedgie?
Well, at least us Cro-Mags can take some relief from the fact that Obama learned his lesson by watching Al Gore's ratings tank when he kept giving his wife mouth-to-mouth CPR all the time on national TV.
Michelle Obama has a big resume, but many voters will remember more the incident where she came off as not being proud to be an American at one point. That is going to come up again in this campaig, you can count on it! *fist tap*
June 5th, 2008 at 7:45 am
my friends in Hilo called it "hit the rock"
June 5th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Ah man, I love a lot of the stories Jeanie Moos does for CNN. She does a lot of funny human interest or weird angle types of stories. I loved it when she demonstrated it by hitting the camera.
And as for the "obamanation" of the fist bump, it's a cross gender and cross race thing. People everywhere do it, not just men. I like the fact that Obama at least has a personality to do stuff like this.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Actually, isn't McCain's wife one of those empty-trophy types?
June 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
This, frankly, is disappointingly weaksauce. If Barack & Michelle were actually looking to convey a sense of team accomplishment, of working together, of spending their lives devoted to achieving something together, they should've chest bumped and then gone, "WOOP! WOOP! WOOP! WOOP! WOOP!"
Also, dinosaurs.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I agreed whole-heartedly with Michelle Obama when she said for the first time in years she was proud to be an American. I felt the very same way after hearing Barack Obama speak.
Frankie - have you really been proud all these years, through Iran-contra, through Clinton's sex-capades, through the entire GW Bush years with its pointless wars, from surplus budgets to deficits in the trillions, gas prices with oil companies - like (Dick Cheney's) Halliburton - making record profits? (Not to mention that for the last four years the US has been the laughing stock of the rest of the world.)
Michelle Obama said “For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is making a comeback.” What the heck is wrong with that?
As for Cindy McCain - (Yes, Butlerdidit - she IS a trophy-wife, with quite the scandalous past) there is no comparison to the bright, intelligent, articulate and confident Michelle Obama.
And yes, Kim, it (fist bump) definitely was an "awwwww" moment! The Obamas rock!
June 5th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
"One wonders how much of her own career and life goals she has had to put aside for her husband’s dreams."
My sense is that we shouldn't wonder what she's "put aside." Could be that Barrack's dreams and her goals are one and the same - to redirect the downturn turn this country has taken. To me, they appear to be on equal footing with each other - and that's kinda "awww" in itself.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
why is cindy mccain a trophy wife? cause shes hot? did a quick search and read that she started and ran an organization that sends doctors to poor countries to help the less fortunate. maybe she is more of a doer than a talker.
but anyway, ill take the obamas fist/rock whatever over the gores makeout session
June 5th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Hillary probably gave Bill a fist-bump of her own.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
mcb - gosh that must have been a very quick search. Yes, she started the American Voluntary Medical Team - and yes, that was a good thing.
However, after that she ended up stealing drugs from that very organization (for her own personal use). from Wikiipedia: "The addiction progressed to where she resorted to stealing drugs from her own AVMT. During 1992, Tom Gosinski, the director of government and international affairs for AVMT, discovered her drug theft. In January 1993, McCain terminated Gosinski's employment on grounds of budgetary reasons. In spring 1993, Gosinski tipped off the Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate McCain's drug theft, and a federal investigation ensued. McCain's defense team, led by Washington lawyer John Dowd, secured an agreement with the U.S. Attorney's office that limited her punishment to financial restitution and enrollment in a diversion program, without any public disclosure.
AVMT concluded its activities in 1995.
This is all in the past and I only bring it up as a reply to your comment "maybe she's more of a doer than a talker."
June 5th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I can't help but think of how truly tragic Hillary's loss is...for Hillary. I'm guessing that she made a deal with her playboy husband long ago that she would stay in the troubled relationship in return for the ultimate trophy, the presidency, and now this defeat. It would be much like an attractive young lady's hitching up with a much older rich man; putting up with his abuse for years; and then seeing him leave his fortune to charity or a family member instead of her. In contrast to the Clintons, the Obamas do seem to have a warm, close marriage...and I applaud their union as a model for those thinking of making that considerable commitment...for reasons of love, not politics.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Yes, I am very proud of our country. I have taken care of veterans from every war dating back to the 1st World War and their willingness to sacrifice their lives us, even those who are not proud to be Americans, shows what a great country we have. A country founded on the notion of freedom and unending promise, where who you become in based on your hope for the future, and not the baggage of your past.
Of course there have been political scandals. You can't expect something run by humans to be infallible. But would you rather, as a woman, live in China, where you are restricted to only one child (i.e. forced abortions and birth control), or in certain African countries where you would be subject to female circumcision, or in Iran, where openly practicing Christianity can lead to your death?
In the USA, you can be whomever you want to be...including a trophy wife, which seems to be something you despise.
It galls me when members of the baby boomers (or those who came shortly after them) lecture us about responsibility and impugn our country when we stand waist-deep in the garbage of their excesses which they participated in because of the freedom they take for granted.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
carolyn- sounds like you know what your talking about.
but does that make her a trophy wife? how do you define a trophy wife? on the surface she seems like an intelligent woman not some air head. i mean she did go to USC and got both her undergrad and masters there then went on to be a special education teacher. all that doesn't sound like a trophy wife to me. dont know why people gotta put her down when she hasnt done anything political.
honestly, im not sure what the big deal is with spouses of candidates adding there two cents and trying to get some of the lime light for themselves. is it jealousy or envy?
sidenote - why not name michelle as his VP?
but seriously, forget all this nonsense, cant wait for the debates to start. they should lock the two candidates in a room with video cameras and let them fight it out. no live audience or tv news guy. just the two candidates man on man. should be good tv
June 6th, 2008 at 7:23 am
mcb - I like your idea (let them fight it out) and now I can't stop wondering about who would win! (my imagined visuals of the scene are hilarious)
trophy wife: "the young, often second, wife of a rich middle-aged man."
I don't really have anything against a trophy wife per se, just prefer to see a better representation in the white house.
Frankie- I'm very proud of the soldiers, my dad was in two wars. Just not so proud of the administration.
June 6th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
That is incandescently sensational. I went to D.C. for the first time in February to attend conferences for the World Affairs Councils of America and National Council for International Visitors. While I was walking to church on Sunday morning, Obama was campaigning at Alexandria High (Remember the Titans High School). This guy was selling Obama's campaign t-shirts for five bucks a piece so I brought home a bunch for omiage.