'The View': Michelle Obama on Hillary Clinton, sexism and the vice presidency

Michelle Obama made her debut appearance as a guest co-host on ABC's "The View" this morning, as her husband, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, works to shore up his appeal to female voters.

Although Michelle Obama may have sought a new introduction to the public -- having been dogged especially by the comment she made four months ago that "for the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country" -- she played up traditional first lady attributes such as graciousness, comportment, good grooming and style.

Among Michelle Obama's most magnanimous moments were her public thanks to other women in the political spotlight. She thanked First Lady Laura Bush for her kind words after her "proud" comments were misconstrued.

Asked by co-host Joy Behar if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign was overcome by sexism, Michelle Obama said yes, and that Clinton created "18 million cracks on a ceiling, and we need to keep pushing it and pushing it." In Obama's view, Hillary Clinton has taken those "painful hits" so that "my girls, when they come along, they won't have to feel it as badly."

Barbara Walters tried to corner Michelle Obama on the "Hillary Clinton as Barack Obama's running mate" question, but Obama deftly dodged it, saying she was glad she would have nothing to do with it.

Here is an excerpt from the episode:

-- Sheigh Crabtree

Photo: Michelle Obama, wife of presumptive 2008 Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-Illinois) co-hosted "The View," on June 18. Courtesy: ABC/Steve Fenn

Comments

[JST]

She is such a classy woman, and will make a great first lady.

[Helen Washington]

I Think Michelle is a smart and will make a lovely first lady, And smart enough to Ignore
negative comments.

[Patricia Pooley]

I hope her husband wins. She'll be a great first lady. Plus remember she will be the first Black First Lady. Who better to represent the women of America?

[pamela]

My opinion of Michelle has not changed from before. I was and always will be a supporter of Hillary Clinton, I could not have been more proud of a women leader as I was of her.... and Michelle will have big shoes to follow as far as I am concern...

I will be supporting the democrat ticket this fall but I am an Independent ....

I think this was a good primary season and it was played till the end, but I feel the media and the journalist played no good with Hillary Clinton, and I feel it was unfair... But she stood the test of time and for that I am so very grateful.....

thank you for listening...

Pamela

[Tammy]

I'm so sick of people feeling like Barack isn't black enough or he don't have enough experience. The bottom line is we need achange and it's about time somebody out here is thing about us and not about themselves and want all us to be treated as equal. When you die and go to heaven or hell GOD IS NOT going to look at our color and decided if you should go to heaven or hell because of your color or your skin, he is going to look at the life you live. People need to grow up and stop acting liking little KIDS. If you get shot we all bleed the same color blood red we don't bleed black blood or white blood. People if you feel like Mrs. Clinton need to be our running presidntial canidate (think about all the lies she told and all the women her husband treated like a whore. I close this message.

[Camry Wang]

I would love my daughters to turn out like Michelle Obama. Intelligent, out-spoken, independent-thinkers. If they ever encounter adversity, I would want them to pull themselves up by the bootstraps. I want them to aspire to want to be a Harvard lawyer, and not a beauty queen.

I look forward to making Michelle Obama my first lady.