Written by Krissah Thompson
As her husband's re-election campaign amps up, Michelle Obama is in a perfect position to help, by cashing in on her broad popularity with the American public. But here's the hitch: In order to remain popular, she can't be seen as too political.
That's the challenge the Obama campaign faces in deploying the first lady, who could well be the president's best political asset.
The dilemma comes as campaign aides struggle to combat a dramatic drop in the president's approval ratings, when Michelle Obama could be critical to bolstering his image as a trustworthy, sympathetic figure.
But the risk is a flashback to 2008 when Michelle Obama became, at times, a controversy, accused in one instance of being an "angry black woman" and, in a satirical political cartoon, depicted as a militant, Afro-wearing figure.
In the past three years, she has replaced that image with one of mom-in-chief and the protector of the Obama family brand. She was photographed in a ball cap and shades shopping at Target, and talked about how she sneaks out to Petco with the family dog.
Read the rest of this article at the Washington Post.