Michelle Obama, soon to become America's first African-American
first lady, is not expected to directly emulate her predecessors.


Will she assume the Hillary Clinton mold and give policy advice or will she
assume a Jackie Kennedy persona given her sense of style and her role as a
mother to two young girls? One expert says Michelle Obama will be Michelle.

America's next first lady, Michelle Obama, was a corporate lawyer, which
sounds a lot like the Hillary Clinton mode of first ladies. But wait. She's a
mother to two young daughters and has a sense of style. The next Jackie
Kennedy? She says she doesn't want to play a direct policy role. Does that
mean a supportive role like Nancy Reagan and Laura Bush?

Kennedy's former social secretary, Letitia Baldridge, says Michelle will be
Michelle.

Letitia Baldridge, social secretary to former First
Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, saying:
"She is herself, Michelle Obama, intelligent lawyer, a woman with a
lot of ambition and mother of two adorable girls. I think she is going to be
herself."

Michelle Obama says she wants to focus on ways women can maintain a
work-family balance and the needs of military families.

She has recently been vice president of the University of Chicago
hospitals. Although she has two Ivy League degrees, she grew up in a
blue-collar neighborhood in Chicago's south side.

She has won praise for her affordable look, a sharp contrast to the pricey
wardrobes worn by Republican candidate John McCain's wife, Cindy, and his
running mate, Governor Sarah Palin. Horacio Silva is online editor for T: The
New York Times Style Magazine.

Horacio Silva, features director, online editor for T:
The New York Times Style Magazine, saying:
"At a time when status-conscious glamour has never been more vulgar,
or out of fashion, her ability to look very chic in things that are accessible
to most people have meant that women can connect with her in a way that for
instance, they couldn't with Cindy McCain and her 300,000 dollar earrings, or
the talk of Sarah Palin's 150,000 dollar wardrobe. You know, women can connect
with Michelle, because she'll go on Jay Leno wearing a 400 dollar J-Crew
outfit."