Michelle Obama, who broke the traditional first lady model by campaigning nonstop for her husband's reelection and boosting him among women and younger voters, is now considered the gold standard for modern-day presidential spouses.
"There is no question that the first lady raised the bar for future spouses -- not just because of how hard she worked but also her sway and popularity with voters," said Karen Finney, former spokeswoman for former first lady Hillary Clinton.
"Rated on energy, charm, and political smarts, Michelle Obama is the most important and successful first lady in a presidential campaign since 'Lady Bird' Johnson in 1964," added Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar with the Brookings Institution.
Obama tirelessly campaigned for the president on her own, always asking cheering crowds, "are you fired up?" Finney noted that Obama attracted a huge following. "Look at the size of her crowds, in some instances larger than the GOP's nominees," said Finney.
Her fans tell Secrets that they are eager for Obama to use her national influence to either expand her "Let's Move!" campaign or broaden into another area.
