>> Laura: THE COMING OR
UNBECOMING?
THAT'S THE FOCUS OF TONIGHT'S
ANGLE.
MICHELLE OBAMA'S ROLLING OUT HER
NEW MEMOIR TITLED "BECOMING"
WITH THE EXACT SORT OF FANFARE
WE'VE COME TO EXPECT FROM THE
OBAMA'S 13 CITY BOOK TOUR, AND
TOUCHY-FEELY ARENA AND ABUSE BY
CELEBRITY MODERATORS.
THE FORMER FIRST LADY GAVE A SIT
DOWN WITH "GMA"'S EMMA ROBERTS.
EVEN WHEN DOES OBAMA TALK ABOUT
MEETING HER HUSBAND.
>> COMES IN A LITTLE BIT FAMOUS
ALREADY, LATE FOR THE FIRST
MEETING.
>> LATE!
I'M LIKE, IS HE TRIFLING?
A BLACK MAN IS GOING TO BE LATE
ON THE FIRST DATE?
>> YOU WENT OVERTLY IMPRESSED IN
THE BEGINNING?
>> I WASN'T.
I HAD MY SUSPICIONS WHEN A BUNCH
OF WHITE FOLKS FALL OVER A BLACK
MAN, HE CAN TALK STRAIGHT, THEY
THINK HE'S WONDERFUL.
THAT WAS MY THEORY.
>> Laura: STEREOTYPING MUCH?
FOR ALL OF HER BEAUTY, THE
FORMER FIRST LADY CAN'T GET PAST
RACE.
IT'S A LOOP THAT SERVED HER
REPEATEDLY IN PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> WHAT COULD YOU WISH YOU COULD
TELL YOUR PREWHITE HOUSE SOUTH?
>> THE HARD PART OR THE THINGS
THAT I EXPECTED.
THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE HARD.
SO MUCH OF THIS COUNTRY LIVES IN
ISOLATION.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT A BLACK WOMAN WAS AND
SOUNDED LIKE.
I KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO BE A
CHALLENGE, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO
EARN MY GRACE.
>> Laura: WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
AMERICANS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A
BLACK WOMAN WAS AND SOUNDED
LIKE?
WHAT AMERICA IS THAT?
LONG BEFORE ANYONE HAD EVER
HEARD OF BARACK OR
MICHELLE OBAMA, AMERICA HAD
ALREADY MADE ENORMOUS PROGRESS
VIS-A-VIS RACE.
THINK ABOUT IT.
SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN
BUSINESS, MEDICINE, THE LAW,
ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS, MEDIA ARE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
BUT, OF COURSE, THIS ISN'T THE
FIRST TIME WE HEARD MRS. OBAMA
SHARE HER FEELINGS ABOUT
AMERICA.
REMEMBER THIS COMMENT SHE MADE
AFTER HER HUSBAND WON THE
NOMINATION IN 2008?
>> LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY ADULT
LIFE, I AM PROUD OF MY COUNTRY
BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE HOPE IS
FINALLY MAKING A COMEBACK.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> Laura: THAT WAS BEFORE THEY
WON THE NOMINATION, BUT YOU GET
THE POINT.
UNTIL THE OBAMAS SHOWED UP,
AMERICA WAS IN SAD SHAPE
RACIALLY.
AT LEAST LED TO BELIEVE THAT.
WELL, CONTRARY TO HER WELL
COMMITTED IMAGE, MICHELLE OBAMA
WAS EXTREMELY POLITICAL.
THAT'S FINE.
NO BIG DEAL.
SHE GREW UP IN A MIDDLE-CLASS
CHICAGO HOUSEHOLD.
>> ACROSS THE STREET, I USUALLY
MET MY FRIEND TERRY JOHNSON
RIGHT IN FRONT OF THAT GARAGE.
THIS IS MY BLOCK.
>> THREE GENERATIONS OF
ROBINSON'S LIVE HERE ON
EUCLID AVENUE, A HOME OWNED BY
MICHELLE'S GREAT AUNT ROBBIE AND
UNCLE TERRY.
>> Laura: SHE'S THE DAUGHTER
OF A DEMOCRAT WARD BOSS AND WORK
HER WAY UP TO THE IVY LEAGUE.
LOGICAL, NO DOUBT
BY CONTRAST THE GODEY MEDIA
COVERAGE OF HER PERSONAL STORY
BY THE WAY UNDER THEIR BLACK
FEMALE BRAINIAC HAS BEEN TREATED
OVER THE YEARS, CONSERVATIVE
SCHOLAR CONDOLEEZZA RICE.
RICE GREW UP IN MUCH WORSE
CONDITIONS, THE SEGREGATED
SOUTH.
SHE WOULD EARN DEGREES FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER,
NOTRE DAME, AND THE FELLOWSHIP
AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY WHERE SHE
EVENTUALLY BECAME A PROFESSOR
AND A PROVOST.
OH, SHE DIDN'T BECOME THE FIRST
SHE DID BECOME THE FIRST FEMALE
SECRETARY OF STATE LONG BEFORE
ANYONE HEARD OF MICHELLE OR
BARACK OBAMA.
SHE JUST SHOWED US WHAT A
PROMINENT WOMAN SOUNDED LIKE?
AGAIN, IT'S ALL WHO TELLS THE
STORY.
I MEAN, MICHELLE OBAMA COLLECTED
MORE MAGAZINE COVERS THEN
VEGETABLES FROM THAT WHITE HOUSE
GARDEN.
WHILE A REAL COVER GIRL,
FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP,
SUPERMODEL, IS LUCKY SHE GETS
HER PICTURE IN THE "PARADE"
MAGAZINE INSERT.
THIS MICHELLE OBAMA BOOK LAUNCH,
WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT,
IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF
SOMEONE CASHING IN FOR A
TRASHING DONALD TRUMP.
ALSO IT HELPS SET THE TABLE FOR
2020.
THE OBAMA'S STILL WANT TO BE THE
BIG POWER BROKERS IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AND MICHELLE
IS A GLOBAL SUPERSTAR, SO SHE
HELPED FRAME THE ISSUES FOR THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS STILL
STRADDLING THE OLD AND THE NEW.
IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE
ELECTION, HILLARY CLINTON TRIED
TO EXPLAIN WHY A 52% OF WHITE
WOMEN VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP.
>> THE ONGOING PRESSURE TO VOTE
THE WAY THAT YOUR HUSBAND, YOUR
BOSS, YOUR SON, WHOEVER BELIEVES
YOU SHOULD.
>> NOW MICHELLE OBAMA TAKES THAT
SNIDE CONDESCENSION A STEP
FURTHER, WRITING IN HER MEMOIR
"BECOMING," I WILL ALWAYS WONDER
ABOUT WHAT LED SO MANY WOMEN IN
PARTICULAR TO REJECT AN
EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED FEMALE
CANDIDATE AND INSTEAD CHOOSE A
MISOGYNIST AS THEIR PRESIDENT.
VERY NICE.
REMEMBER, SHE WASN'T PAID THAT
HUGE ADVANCED SHE GOT FOR HER
BOOK TO SHARE FASHION TIPS OR
PUNK AND PIE RECIPES, BUT TO
DELIVER BODY BLOWS TO TRUMP WITH
A VELVET GLOVE.
>> I SAY WHAT I CONTINUED TO
SAY.
BEING COMMANDER IN CHIEF IS A
HARD JOB AND YOU NEED TO HAVE
DISCIPLINE, YOU NEED TO READ, BE
KNOWLEDGEABLE, NO HISTORY, BE
CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS.
BUT VOTERS MAKE THOSE DECISIONS
AND ONES VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN, YOU
KNOW, WE LIVE WITH WHAT WE LIVE
WITH.
>> Laura: DRAT.
DEMOCRACY.
MICHELLE OBAMA'S ATTACK ON THE
PRESIDENT AND HER DISMISSIVE
WRITING, WRITING OFF A WHOLE
CHUNK OF THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE
AND A SIZABLE GROUP OF WOMEN
THAT SHE CLAIMS SHE CARES SO
MUCH ABOUT, MAY BE IT'S
SURPRISING TO SOME BUT IT'S
REALLY NOT UNEXPECTED.
FOR ALL HER PROTESTATIONS A
POLITICAL ACTOR.
BUT WRAPPED IN THE GLITTERY AND
BASE OF CELEBRITY MICHELLE HOLDS
WOMEN PASSING SOME OF THAT, SOME
OF IT ACIDIC IN HER MEMOIR,
BECAUSE OPRAH TODAY NAMED IT ONE
OF HER BOOK CLUB PICKS.
BUT IF MICHELLE OBAMA CONTINUES
THE DIVISIVE AND RACIALLY
OBSESSED POLITICS SHE'S BEEN
PEDALING IN ADVANCE OF THIS
RELEASE CAN
READERS CAN CONSIDER IT ONE OF