海角大神

First lady Michelle Obama was on Jay Leno鈥檚 鈥淭onight Show鈥� on Monday, and she spent a lot of time talking about the experience of visiting the London Olympics. Her operative word was 鈥渃ool,鈥� as in, the opening ceremonies were 鈥渁ctually really cool if you were there," the events she saw were 鈥渧ery cool,鈥� and she was 鈥渃ool with it鈥� when a US female wrestler picked her up as if she were a training barbell.

We鈥檙e not making fun of the first lady here. She seemed genuinely excited by the whole thing, as befits someone who has made fighting childhood obesity one of her signature issues. While in London she hosted a kids鈥� play event on the US ambassador鈥檚 lawn, and Leno showed video of her schooling a Sponge Bob character at soccer, playing tug of war, and so forth. At one point Mrs. Obama disappeared under a parachute or tent-like thing with some children, and you could see in the tape that the Secret Service agents suddenly got very nervous. They jockeyed around other kids to try to keep their protectee in view.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always fun watching the Secret Service trying to manage a bunch of kids,鈥� said the first lady. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when their parent voices come out. 'Stop it! Stop pushing!' 鈥�

Gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas was another Leno guest, and she (Gabby) made the mistake of admitting in front of Mrs. Obama that she鈥檇 downed a McDonald鈥檚 breakfast sandwich to celebrate her accomplishments.

Michelle leaned over toward the tiny Olympian and said, 鈥淕abby, we don鈥檛 encourage that. I鈥檓 sure it was a whole-wheat McMuffin.鈥�

The pair then dissolved into a fit of giggles.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e setting me back, Gabby!鈥� said Mrs. Obama.

鈥淪orry,鈥� replied the gymnast.

Leno felt the sting of the first lady鈥檚 needle, as well. She showed a purported surveillance photo that zoomed in from space to show a grainy but recognizable long-chinned comedian emerging from a Dunkin鈥� Donuts.

鈥淟et鈥檚 change the subject. Let鈥檚 talk about politics,鈥� said Leno after the audience stopped laughing.

As to that subject, we鈥檒l note that many conservatives aren鈥檛 fond of the first lady鈥檚 healthy eating campaign. It鈥檚 not broccoli per se that bugs them, but the fact that the government is in essence trying to tell them how to manage their personal lives.

That said, Mrs. Obama remains a potent quasi-campaigner, and that was on full display in her Leno appearance. She talked about her upbringing in Chicago, where her backyard swing set didn鈥檛 actually have a swing. (鈥淵ou know, in the hood sometimes you don鈥檛 get a swing, sometimes you only get a bar,鈥� she said.) Leno let her talk at length about her reaction to the US Supreme Court decision that largely upheld President Obama鈥檚 health-care reform law, with her noting that insurers will no longer be able to drop those with preexisting conditions, and so forth. She talked about her excitement at addressing the forthcoming Democratic National Convention, and so forth.

In a nonjournalistic setting such as the Leno show, all this occurs unanswered, with a genial host and no push-back from a GOP representative. The Obama campaign has pushed such appearances for both her and the president 鈥� remember his 鈥渟low jamming the news鈥� on the Jimmy Fallon show? The Romney folks have done some of this as well, but not to the extent of their Democratic opponent.

On Leno's show, for instance, Mrs. Obama announced that she鈥檚 going to be the guest editor for the back-to-school edition of iVillage, an online site aimed at women. That will appear just as the political race enters its final sprint 鈥� and women have long been a particular target of the Obama campaign. Does that mean it鈥檚 campaigning? We鈥檇 argue that in a larger sense, it is. With an approval rating that hovers about nine percentage points above that of her husband, the first lady remains one of the Obama campaign's most important means of attempting to humanize a candidate who can appear too methodical and restrained to many voters.