"As for the first children, they provide a virtual parade of maladjustment: the sullen, tomboyish Amy Carter..."

Since when is "tomboyish" a symptom of maladjustment? WTF?

She seems like a women who frowns and disapproves a lot more than she spontaneously laughs. And perfect little offspring sometimes come home with corks in their ears, new tats and a girlfriend who wears Doc Martens. It's the pressure.

But really all I care is Barack is doing a good job and so far it looks that way.

BTW, date night is a great idea in concept but the wife has to want to go and be able to enjoy herself otherwise it's not only a waste of time but potentially more trouble.

Try taking a woman on a date that doesn't want to really go...or can't have fun. Have your scrotum stepped on can be more pleasant.

Although the illusion is there. I don't believe in perfection, myself. I've never met a perfect person and I don't believe that the Obama's really live up to the standard they set for public viewing. I'm betting that their kids get bratty every so often and that they have arguments about him putting the toilet up or not squeezing the toothpaste the right way. Or something. I don't know what. But it's a lot easier to look perfect when you control the flow of information than it is when the media are looking hard for imperfections. Obama dresses, stands, and talks a lot like JFK, another "perfect" person. I'm betting it's not an accident. Of course, JFK wasn't really perfect. Perfect people don't exist.

As for Chelsea the "prop"...I guess we lived through different Clinton Presidencies. I recall that she was pretty much off limits to the media. The Clinton's protected her as much as they could. They wanted her to have as normal a life as possible.

Lest we forget the most important element of the Obama family: a stable, loving caregiver in the form of MO's mom. That peace of mind can lend extraordinary strength to a marriage.

Leave her out of your parade of dysfunction. The girl's all right, and always has been.

And while we're on the subject of daughters that anyone would be proud of, Chelsea would be right up there.

What will make the Broadsheet "bloggers" happy? So the Obamas seem to actually enjoy each others' company, and have a couple of normal kids, and a grandma who lives with them, and to all appearances have a solid relationship that they work at (date night) and seems to be doing pretty well, and this is a cause for complaint?

What the hell?

Also, Chelsea Clinton -- how did she wind up in the 'dysfunctional' category? She seems to be doing pretty well for herself.

give me a woman with cooks, housekeepers, hairdressers, makeup artist right in the house, a built in babysitter and someone else to pay the bills, you can bet that the wife would be ready to be jetted of to New York for date night. Having someone else pick up the $250,000 bill for that night out has to make it a dream come true, a shopping spree in Paris for your daughters 8th birthday, then throw in 24 hour press coverage praising the ground you walk on and you must be shaking yourself wondering when you are going to wake up. Surely the average american woman does not think she has to measure up to what the press tells us is Michelle Obama!!!!!!!!

I think Drudge's picture of Michelle glaring at Carla Bruni is indicative of where the "perfect first family. Dammit" is heading.

Keep trying, "journalists." Michelle Obama is as cuddly as a cactus and as charming as an eel. The comment just above mine - which references Michelle staring at the French First Lady - is dead on.

Yep, given the choice between Michelle Obama and a seasick crocodile, we'd all choose the reptile. At least the animal wouldn't be openly racist.

Gee, it's hard to decide; which is more annoying and unpleasant to read--the hagiographic syrup of the article, or the spiteful retorts by those who dislike Mrs. Obama? Tomayto, Tomahto.

"As for Chelsea the "prop"...I guess we lived through different Clinton Presidencies. I recall that she was pretty much off limits to the media. The Clinton's protected her as much as they could. They wanted her to have as normal a life as possible."

jebldmm, she was off limits in the sense that the Clintons didn't let the media exploit her. Instead, the Clintons exploited her themselves. Remember that photo op after Clinton admitted he'd had an affair? Bill and Hillary walked across the White House lawn with an uncomfortable Chelsea between them as a human shield.

My entirely dysfunctional birth family could look pretty damned perfect too, given a foot thick coating of MSM/online treacle such as that currently glossing the Obama family portrait. Just like all those divinely happy, picture perfect celebrity marriages. You know, the ones that end in snarling divorce as soon as the cameras turn away.

Since when was "tomboyish" dysfunctional?

As far as I'm concerned Obama can be the worst husband in the world. That wasn't what he was elected to do. AFAIK GWBush was a reliable, non-philandering husband and his wife might have got along with him great. Means nothing to me. Clinton, dog that he is, presided over peace and prosperity and good international relations. Don't confuse the President with the Royal Family. The Pres actually has a job.

I remember that scene, but I didn't think of Chelsea as a "prop". She was a member of the family. The photo was hardly a Norman Rockwell moment, anyway. If they were trying to use Chelsea for something, it backfired - everybody was thinking about how Clinton's affair had impacted his daughter.

Broadsheet, an allegedly feminist column, is castigating Amy Carter for being "tomboyish."

Ms. Fortini, I do not know who or what you are, but you are most assuredly not a feminist.