Obama will be a role model if he does his job as president well, not because he passed the good husband test in interviews. This country needs a successful president more than it needs a successful marriage in the White House.

How sad for both of you that you don't understand that a healthy family life is the basis of a successfull work life. And how sad for the people in your lives, as well.

psp, I disagree with you completely. You'd have to be BLIND to not see the love that the Obamas have for each other, and for their children. We never saw that sort of obvious affection from the last president and his family, not that they didn't care for each other, but at times they seemed stiff and uncomfortable.

The author of this article is entirely correct in his assessment (and by the way, HE'S the expert at this.... he does it for a living - do you??)

And on a second note, to those who can't understand why this story was reported on a news site, in these days of regular bad news, tragedy, and sadness, what's wrong with showing a loving, committed first family? As Americans, we should be inspired by our president, and with the Obamas, the vast majority of Americans (as well as the world,) are inspired. Why do you think that the Obamas are the cover story on so many publications at the newstands? The answer is BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THEM. Many newspapers in major cities all over the country sold out of their editions that covered the election and the inauguration of Obama, so much so that in my hometown of Columbus, OH, the local paper printed EXTRA copies, which STILL sold out.

TB- Don't jump to conclusions about my personal family life and the people in it.

My comment was meant to point out that the measure of a president's success is not calculated by the strength of his marriage. It is much more complicated than that. Presidents can have imperfect marriages and/or adulterous relationships and be considered a success (or role model) as president (i.e. Kennedy, Eisenhower, FDR), so the fact that Obama has a "role-model marriage" doesn't really matter to me. I'm not interested in Obama's personal life, I'm interested in whether or not he can fix the economy, foreign relations, and otherwise, do the job he was hired to do. You should be interested in that too. Having a good marriage isn't an automatic ticket to presidential success either. Carter anyone? Hopefully you voted for Obama because you thought he would get the job done, not because you thought he had a role model marriage and a healthy sex life.

History doesn't consider presidents role models because they had a good marriage or kept their pants zipped.

Tom- We did see that kind of affection from the Bush family. Maybe you weren't looking for it, but it was there in family photos and TV/ magazine interviews the same way it's been there for the Obamas. Just because the Bush family chose to keep their personal family life more private (i.e. no Access Hollywood family interview like Obama, no televised White House wedding for Jenna) does not mean the love and affection wasn't there. You also have to remember that Bush's daughters were away at college when he took office, so we didn't get to see him interact with them the way we see Obama interact with his children.

I miss the good ole days of screwing the interns in the oval office,and FDR sneaking off th Warm spings Ga with his mistress,and Kennedy having escorts brought to the white house on weekends.ALL the mushy crap is just that crap...Maybe if he had a set he could do something worth doing,like stop all the wasteful spending...GOO,GOO,GOO, Bunch of bed wetters.

I don't think that he would be an easy man to live with. Just a hunch. His ego would take up most of the bed.

If you think you are right, thats your personal opinion. Try soaring a little higher, then you will see that there are different points of viewing...and probably you will begin to appreciate things from other peoples points of view. In my opinion, a gift is a gift. It is really the thought behind it that matters.

To: Steve-412410:

So, you're an expert on class...NOT! A gift is a gesture of goodwill and it is measured in value to the degree the recipient recognizes the appreciation of acknowledgement. This is a first family that exudes with class...maybe not your definition of class... a superficial idea that attachs some scale of weight to a particular item YOU deem to be appropriate. The first lady ....showed up at the White House with a gift for the former first lady...unheard of before and it was well received by all that observed the unprecedented gesture. Oh, by the way...Laura Bush did not have a gift for her...are you going to define her as "no class" either? Or do these categories of disrespect only reserve for the Obamas? I personally did not held it against Laura recognizing that it was never done before ...so...how would she know to have had a gift in hand awaiting to reciprocate? It is called extending to others the benefit of the doubt and not securing an opportunity to attack. You know this article is about their love life...so you are probably hard pressed to find fault with that so you had to do some real fancy thought process to come up with some form of fault and I guess this is the one you found. Sad commentary on a world that is so full of hate that it needs no invitation..it is always in operation.

"Yes dear" has been our recipe for our thirty years of happy marriage.  Only, as we tell newlyweds, both of you have to say it. 

I challenge anyone who supports Obama and this mess he is creating to watch Fox news for 1 week instead on the NBC or CBS nightly news. I listen to NPR so I can hear both sides but I'm willing to bet many of you Obama supports won't take my challenge, why? Because you don't DARE to listen.

msnbc is the Obama buttboys!

Gee, good thing he was elected. Your marriage would have fallen apart and your life would have been wasted. What did you think you learned you already did not know?

In a world filled with hate, war and consistent BAD news, what is wrong with havng something NICE to talk about for a change? It is what made me read the article and appreciate it. Thank you MSNBC for little "good news" for a change and their interview on Barbara Walters was so refreshing. You can see the respect they have for each other and are good parents to those girls and they're happy. TVR

We have a lovely couple, one a brialliant U.S. President who is doing his best to resolve some great crisis our nation is facing, and a beautiful first lady to be his companion in life. They have two beautiful children and somehow, you find this reason to puke.

El Rob

we are supposed to bow, though our bowing is at the toilet. puke puke....

Next will be tips on raising kids to hey dad please turn on the fan........

just plain smoke to cover up the big stink

have a good one, I got to go puke again the picture is getting to me

YES! I've just soiled my keyboard. Will MSNBC ever stop fawning over Obama/Rahm & Co. ? Then again, I expect nothing better from a third rate outfit masquerading as a News station. Good God! America needs an real American president, not a home coming King & Queen.

Yes! It's ridiculous that we are in this mess and we are focused on his love life and NOT the FREAKING ECONOMY!!!!

If you don't like the content of an article I have one suggestion for you.

DON'T READ IT

Dumbrepublican -

I wasn't going to jump into this, it's really a who gives a sh#$ subject, however. I would never assume that a couple is happy or unhappy based on public appearances. You can be madly in love with someone without showing affection in public. You can also despise someone and appear to be affectionate - Bill, Hillary come to mind. As to Laura Bush being submissive - how do you know? She is and was a class act during her entire tenure in the White House, and unless you know the Bush's or Obama's personally you can't really comment, nor can I, as to their happiness or lack thereof.

Good post Marty,

my parents loved each other too.

Just we don't need every detail..

I am sure Hitler and Stalin were happy to. It doesn't mean that they weren't mass murderers. Live in a fanstasy land all you want to. Obama heard the testimony of a nurse describe how babies born alive during abortions where thrown into trash cans. He voted against saving their lives not once, not twice but four times. I know liberals dismiss this as not true. Obama even lied about it during the debate; but, the truth is he did it. Look up the transcripts. How barbaric for you to care about the glow between these people more than a helpless babies cries. Grow up this is serious. If Hitler was in the US right now he would win an election to. The people that voted for Obama are pathetic.

We all thought that Senator Edwards and his wife were a "perfect couple" too thanks to the American press! I am really not concerned about how "perfect" the Obama's relationship is. They , as always, seem to tell you want they want you to hear. I have a great relationship with my husband of 28 years too but I am sure it would be wonderfully enhanced if he flew me to a major US city on the weekends for dinner in a private jet and invited people that I have always wanted to meet to extravagant dinner parties at our house ever wednesday all paid for by someone else. These two are shameless and as my mother used to say "I may be soft but I'm not simple". I resent they way this couple and all connected with them think that the American public is "simple" or brain dead. Do they really believe that we buy into the garbage that they pour out? We are all tightening our belts while these people are spending money as if there is tomorrow. But then with this guy as President maybe there really is no tomorrow!

Never mind Marty. After so much exposure to the internet and blogs, if people did not have hate, they'ed have nothing. No wonder our world is such a mess. Being in a happy marriage myself and knowing how long it took me to find that person,seeing the Obama's get along as well as they do after 18 years together is refreshing. People consistently have to look for the dark side of everything. The jealousy is sickening.

People have to look at the dark side? Why do you ignore the atrocities this man is committing. I am in a wonderful marriage. I have never been divorced, have a wonderful child and a great life. I am hardly jealous of a mass murderer.

I am ashamed of people such as yourself that feel a loving picture and perhaps marriage compensates for the murder of tens of millions of people. How does his supposed wedding bliss supersede his funding of forced abortions. How would you feel about his wedding bliss if your were strapped to a table, given an injection to kill your child and then induced into an abortion. Some of these events happen in the third trimester. Women have had the torture of giving birth to their dead baby for 16 hours. Do you not find this absolutely revoting? Or are you one of those people that refuse to look at facts. A person that sticks their head in the sand and pretends Mr. Obama is not doing this. One of those that refuses to read Colin Powell's investigation report. Yes, the same Colin Powell that is pro-choice and pro-Obama.

You called this jealousy and hatred. I call it standing up for the defenseless against a barbaric couple that does not have the honor and dignity to hold office for our country. I will pray for this man, I will not hold him up as a positive example to my child. My child will be raised with morals and character.

Life101 needs a lesson in Relationships101 - we DO need the detail, because some people have no idea what happens in a loving relationship! Why do you think a relationship counselor wrote the article? Because the Obamas are a good example of what a healthy relationship should be!

GREAT post Marty!

My parents were just like yours, were married for 60 years until they died. And my Dad did the same thing your Dad did - He'd pat my Mom on her behind as she was doing the dishes and would give her a big kiss, right in front of us kids. They were good examples of how a man should treat a woman. My Mom always said that my Dad was "one in a million". Judging from the attitudes of the men who are writing some of these posts, and from the fact that you, Marty, have not yet found that person, BOTH of our Dads were one in a million...!

So, you seem to be sure that Mrs Obama has had an abortion and that the President did the abortion himself.  Why must you ignore  the fact that abortion has been legal for thirty years, before it was legal, the rich ladies and thier little girls had thiers done in a hospital and called it a D&C.  The other abortions were done on poor women in back alleys and butchered beyond belief, ( I worked in a ER and know these things to be true).  Oh I forgot to mention all the precious young girls from good and loving homes that died during those butcher jobs, because they were afraid to tell thier loving parents they were pregnant.   I dont like abortion, thats why I taught my child that she could talk to me and when she was 17 she started on birth control.  Abortion cannot be laid at the feet of the Obamas,  It is a choice that women make on thier own, so stop sounding like a fool. If you have this need to blame people, at least blame the right people, they are the women that fought for this freedom of choice.  Now me and mine , we will use contaceptives, my daughter will explain it all to my granddaughters.

I will say again that I think the Obamas are a lovely couple, I hope they have many years of happiness.

You nasty people will have to answer for your hate and evil lies.

I will have to answer for that and I am only to glad. You will have to answer for the death of tens of millions of children if you voted for Obama. What will you say when you stand in front of your maker and he asks why did you vote for a person that publicly professed to supporting the murder of tens of millions of kids?

They looked good together. They loved each other so much.

See how far that gets you!

You Bible-thumping pro-lifers really crack me up. Do you get this outraged about how the "good" christian people slaughtered the Native Americans or forced them to live on reservations? Do you get this bent out of shape about the fact that they ripped their children from them and forced those children to go to the white man's schools and become christians? Do you?
For the record, I personally don't believe in abortion, and would never have one. That being said, it's legal. Deal with it.

I do get upset about Christian failings, all of them.

It is legal and will be made illegal again. Every generation has to win against evil on their own. We win this battle just like we have in the past.

Thank you for calling me a Bible thumper. Technically I am not a Bible thumper as that would be a Bible only Christian; however, I will take it as a compliment.

No, you miss the point. I am happy that they are happy, assuming they are. My problem with the 'article' is the following:

1) the author does not know them, he has written an article based on what he thinks he knows.

2) More importantly, his article illustrates the continuing deification of the Obama's by so many people who continue to look for someone to 'change things' and to 'lead us' rather than taking responsibility for themselves. My goodness, now women are being told that they need to have 'the first lady's arms' in order to be stylish. Can you not see how infantile that sounds? It's sickening to see adults acting like they have schoolgirl (or boy) crushes on politicians.

Yes, well do all these wonderful, loving "Christians" who hate the Obama family think GOD makes mistakes? He was here during the elections too you know? (God) But we see that PRESIDENT Obama still got elected, didn't he? A man with loving regard to the responsibilities he chose.

God isn't going to ask me who I voted for...............HE already knows.

Perry,

maybe both of them should go to the abortion clinic and see the fine work he says is neccesary. Makes me want to puke just thinking of his future decisions, he is saying it has to change. for who?

there are good people doing what is right and you got others saying it needs to change. crime is crime no matter how you whitewash it...............

Just thought of the craziest thing, we were all fetus at one time, so if we didnt complete the cycle why are we here.

See a fetus is a humanbeing.

dumbrepublican

Define "right". The term in the US has always meant that one has a right to act until it infringes on another person's right. Abortion infringes on another person's right to live. I maybe dumb; but, at least I do not hide from facts with insults. Tell me when your are smarter than the dumb guy and will provide a logical response.

Didn't most of middle schoolers learn about the "horrible" human sacrifice that the "awful" aztecs and mayans did? Isn't killing unborn children human sacrifice? Guess we went past the dark ages (when abortion wasn't legal) to modern times to BEFORE the dark ages to human sacrifice! Just because a fetus can't cry out doesn't mean it's ok to kill it.

Now we have Obama reversing the ban on embryonic stem cell research!! isn't it great that we are so advanced in this society that we can allow a baby to grow to a certain size and then kill it before it can scream and use the parts to help people that were allowed to be born.

Oh - yeah--- If Europe allows it then it must be ok. We have no brains here in the USA. We just follow the Europeans.

Personally, I don't give a rat's behind about ObamaRahm's love life. I'm more concerned about his Marxist Socialist policies and how they'll destroy America.

Marty,

Your post makes me worry about this country. How can one ignore the first couples hideous beliefs and actions. Have we succumbed to charisma over substance. I believe the last election clearly shows we have. Please come to your senses. Mr. Obama's beliefs are appauling. A pretty picture does not overcome the ugliness of a soul. He is a man without honor.

Sad that our country never discusses honor, integrity, or honesty anymore. The want of the one supersedes the needs of the many. Mr. Obama is a self centered moral relatavist that has shunned the most basic of decencies. The decency and honor of protecting the helpless. I am appauled that any sane person would vote for a person that voted to throw a live baby in a trash can. May God help this man and anyone that voted for him.

Oh, grow up Perry!

Marty, it's not the Obama's personal life that makes me wanna vomick... it's the fawning news media's relentless servings of syrup and cream cheese when it comes to anything Obamic.

waterchuck, now stop and think for a moment...........the press covers the Obamas because: 1) they are the new First Family, and 2) there is incredible interest in them from the majority of Americans AND the world. Why do you think that they are chosen to be the cover stories on so many major publications these days? The answer is BECAUSE THEY SELL MAGAZINES! People want to read about them. So if you don't like it, don't read things about them, and don't blame the media - blame the Americans who want to buy the magazines........

Is it hate to describe a person's actions and hold him accountable. Is it hate to hold a woman accountable for her actions. I am absolutely flabbergasted by your post. Him having a family is not a crime. His actions are and he should be in jail. His sponsorship of the UNFPA when it has been proven that it forcibly imprisons woman to have abortions is absolutley disgusting, immoral and utterly devoid of all human dignity. I find it despicable that people care so little for their fellow man that they make posts such as yours. Ignore this man's barbaric, immoral behavior because he is glib and pretty. Your post is the exactly the reason why this country is failing.

You want something positive. Perhaps we can elect a man to the Whitehouse with moral character in four years. Until then we can count the dead babies thrown into trash cans because people voted for a man to get a $400.00 refund check.

Oh get off the abortion rant, support birth control and get a life!!!!

I agree let us treat each other with love and respect. When do you think the Obama's will start? When will Michelle Obama stop raising money at her house to kill babies via partial birth abortion. When will Barack Obama vote to save a baby born alive during an abortion instead of throwing it in a trash can? Your right let us treat our fellow man with compassion. I accept the challenge. Will you accept the challenge and send a note to the Obama's that tell him that he should have supported the ban on partial birth abortion and BAIPA. Will your note include that we should not fund forced abortions and sterilizations in third world countries? I accept the challenge do you? Will you treat your fellow man with compassion and send the OBama's a note telling them that you do not believe in these actions. Compassion for your fellow man is very important. Will you do this for your fellow man or not? It is simple will you do it or not?

Amen dumbrepublicans!

I now see the anger. You think about that child everyday don't you. You feel the loss. The child that would be happily holding you in their arms. The love you see with the Obama's would be yours. You let this love die. I now understand your pain and anger. It hurts don't it. Please go get help. There are many organizations that can help you with the pain.

I am sure your first response will be to provide an insult. Don't do it. Think about the child you gave up and go for help. Survey's show that woman that have abortions have much higher rates of anger, depression and even suicide. Please get help.

John, this article only partly deals with sex, and a very small part at that. Its about a good model of love and relationships. Sex is only a part of the relationship equation. Obviously, some men think its all the same thing, but those men are completely wrong.

Smlfry, I know that, you know that, but just try to explain that to the 101st Dittohead Keyboardists, Gush Pfleghmball division, who drops in on every Obama thread with the most ASININE criticisms.

I wish my relationship was half as good as Michelle and Barry's seems to be, but it won't, because my SO is all verklemmpt over this handbasket thing...

I uinderstand there's some dittoheads flopping around on the floor over at the story about the girls' new swing set, too. Something to the effect of "With *MY* tax dollars??? How *DARE* he!!!!"...

WHO is "forcing" you to read it?

I am a woman, and this disgusts me. Who cares about his marriage? I want him to fix the economy!!!!!!

TJ. Neither Michelle nor Barack wrote or published the article

That's not the point, is it?

TJ, you probably won't be the first woman to be disgusted about a good role model, but your reply makes me wonder what type of relationship you have with your significant other, if you have one...... not that its any of my business.

It's not about his relationship or mine or yours - of course the country isn't celebrating any of our relationships. It's about the presidency and the responsibility and importance of this person on our country and the mess it is in financially. Focus on the issue...