as athlete, 84–85
and bar examination, 141
Barack’s attraction to, 118–21
and Barack’s book deal, 138–39
and Barack’s election as president of Harvard Law Review, 137
and Barack’s political ambitions, 11
and Barack’s sex appeal, 212–13, 220, 223, 258
and Barack’s Washington-Chicago split, 228–29
birth of, 74
boyfriends/romances of, 86–87, 92–93, 98–99, 118, 125
Chicago roots of, 120, 249
childhood and youth of, 15, 67, 77–87, 120, 124, 129–30
courtship and wedding of, 118–35, 138–42, 153, 154, 156, 157–59, 262
criticisms of, 252–54, 261, 266–68
differences between Barack and, 15, 191–92, 300–301
early education of, 3, 15, 79, 82, 83–86
family background of, 75–77, 252
and fashion, 87, 140, 288–89, 292, 297
as feeling like a single mother, 238–39
financial affairs of, 87–88, 148–49, 162–63
as First Lady, 293–94, 296
forty-fifth birthday of, 286–87
image of, 249, 253, 261, 267–68
and insights into Barack, 133–35
and material things, 140
and media, 266–69
and money, 87–88
as parent, 3, 4, 5–6, 186, 187, 241, 250, 285, 295
personality and character of, 15, 79–80, 82–83, 85–86, 90–91, 97, 120, 125, 127, 132, 137, 144, 152, 177, 181, 253, 260, 272
pregnancy of, 6, 177, 181–82, 191
“proud of my country” statement of, 261, 268
reputation of, 150
Secret Service code name for, 297
self-image of, 143, 249
sense of mission of, 244
similarities between Barack and, 301
speaking talents of, 202, 248
and thoughts about future, 139–40, 146–47
Obama, Natasha “Sasha” (daughter) and Barack as parent, 3, 4–5, 8–10, 11, 224, 225, 234–36, 248, 251, 270–71, 287
and Barack’s Democratic National Convention speech, 216
and Barack’s inauguration, 287, 288, 289, 290, 293
and Barack’s interest in running for President, 241
and Barack’s presidential election victory, 281, 282
and Barack’s swearing-in as U.S. Senator, 228
and Barack’s U.S. Senate campaign, 209, 213, 224, 225, 227
and Barack’s Washington-Chicago split, 229
birth of, 193
childhood and youth of, 199, 200, 234–36
dogs for, 244–45, 296
effects of winning presidential election on, 242
gifts to, 235
illness of, 3, 8–10, 193–94, 201
and Michelle and Barack’s relationship, 3, 4–5, 8–10, 11, 193–94, 301
and Michelle’s forty-fifth birthday, 286–87
and Obama family home, 233
personality and character of, 273
Secret Service code name for, 297
at Sidwell Friends School, 284–85, 296
in Sunday School, 8
at tea in Buckingham Palace, 299
and Toot’s death, 278, 283
and Trinity Church, 202
and 2008 elections, 241, 242, 243, 244–45, 250, 251, 256–57, 258, 270–71, 272, 280
at White House, 291, 295–96
Obama, Sarah (step-grandmother), 156–57
Obama, Stanley Ann Dunham “Ann” (mother), 282
appearance of, 132
and Barack’s book, 165, 168
and Barack’s drug use, 48
and Barack’s graduation from Punahou, 49
and Barack’s political ambitions, 133
Barack’s relationship with, 62, 182, 213
and Barack’s return to school in Hawaii, 37–38
and Barack’s romantic relationships, 60
birth of, 17
cancer of, 168–69, 172
Chicago visit of, 21–22
childhood and youth of, 17–21
death of, 173, 278
divorce from Obama senior of, 29
education of, 18, 22, 29–30, 42, 133, 153–54
father’s relationship with, 18, 19, 21, 22–23
financial affairs of, 30, 32
Hawaii visit by, 39, 40–41
health of, 18
in Indonesia, 30–38, 43–44, 132
influence on Barack of, 12, 34, 35, 36, 159, 173, 181
and Madelyn’s professional career, 41
Maya’s views about, 36, 38
at Michelle and Barack’s wedding, 157, 159
Obama, Stanley Ann Dunham “Ann” (cont.) Michelle first meets, 131–34
Midwestern heritage of, 221
Obama senior’s courtship and wedding to, 24–25
and Obama senior’s death, 60
Obama senior’s relationship with, 27, 28–29, 34–35, 40–41, 50
as parent, 27–28
personality and character of, 17–18, 19, 20, 33, 38
political and social inclinations of, 20
and race issues, 17
and religion, 20–21, 36
return to Hawaii of, 42, 43
Soetoro marriage of, 30–31
and Soetoro relationship, 42
Occidental College Obama at, 49, 50–56, 114, 163
Obama’s friends from, 157
race issues at, 53–56
Ochieng, Philip, 49–50
Ogletree, Charles, 97, 116
Olmert, Ehud, 270
Omolo, Leo Odera, 29
Onyango, Zeituni, 278–79, 292
Oprah (TV program), 238, 239
Organization of Black Unity, 90
Osnos, Peter, 231
Oughton, Diana, 164
Pakistan, Obama trip to, 57
Palestinians, 201, 202
Palin, Bristol, 276
Palin, Sarah, 275–76, 277
Palmer, Alice, 169–71, 173–75
Parry, Nina, 16
pastors, African American in Chicago, 103, 105, 107, 108
See also specific person Patten, Richard, 168
Patterson, Chiaka Davis, 83
Payne, Madelyn. See Dunham, Madelyn “Toot”
Peluso, Nancy, 168, 173
Pfleger, Michael, 264–65
The Plan, 230, 236
Planning and Development Department, Chicago, 151–52, 161
Plouffe, David, 280
poker games, Obama’s, 180, 192, 197
politics in Chicago, 74–75, 206
and Michelle and Barack’s relationship, 3, 4–5, 6, 7–8, 11–12, 184, 186–89, 190, 194–95, 197–98, 201, 205, 206, 217, 224–26, 234–35, 239–40
Michelle as asset to Barack in, 189, 203, 226
and Michelle as stand-in for Barack, 230
Michelle’s views about, 187, 196, 206, 261
and Obama as political mastermind, 201
and Obama family relationships, 4–5, 195–96, 219, 225
and Obama’s ambitions, 11, 117, 118, 130–31, 145–46, 147, 152, 160, 167, 169, 191, 193
and Obama’s connection to University of Chicago, 178
and Obama’s financial affairs, 6, 191, 198, 202, 203, 206
Obama’s first defeat in, 191
and Obama’s image, 210–11
and Obama’s job offers, 195–96
and Obama’s sex appeal, 212–13, 222–23
and Obama’s testing of waters outside of Chicago, 180–81
and Obama’s youth, 167
and Osama-Obama curse, 193–95, 196
See also specific person or campaign “Pop” (Obama poem), 163–64
Posedel, Jeremiah, 225–26
Poseidon Press, 138
Powell, Alma, 240
Powell, Colin, 240
Preckwinkle, Toni, 110–11, 156, 169, 190, 197
&
nbsp; presidency, U.S. Malia’s comment about, 228
and Michelle’s influence on Barack, 299–300
Michelle’s views about Barack running for, 239–40
oath of office for, 289, 290, 294
and Obama’s first full day in office, 294
Obama’s interest in running for, 238, 239–41
and Obama’s political ambitions, 130, 131, 133, 171, 193, 227, 238
transition from Bush to Obama, 282–83
Princeton University affirmative action at, 72
Michelle at, 3, 15, 69–73, 89–94, 95, 120, 139, 244
Michelle’s application to, 88–89
Michelle’s complaints about, 90–91
Michelle’s thesis for, 93–94
race issues at, 71–73, 89–91, 92, 93
Robinson (Craig) at, 72–73, 88–89, 91, 92–93, 120
social hierarchy at, 89–90
Third World Center at, 89–90, 91
Pritzker, Penny, 151, 202–3, 215
Project Vote, 154–55, 156, 160, 174
Public Allies Michelle as executive director of, 4, 161–62, 175, 187, 199
Michelle’s resignation from, 177
Obama as board member of, 152–53, 154, 161
Public Interest Research Group, Obama on staff of, 64
Punahou Academy Obama at, 36–37, 38, 42–49, 53, 133
Obama’s friends from, 157
and Obama’s inauguration, 291
Putnam, Robert, 193
race
in Chicago, 77
and elections of 2008, 256
and Harvard Law Review, 117
at Harvard University, 94–95
in Indonesia, 31
and interracial couples, 24, 25–26
and Obama as child and youth, 34, 35, 38–39, 43, 44–47, 53–56
and Obama as community organizer, 62–63, 64–66
and Obama at Business International, 63
and Obama senior, 26
and Obama’s interest in running for President, 240–41
and Obama’s presidential campaign, 254, 262–64
and Obama’s safety, 240–41
and Obama’s U.S. Senate campaign, 209
at Occidental College, 53–56
at Princeton University, 89–91, 92, 93
and Robinson family learns about Barack’s family background, 131
See also South Africa; specific person racial profiling, 207
Randle, Linda, 105, 106, 107, 158–59
Random House, 162, 230
Rawlings, Lisa, 72
Reed, Ralph, 193
religion, 20–21, 36, 78, 108–9, 112. See also Muslim; specific church or pastor
Republican National Convention (Denver, 2008), 276
Reynolds, Mel, 169, 170
Rezko, Rita, 175, 233, 234
Rezko, Tony, 171–72, 175, 232–34
Ricco, Donna, 269
Richardson, Bill, 254
Riordan, Michael, 199, 231–32
Rivkin, Robert, 160
Roberts, John, 290, 291, 294
Robinson-Brown, Laurent, 90
Robinson, Craig (Michelle’s brother) ambitions of, 88
Barack first meets, 124–26
and Barack’s inauguration, 289
and Barack’s political ambitions, 130–31
Barack’s Thanksgiving visit with, 130–31
as basketball player, 72–73, 85, 89, 92–93, 120, 125–26
birth of, 74
childhood and youth of, 15, 77, 78, 79–80, 81, 82, 83–84, 129–30
and criticisms of Michelle, 267
early education of, 79, 83–84
as investment banker, 130
and Michelle and Barack’s relationship, 121, 187, 220
and Michelle’s athletic abilities, 84–85
and Michelle’s boyfriends, 86–87, 98–99
and Michelle’s personality and character, 91
Michelle’s relationship with, 73, 81, 82, 93, 98–99, 125–26, 187
personality and character of, 79–81
at Princeton, 72–73, 88–89, 91, 92–93, 120
and race in Chicago, 77
views about Barack of, 126
Robinson, Eugene, 258
Robinson, Fraser, III (Michelle’s father) and Barack as president of Harvard Law Review, 137
Barack first meets, 124–25, 126
and Barack’s family background, 126–27, 131
Barack’s Thanksgiving visit with, 130–31, 134
Chicago home of, 78, 79
death of, 140, 146, 172
and family finances, 88, 89, 94, 120
illness of, 73, 86, 87, 94, 120, 125, 172, 181
and importance of education, 79, 88
influence on Michelle of, 125, 140
jobs of, 73, 75
and Michelle at Harvard Law School, 68, 97
and Michelle’s childhood, 78, 79–80, 81, 82, 83
Michelle’s relationship with, 86, 87, 93, 98, 99
as parent, 79–80, 81, 82, 134
personality and character of, 87, 125
and politics, 74–75, 77, 192
and race issues, 73, 77
Barack and Michelle Page 36
