The Potential for Influence

I visited the Time Magazine website today, where they had a list of who they considered to be the 100 most influential people in the world. The list was broken down into several categories.

Michelle Obama made the list, which isn’t surprising, considering who she's married to. Having the ear of the President of the United States certainly gives a person the potential to very influential indeed.

But it irritated me that Mrs Obama was named number one in the category of heroes, ahead of a real hero, Chesley Sullenberger, who was number 2 on the list.

I’m sure that Michelle Obama is an extremely intelligent and capable woman, as well as being a fine wife and mother, but she does not fit the definition of “hero”, especially when compared to Sullenberger, who is the genuine article.

Let’s face it; the only reason she made the list at all is because of whom she chose to marry. And as far as I’m concerned, wise romantic choices are in no way heroic. She has the potential to be quite influential in other spheres of influence and to be a role model for young women, but this doesn’t make her a hero.

And she’s been First Lady for only a very short time. It’s way too early to tell whether she’ll be able to exert true lasting influence in that role as did First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Edith Wilson, Betty Ford, and Hillary Clinton, to name a few. I’m betting that she will, but right now, to include her on such a list is premature.

Thoughts?