Likability

There's that old thing about choosing our politicians:

Who would you feel comfortable sitting down with for a beer? Or, Who would you rather be stuck with in an elevator?

The Likability Factor. Or, The Narcissist Factor.

I'm not going to talk about being stuck in an elevator with either candidate on the GOP ticket. Those imaginary minutes/hours frighten me.

I imagine Barack Obama as one of those guys who has at least a little something to say about any topic, so while we probably wouldn't talk about the White Sox, I think we could have a conversation. I think we're both good listeners and he's a pretty good talker, so we'd be all right.

But I'm oddly convinced that sharing a beer or being stuck in an elevator with Michelle Obama would be GREAT. Rarely has a public figure ever seemed as sane or genuine as Michelle Obama. Her husband has been accused of not having that touchy-feely-Bill-Clintonesque warmth, and maybe that's tactical, maybe not. But his wife is just so ... on this frickin' planet.

Check out The Daily Show's October 8th episode. She's talking to Jon Stewart like a human being. Incredible. She even makes the responses she's been coached on sound like her own thoughts. During the interview she also talks with Stewart about how the image of First Lady has evolved as a result of our 24-hour news culture. These days we're not just voting for a President, but for a Presidential Family.