As we watched Michelle Obama in her kitten/leopard top handing out goodie bags at the White House with her husband (he who will be unnamed), we marveled at the breadth of the ability of this marriage to take on more than we ever thought a first couple was capable of. Obviously, two publications thought the same, too:

“This is the first time in a long time in our marriage that we’ve lived seven days a week in the same household with the same schedule, with the same set of rituals. That’s been more of a relief for me than I would have ever imagined.” Michelle Obama pointed out. The New York Times

The Obama Marriage: This is the first installment in Slate's First Mates series, which will examine the marriages of the presidential candidates. Read Melinda Henneberger's introduction to the series here. In today's piece, Henneberger looks at Michelle Obama's role in the marriage. Next time, she considers Barack Obama's role, and what their partnership tells us about what kind of president he might be. Slate Magazine

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