In the opening moments of her second turn at history, as Michelle Obama waved at celebrants along Pennsylvania Avenue, Americans clamored to see the first lady, who remains one of the most popular public figures in the country. In the most recent poll, 73 percent said they approve of the way she is handling her job.
But a significant group of Americans — feminist Americans — have been vocally disappointed with her choices and feel let down by her example.
In 2008, when Obama announced her intention to be "mom in chief," many feminists decried her decision to give up her career and said she had been victimized by her husband's choices. She was regarded as one of the women feminist Linda Hirshman described as "letting down the team."