Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the wives of democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and vice presidential nominee Joseph Biden, respectively, have spent many weeks together on the campaign trail and Access Hollywood’sNancy O’Dell recently joined them during a stop in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Catching up with the women for a very special interview, Nancy found out how the women became so close, what they think about Sarah Palin’s decision to run despite her own family concerns and how the Jonas Brothers helped keep the Obama daughters focused during heavy campaign weeks.
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“You two were thrown together when [Barack Obama] chose [Joe Biden] to be his vice presidential running mate,” Nancy began. “Did you click immediately?”
“I think we did click immediately,” Jill said.
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It is clear that 44-year-old Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, 57, have chemistry. The two grew close after spending a week together following the Democratic National Convention.
“After that week, Michelle put her arms around me and I put my arms around her and she said ‘I love you,’” Jill recounted. “I said ‘I love you too’ and we just clicked.”
“Our families clicked too,” Michelle added.
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“I know that Malia [Michelle and Barack’s 10-year-old daughter] actually had a great idea at the convention for your whole families to get to know each other quickly,” Nancy hinted.
“When I finished my speech, of course I’m coming off stage thinking, you know, this was a big speech! Malia walked up and said, ‘Mom, I have something important to tell you,’” Michelle said. “I was like ‘What? You know, was I bad?’ she said ‘No, no! We have to have a sleep over tonight.’ I’m like ‘Tonight? Of all nights?’”
The sleepover didn’t happen that night, but the following evening it did.
“How many total would you say [were there]?” Nancy asked.
“There were about 15 kids sleeping in the room on the floor,” Michelle answered.
“How do you execute something like that?” Nancy asked.
“Help!” Michelle said. “Lots of down comforters on the floor and pizza.”
“And movies,” Jill added.
“They were all cuddled up,” Michelle continued. “I came in that night and they were all cuddled up on the floor, some asleep.”
But the Obama and Biden children aren’t the only ones on the campaign trail.
“One of the big issues everyone is talking about, Sarah Palin, she has a child with a special need, which requires a lot of attention,” Nancy said. “Do you admire her for being able to balance that act? or do you say that you would not have run in her situation?”
“Any woman who is balancing you know, kids and a major career, is a woman that I can respect and relate to,” Michelle said. “I think the beauty of Sarah Palin is that she has the choice.”
Struggling to balance work and family in the midst of the country’s financial crisis are some of the issues Michelle and Jill talked about while co-hosting a roundtable discussion with military spouses in Allentown, Pennsylvania, information that will be shared with their husbands.
“You also talked about something today, near and dear to your heart — you have a son who is about to be deployed,” Nancy said to Jill. “Was that emotional for you?”
“Well, it is emotional because of course our son is leaving next week. So I think I understand what those families are going through or what they have been through. I really think we have to help military families so that when their loved ones are deployed, they just feel this peace of mind that somebody is home helping their families. And I know Barack and Joe are gonna do that.”
It was a busy summer of campaigning for both senators Obama and Biden. And it was a special challenge for Michelle trying to keep 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha busy.
“We had a lot of kids activities planned… all week because they didn’t want to hear the speeches,” Michelle said. “The biggest thing that happened to my kids this summer wasn’t the convention or their dad securing the nomination, they got to meet the Jonas Brothers… That was the big thing!”
While on the set of Wednesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars,” Access Hollywood shared Malia and Sasha Obama’s compliment with the Jonas Brothers, who themselves recounted their meeting with the potential first daughters.
“We walk in and see all this secret service and we’re like ‘what?’” Nick Jonas said.
“There was a lot of secret service,” Joe Jonas added.
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