Obama Girls Grow Up
It’s often been remarked how much the presidency ages a man. Certainly, Barack Obama looks much more than four years older than he did when he was inaugurated. But we see him every day, so the change is gradual.
The Obamas have kept their daughters, Sasha and Malia, largely out of the spotlight. BuzzFeed documents their transformation over the same period. It’s rather startling how much they’ve grown up. They cheat a little, starting their chronology back in August 2004, when Obama was running for Senate.
Actually, this notion that a presidency ages a man is a bit of a myth. Obama looks older, but that’s because he is older. To my eyes he doesn’t look much more than four years older than he did in 2008. Going from your late 40s to your early 50s is going to age a man, no matter what his job.
I agree with Rafer. My friends and colleagues all look a lot older than they did four years ago, but that’s because we’re moving through the greying years. The correlation/causation error and confirmation bias are likely suspects for this widely held opinion.
But the girls look great. On their way to being strong and capable women, if Michelle is to be taken as a guide.
@John H:
It’s all the fruits and vegetables!
(I might have been breaking 5 feet at 14, didn’t hit 6 till college. Not enough fruits and vegetables.)
Malia is the older one, right? She’s going to be a tall, elegant beauty. Look at her hands.
Going to be a 6 footer by the look of it.
I wondered if Obama might have been conflicted about a second term after the first debate, and one of the reasons being having his daughters in that bubble for 4 more years. If the image I have of it is close, it would guilt-trip me to the moon. Mine are a couple years younger, but this is clearly a time of intense socialization. To put it mildly…
They are beautiful girls, and I’m sure they will give their parents every reason to be proud of them. I respect the way the Obama’s have kept their girls out of the spotlight. It must be difficult for them to try to raise their daughters to be normal while they are surrounded by all the press and constant attention that their parents get.
The Obamas have done such a good job of keeping the girls out of the media insanity. I was struck by how much they’d grown when we saw them at the convention.
I really shouldn’t have been surprised, I guess. Mine are the same age and in the last 4 years my oldest has gone from ‘little kid’ to pre-teen (who could pass for a teen since she’s now 5’3″ and growing a figure).