Careers
Is Michelle Obama More Powerful than Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Forbes Says Yes
Posted Aug 24, 2009 6:27 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
What do Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor have in common with the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the general counsel of Pfizer?
All are among the world’s 100 most powerful women, according to Forbes magazine.
The magazine ranked Ginsburg the 48th most powerful woman, Sotomayor the 55th, SEC chairman Mary Schapiro the 56th, and Pfizer general counsel and senior vice president Amy Schulman the 81st.
There are other lawyers on the list, although they aren’t working in legal-specific jobs. They include Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. chairman Sheila Bair, ranked second; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ranked 36th; and first lady Michelle Obama, ranked 40th.
The magazine ranked the women based on visibility in the press and size of the organization or country they lead, according to a Forbes summary.
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Comments
B. McLeod
Aug 24, 2009 9:21 AM CST
I do not doubt that Michelle Obama is more powerful than Justice Ginsburg. However, I do doubt the ranking of Hillary Clinton as four places more powerful than Michelle Obama. I think if they were fitted with 16 oz. gloves, and set up for a nine-rounder, Hillary would not even make it to the final round.
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T.R.
Aug 24, 2009 9:43 AM CST
@ B. McLeod:
Do we have a tale of the tape? I would only guess that Obama would wield a sizable height/reach advantage right out of the gate.
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B. McLeod
Aug 24, 2009 11:40 AM CST
Michelle Obama, at five feet, ten-and-three-quarter inches, versus Hillary Clinton, ostensibly at five feet, eight-and-one-half inches (but reported by some to more closely approximate five feet, six inches). Also, in addition to the height and reach issues, Michelle Obama’s noticeably well-toned triceps would be capable of snapping trip-hammer body blows into Hillary Clinton’s creaking and groaning ribcage. Probably the match would conclude within the first two rounds, no matter how many times Hillary cunningly breached the rules. I think this would be an occasion where her relative age and treachery would not overcome Michelle Obama’s youth and skill. I would certainly buy a ticket to see it!
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