Perhaps that’s why we are still talking about Barack Obama? But why? Really? His shadow seems to spread across the political spectrum, on the Republican side and everywhere else. The answer is quite simple: long after leaving office, he remains fiercely relevant, widely admired, and deeply missed by millions.

Before the custom-tailored gowns and the global stage, there was the grind of 74th and Euclid. The "Michelle Obama Brand" wasn’t focus-grouped into existence; it was forged in the fires of a rock-solid middle-class Chicago household.