After following Barack Obama on the campaign trail for close to two years, one can't help but pick up on the vibe that the partnership between the candidate and his wife, Michelle, is strong and grounded in mutual respect and true love. Even if it's an act, and I certainly don't think it is, it's pretty admirable. It's also a real and positive depiction of marriage, let alone black marriage, that we don't often see.

Here are some images of the Obamas' most affectionate moments on the campaign trail for your viewing pleasure. Above, Oprah is happy to be third-wheeling it with her favorite couple at a rally. [HP]

The pundits and conservative television hosts may think Michelle Obama is angry, but the fashion world loves her. She's the only non-entertainer on People's top 10 best dressed list. She shares the honor with Rihanna, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, Eva Mendes, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Kerry Washington was robbed! [Reuters]

Perhaps Michelle Obama needs to make a visit to the O'Reilly Factor. It certainly worked for her husband. O'Reilly softened his stance on the senator after being allowed to yell at and berate him for an hour. Then again, I can't see Bill O'Reilly ever ceasing to assassinate Michelle Obama's character at every opportunity. She's clearly the wrong race/gender combination. You see, she just looks so angry. This was actually a topic of conversation — again — on O'Reilly's show yesterday. Media Matters watched so we wouldn't have to.

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Elisabeth Hasselbeck made an obvious appearance last week at the Republican National Convention, where she gave a very obvious speech trashing Michelle Obama and applauding Cindy McCain. Liz wanted her audience to know that when Obama came to The View she had a list of topics she didn't want discussed. Apparently, Cindy McCain had no such list because she has "nothing to hide." Of course, it never occurred to Hasselbeck that McCain knew from experience that no one would ask her questions about her drug addiction or about stealing from her charity to fuel said drug addiction. And no one did. Instead, she was given the opportunity to answer to a charge that she stole a recipe from the Food Network. Michelle, who has nothing in her past that in any way approximates the skeletons in Cindy's closet, has been attacked by the media time and time again. A thinking person wouldn't blame her for trying to exert some control over the rumor mill. Plus, if Michelle Obama had something to hide, we'd have heard about it long ago.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin, whose opinions count for far more than Cindy McCain's or Michelle Obama's ever will, continues to avoid from the media. Unlike loyal TV personalities like Hasselbeck, real journalists don't "behave" well enough for Palin's liking.

After the jump, see that sneaky Michelle Obama dancing on Ellen's season premiere yesterday.

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Retying my tie for the twelfth time before heading downstairs, taking care to smooth it until it hung just so, centimeters above my belt line, I told myself I wasn't going to have red wine until the sun had set. Turns out I wouldn't remember this promise until I had drunk two glasses of the stuff and was feeling lighter with each step on the grass in the backyard.

The sun set beyond the canyon abutting the LA house turned fund-raiser location, and I no longer had to squint to see the growing number of people bouncing about the greenery, each one as effervescent as the champagne they quaffed. Nobody said it, but everyone knew: Michelle Obama was near.

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A friend of mine expressed frustration with Michelle Obama's convention speech last night, saying that he wished Obama didn't have to prove that she's "normal" to ease white America's anxiety over her. I didn't have that exact same reaction, although that was definitely one of the goals of the speech. It was definitely a requirement that she prove she's "normal," but the reason I didn't have a problem with that was because she is normal. Yes, she's an exceptionally successful, well-spoken, and composed normal person, but normal nonetheless.

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The Democratic convention kicked off last night with emotional speeches from Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama, with a bit of unchoreographed, adorable mic-hogging from little Sasha Obama. Michelle's speech is what struck me the most about last night's event, and I'll go more into it later, but here's another thing that struck me — delegates are an odd bunch.

• Michelle Obama doesn't know what she's wearing tonight. National emergency! [People]

• The Australians have decided to lighten up and let Snoop into their country. I mean, if they allowed K-Ci and Jo Jo past customs, then it's only fair. [EUR]

• Scary Spice is getting a $400,000 payment from OK! magazine to renew her vows with her duck-killing husband. It ain't Vivienne and Knox money, but it pays the bills. [SP]

• Remind me to never get on Faith Evans' bad side. [NYP]

• US Boxing is not exactly a force to be reckoned with. [BV]

• LisaRaye isn't the only one who can send out press releases. Her philandering husband, Turks & Caicos Premier Michael Misick, just sent out one announcing that he is divorcing her. [SR]

• This fall, TVOne will count down the "biggest power moves" in African American history. [EUR]

• What's so scary about Michelle Obama? Oh, all that made-up stuff. [Radar]

• Condi Rice says the U.S. would be safe with Barack Obama.[JJP]

• Solange appreciates any and all fans. [PH]

Because hours upon hours of gazing at computer screens have finally rendered me completely unable to read, I somehow interpreted this Page Six item to mean that Tyra Banks was dressing up Michelle Obama for Harpers Bazaar instead of dressing up as her for a shoot in the magazine. The latter definitely makes more sense. I'm relieved for Michelle Obama.

Now onto Tyra's "potential first lady" spread. She was not born with an internal foolishness censor, was she? And because she wouldn't be Tyra without giving a bit of interesting advice, she offered Michelle Obama these kind words of wisdom in the accompanying article:

I want [Michelle Obama] to not take herself too seriously. She’d need to know how to take a fierce picture, but at the same time be able to eat fried chicken, have grease on her fingers, and be okay with getting photographed like that, too.

The end. More pics after the jump.

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• Something tells me the Tyra's first lady Harpers Bazaar spread won't look like this new Ebony cover. [CL]

• Cassie wants to sing the National Anthem at a sporting event like Ashanti did so that everyone will stop talking about her voice. I don't think that's the answer. [C&D]

• The HIV stats are bad, but thankfully they're not this bad. [RTE]

• Awww, Zahara. [MG]

• When he's not ruining his career, Isaiah Washington is doing very good things. [AHH]