“She came right down in my face,” Sturtz said. “I was taken aback.”

[JDPriestly]

263. Obama has handled these situations masterfully in many instances.

First rule, agree with the host ahead of time on how to react if there is a heckler. Ask the host to take charge. Don't take charge yourself. Perhaps Michelle Obama would have been wise to just allow the heckler to heckle until the audience handled the heckler itself.

I attended a meeting with my congressman. We were encouraged to ask questions and one man just went on and on and heckled. My congressman just waited. The crowd took care of the heckler. Had Michelle Obama waited a bit, the audience at the event would have silenced the heckler. A politician or a surrogate for a politician should never show impatience with hecklers or dissidents. It really is not a part of the politician's or politician's wife's or other surrogate's role to silence hecklers in any discourteous way.

I am normally a big fan of Michelle Obama, in fact one of her best fans. She is a beautiful, wonderful woman. But she messed up here. I hope she handles these situations better in the future. She will meet up with them more than once. Maybe it was just a bad day. She is normally a lovely, patient woman.