The Most Admired People in the World

[lpetrich]

Michelle Obama is the world's most admired woman | YouGov

American businessman Bill Gates is the world's most admired man, and he has been as long as this poll has been taken. The next most admired men are former US president Barack Obama, Chinese actor Jackie Chan, Chinese president Xi Jinping, and Chinese businessman Jack Ma.

The world's most admired women are Barack Obama's wife Michelle, American talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, American actress Angelina Jolie, British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, and British actress Emma Watson.

In the United States, the most admired men are Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Clint Eastwood, Bill Gates, Dwayne Johnson, and the most admired women Michelle Obama, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Melania Trump, Ellen DeGeneres, and Queen Elizabeth II.

As the article notes, the female lists are dominated by entertainers, while the male lists contain more people from politics, business, and sporting.


The Obamas are high in most nations' lists, as well as in the world list. Barack Obama seems very worthy of such admiration, but I can't say that about Michelle Obama. She got to where she was by being married to him, even if she has been a very dignified First Lady. But close behind her in most of the world is Oprah Winfrey, someone who got to where she has by her own activities. That is true of nearly all the men, and in fairness, nearly all the women.

Donald and Melania Trump are among the highest in the US list, though not in any other nation's list. Melania Trump is like Michelle Obama, getting to where she is by marriage, though with much less dignity. Also in the US list is Ivanka Trump, and I find her very disappointing. Would she be anything without who her father is?


From a poll of 42,000 people in these 41 nations: UK, US, Germany, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE.

 

[southernhybrid]

The way I see it, is that Barack got to where he did, by being married to Michele. You don't have to be first lady to be greatly admired. Her position as first lady just gave her more exposure. But, I've read articles that say that she's more popular than him. I can say as a happily married person that a good partner has a lot to do with how successful you are, whether you measure success by your career, how others perceive you, or how satisfied you are with you life. Barack wouldn't be the same man without Michele's influence.

I don't understand why anyone would admire any of the Trump family and Melania is no Michele.

 

[lpetrich]

The way I see it, is that Barack got to where he did, by being married to Michele. ...

I don't see how that is supposed to be the case.

I don't understand why anyone would admire any of the Trump family and Melania is no Michele.

I agree.

 

[Politesse]

Typical. A woman's accomplishments are never her own. She had a career before she met Barack, you know. She had a J.D. from Harvard. She was a sucessful lawyer and community organizer. Indeed, she was mentoring him at Sidley Austin LLP when they met, not the other way around. Whatever people admire her for now, she already had in spades beford her marriage. Really, she had to give up on what would likely have been the prime of her career so that Mr. Obama could be president. Being the First Lady made her famous, but it did not make her successful or admirable. That was all on her shoulders.

 

[Toni]

The way I see it, is that Barack got to where he did, by being married to Michele. You don't have to be first lady to be greatly admired. Her position as first lady just gave her more exposure. But, I've read articles that say that she's more popular than him. I can say as a happily married person that a good partner has a lot to do with how successful you are, whether you measure success by your career, how others perceive you, or how satisfied you are with you life. Barack wouldn't be the same man without Michele's influence.

I don't understand why anyone would admire any of the Trump family and Melania is no Michele.

Absolutely.

 

[Toni]

Typical. A woman's accomplishments are never her own. She had a career before she met Barack, you know. She had a J.D. from Harvard. She was a sucessful lawyer and community organizer. Indeed, she was mentoring him at Sidley Austin LLP when they met, not the other way around. Whatever people admire her for now, she already had in spades beford her marriage. Really, she had to give up on what would likely have been the prime of her career so that Mr. Obama could be president. Being the First Lady made her famous, but it did not make her successful or admirable. That was all on her shoulders.

Exactly. She's intelligent, articulate, has great vision and even better, the strength of character to accomplish goals. She seems to be excellent in her career as an attorney and organizer and also an excellent mother and wife. Moreover, she is extremely generous in putting her own career on hold in order to support her husband's dreams.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Clearly everyone is forgetting she suggested children should have fruit for a snack. *triggered*

 

[Toni]

Clearly everyone is forgetting she suggested children should have fruit for a snack. *triggered*

My kids grew up believing that an apple was dessert, so I think Michelle is a little soft on that issue, but otherwise, she’s cool.

 

[ideologyhunter]

The Big O.
When Oprah pulls my chain, I fucking bark.

 

[lpetrich]

Typical. A woman's accomplishments are never her own. ...

That's TOTALLY absurd. I have never, ever, ever come close to advocating any such thing. Look at my posting history, and you should discover that I have no trouble recognizing female achievement. In fact, I notice that most of the most-admired women are, indeed, achievers. One of those near the top is Oprah Winfrey, and she certainly is. She is a black woman who rose up from poverty to head a multibillion-dollar media conglomerate.

I'm asking what Michelle Obama has done apart from being Barack Obama's wife. Trying to get junk food out of school lunches, certainly. Anything more?

I'm not trying to pick on MO specifically, because the same can be said of other First Ladies. What have they accomplished? The biggest achievers are IMO Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton. Eleanor Roosevelt was an activist for much of her life, even after FDR's death. Hillary Clinton went on to be a Senator and a Secretary of State after the end of her husband's presidency.

 

[Bomb#20]

I'm not trying to pick on MO specifically, because the same can be said of other First Ladies. What have they accomplished? The biggest achievers are IMO Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton. Eleanor Roosevelt was an activist for much of her life, even after FDR's death. Hillary Clinton went on to be a Senator and a Secretary of State after the end of her husband's presidency.

For a year and a half Edith Wilson was de facto acting President.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Wilson

 

[lpetrich]

 Edith Wilson, Woodrow Wilson's wife. That's a good one. She handled a lot of business while her husband Woodrow was bedridden from a stroke.

I've found Widows who Succeeded their Husbands in Congress - 47 in all, 39 in the House and 8 in the Senate.

 

[Politesse]

Typical. A woman's accomplishments are never her own. ...

That's TOTALLY absurd. I have never, ever, ever come close to advocating any such thing. Look at my posting history, and you should discover that I have no trouble recognizing female achievement. In fact, I notice that most of the most-admired women are, indeed, achievers. One of those near the top is Oprah Winfrey, and she certainly is. She is a black woman who rose up from poverty to head a multibillion-dollar media conglomerate.

I'm asking what Michelle Obama has done apart from being Barack Obama's wife. Trying to get junk food out of school lunches, certainly. Anything more?

I'm not trying to pick on MO specifically, because the same can be said of other First Ladies. What have they accomplished? The biggest achievers are IMO Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton. Eleanor Roosevelt was an activist for much of her life, even after FDR's death. Hillary Clinton went on to be a Senator and a Secretary of State after the end of her husband's presidency.

Asking a question which is answered in the post you're responding to is an interesting way to demonstrate cognizance.

 

[Toni]

Typical. A woman's accomplishments are never her own. ...

That's TOTALLY absurd. I have never, ever, ever come close to advocating any such thing. Look at my posting history, and you should discover that I have no trouble recognizing female achievement. In fact, I notice that most of the most-admired women are, indeed, achievers. One of those near the top is Oprah Winfrey, and she certainly is. She is a black woman who rose up from poverty to head a multibillion-dollar media conglomerate.

I'm asking what Michelle Obama has done apart from being Barack Obama's wife. Trying to get junk food out of school lunches, certainly. Anything more?

I'm not trying to pick on MO specifically, because the same can be said of other First Ladies. What have they accomplished? The biggest achievers are IMO Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton. Eleanor Roosevelt was an activist for much of her life, even after FDR's death. Hillary Clinton went on to be a Senator and a Secretary of State after the end of her husband's presidency.

I think that during her husband's presidency, Hillary served mostly to support her husband and like many first ladies, worked a great deal behind the scenes. Since then, she's moved to the forefront. MO hasn't had the same amount of time, nor does she actually have political ambitions of her own.

During Obama's administration, MO not only undertook initiatives towards improving children's nutrition (beyond school lunches) but also increasing physical activity as well as initiatives to encourage kids to stay in school and initiatives to help girls all over the world attend and stay in school.

Prior to her husband's presidency, MO had her own career. I imagine following the same career path since the Obama presidency would present a lot of challenges to her. But, she's written a book and is a popular speaker.

 

[lpetrich]

I think that during her husband's presidency, Hillary served mostly to support her husband and like many first ladies, worked a great deal behind the scenes. Since then, she's moved to the forefront. MO hasn't had the same amount of time, nor does she actually have political ambitions of her own.

I have to concede that Hillary Clinton worked on Clintoncare. But it was a massive and complicated plan, and to this day, I have yet to find a simple summary of it. The Clinton Administration barely did anything to promote it, and it was a big fat flop.

As to behind-the-scenes support, some women may be completely happy with doing that for their husbands, but one should not expect all women to be like that -- or no women to be like that, for that matter.


Let's consider a sex-reversed situation, men who do behind-the-scene support for their wives, especially wives in high-powered careers.

Currently running for President is Kamala Harris. Her husband Douglas Emhoff's Twitter feed is Douglas Emhoff (@douglasemhoff) / Twitter Its headline picture is of KH's tour bus, with "KAMALA" on it. His feed is full of Kamala campaign videos, and it is evident that he dotes on him.

Or check out the Netflix documentary "Knock Down the House". Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's boyfriend Riley Roberts dotes on her and helps her out with her campaign, and the two bounce ideas off of each other. Like AOC dismissing some of her primary opponent's campaign literature as "this Victoria's Secret catalog" with next to no useful information, and RR then dismissing establishment Democrats' consultants as "garbage".

Both men have something that many past women did not have - their own careers and thus economic independence from their spouses. DE is a lawyer and RR is a software developer.


If Kamala Harris becomes President, how might her husband be featured?

 

[Fentoine Lum]

The Big O.
When Oprah pulls my chain, I fucking bark.

I'll bet you do.

 

[Fentoine Lum]

I think that during her husband's presidency, Hillary served mostly to support her husband and like many first ladies, worked a great deal behind the scenes. Since then, she's moved to the forefront. MO hasn't had the same amount of time, nor does she actually have political ambitions of her own.

I have to concede that Hillary Clinton worked on Clintoncare. But it was a massive and complicated plan, and to this day, I have yet to find a simple summary of it. The Clinton Administration barely did anything to promote it, and it was a big fat flop.

As to behind-the-scenes support, some women may be completely happy with doing that for their husbands, but one should not expect all women to be like that -- or no women to be like that, for that matter.


Let's consider a sex-reversed situation, men who do behind-the-scene support for their wives, especially wives in high-powered careers.

Currently running for President is Kamala Harris. Her husband Douglas Emhoff's Twitter feed is Douglas Emhoff (@douglasemhoff) / Twitter Its headline picture is of KH's tour bus, with "KAMALA" on it. His feed is full of Kamala campaign videos, and it is evident that he dotes on him.

Or check out the Netflix documentary "Knock Down the House". Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's boyfriend Riley Roberts dotes on her and helps her out with her campaign, and the two bounce ideas off of each other. Like AOC dismissing some of her primary opponent's campaign literature as "this Victoria's Secret catalog" with next to no useful information, and RR then dismissing establishment Democrats' consultants as "garbage".

Both men have something that many past women did not have - their own careers and thus economic independence from their spouses. DE is a lawyer and RR is a software developer.


If Kamala Harris becomes President, how might her husband be featured?

I have to concede that Hillary Clinton worked on Clintoncare. But it was a massive and complicated plan, and to this day, I have yet to find a simple summary of it. The Clinton Administration barely did anything to promote it, and it was a big fat flop.

The so-called "left" is just as against universal healthcare for all as those "other" guys, and they're still at the same old shtick.

If Kamala Harris becomes President, how might her husband be featured?

As one of the substantial people, like she is.