CBS This Morning on Tuesday devoted 10 minutes to promoting Michelle Obama and her new memoir. This is in addition to the 22 minutes the show offered back in November. When one considers that This Morning is co-hosted by partisan Democrat Gayle King and features another partisan Democrat, special contributor Oprah Winfrey, it becomes clear why this book is getting such a push.
To make sure no one missed it, the promotional story called “Note to Self” was previewed five times leading up to the segment actually airing. After that, Gayle King held the book up to cheer that she “just happens to have a copy here on the set. This has sold already three million copies!”
King could barely contain her admiration, fawning, “She really does live the life of when they go low, we go high. It’s extraordinary.” The co-host is a Democratic donor who has vacationed with the Obamas and encouraged her liberal friend Winfrey to run for president against Trump.
Despite Winfrey saying she would “step away” from reporting in order to endorse a Democrat in the 2018 midterms, the talk show star returned days after the election to praise Mrs. Obama’s new book: “It's exquisitely written. It’s so vulnerable, so vivid....But I believe every woman you know is going to want a copy, so get one for her too. Read it together. You're all going to love it!”
On Tuesday, the promotion for the segment began seconds into the show as co-host Norah O’Donnell excitedly trumpeted, “Only on CBS This Morning, former First Lady Michelle Obama talks about learning she was good enough to make her mark on the world in her ‘Note to Self.’”
At 7:22am John Dickerson touted, “First Lady Michelle Obama talks about learning she was good enough to make her mark on the world in her ‘Note to Self.’” At 7:46am, Bianna Golodryga “In our series ‘Note to Self,’ former first lady Michelle Obama recalls her early impressions of Barack Obama.”
At 8am, Dickerson teased, “Ahead, Michelle Obama reveals how she put self-doubt aside to achieve her dreams.” At 8:12, Golodryga reminded, “In our series ‘Note to Self,’ former First Lady Michelle Obama looks back on her arrival at Princeton University.”
“Note to Self” is a series on CBS where famous people write letters to their younger selves. Usually, the letters are self congratulatory, essentially telling themselves that they will one day be great. Mrs. Obama wrote, “You're more than enough.... You always have been, and you always will be. And I can't wait for you to see that.”
A partial transcript is below. Click “expand” to read more.
CBS This Morning
12/11/18
7amNORAH O’DONNELL: Plus, only on CBS This Morning, Michelle Obama's "Note to Self." What the former first lady reveals about her teenage years and meeting the future president.
7:22
JOHN DICKERSON: We have much more news only on CBS This Morning, former First Lady Michelle Obama talks about learning she was good enough to make her mark on the world in her "Note to Self."
7:46
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: You know what we want to do now? We want to hear from first lady Michelle Obama.
GAYLE KING: Okay.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: In our series -- thank you. Thank you, Tony. In our series "Note to Self," former first lady Michelle Obama recalls her early impressions of Barack Obama.
8:00
DICKERSON: Ahead, Michelle Obama reveals how she put self-doubt aside to achieve her dreams. The former first lady's "Note to Self" only on CBS This Morning.
8:08
GOLODRYGA: And in our series “Note to Self,” former First Lady Michelle Obama looks back on her arrival at Princeton University.
8:12:45 to 8:21:55
9 minutes and 10 secondsKING: An 8-year-old little girl is getting national attention for dressing up like a young version of her hero. For cultural heroes day, Ella Lorraine Brown perfectly matched Michelle Obama's outfit at Princeton university. That's great. Inspiring young people is a big theme of the first lady's memoir. It’s called Becoming. It is the best selling book of 2018. Mrs. Obama's just revealed her book tour will make 21 more stops to North America and Europe in 2019. In our very popular series "Note to Self," she advises her younger self as she leaves for college.
...
MICHELLE OBAMA: Dear mich. there you are in your Jean jacket and braids, a long way from that little apartment on the south side of Chicago. You're at one of the finest universities in the world. You're smiling, and you should be. You worked hard for this. But even now after you reached your goal, you're still not quite sure if you belong and can't get one question out of your mind: “Am I good enough.” There aren’t many kids who look like you.
...
MICHELLE OBAMA: Together, you’ll be blessed with two perfect little girls who will fill you with so much joy, you can barely process it. Yet you'll still struggle to find a balance between your family, your husband's rising career, and your own sense of self. Be patient. You'll get there. And just when you think you've done it, the four of you will be shot out of a cannon into the unknown.
BARACK OBAMA: I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America.
....
MICHELLE OBAMA: Your family will make history, breaking barriers and filling out a more complete picture of the American story.
...
MICHELLE OBAMA: It will be easy to think you're something special. Just remember that there are millions of people who grew up like you did and don't get this kind of spotlight.
...
MICHELLE OBAMA: You're more than enough, Mich. You always have been, and you always will be. And I can't wait for you to see that.
KING: Oh, gosh. Because we sure see it, Mrs. Obama. It's so interesting. In Becoming, — just happen to have a copy here on the set. This has sold already three million copies. And on page 66, she writes when she was in high school her counselor told her that "You're not Princeton material." So, for her to do a "Note to Self" starting about going to Princeton and how here life has evolved, there are so many notes out of that. Shot out of a cannon and reflect the light back on to them. She really does live the life of when they go low, we go high. It’s extraordinary.
...
KING: We publish a book based on our Note to Self series, Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People. Thinking if there’s a version two version two, Michelle Obama’s is going to be in that. It's published by Simon and Schuster, which is a division of CBS. We'll be right back.
