Итак, вот политическая карьера Барака Обамы:
Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996 <...>.
<...>
He was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was re-elected again in 2002. In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary race for Illinois's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.
<...>
In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race. He created a campaign committee, began raising funds, and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002. Obama formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.
<...>
In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70% of the vote.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama#Legislative_career
А вот административная карьера Мишель Обамы:
In 1991, she held public sector positions in the Chicago city government as an Assistant to the Mayor, and as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development. In 1993, she became Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies.
<...>
In 1996, Obama served as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago, where she developed the University's Community Service Center. In 2002, she began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals, first as executive director for community affairs and, beginning May 2005, as Vice President for Community and External Affairs.
<...>
According to the couple's 2006 income tax return, her salary was $273,618 from the University of Chicago Hospitals, while her husband had a salary of $157,082 from the United States Senate. The Obamas' total income was $991,296, which included $51,200 she earned as a member of the board of directors of TreeHouse Foods, and investments and royalties from his books.
Obama served as a salaried board member of TreeHouse Foods, Inc., a major Wal-Mart supplier from shortly after her husband was seated in the Senate until she cut ties shortly after her husband announced his candidacy for the presidency <...>. She also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama#Career
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То есть до того момента, как ее муж победил на выборах в сенат штата, Мишель Обама занимала малоосмысленные должности в городских властях Чикаго, причем это были такие позиции, которые не требовали никакой специальной квалификации и не сопровождались никакой особой ответственностью. Но и зарплата там была, думаю, не очень высокая.
Когда она перешла в богатейший чикагский университет на должность "Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago", то было объявлено, что должность эта была создана с нуля - то есть, похоже, специально под нее:
Position will build on volunteerism work begun by students Michelle Obama, executive director of the leadership-training organization Public Allies Chicago, has been named Associate Dean of Student Services and Director of the University Community Service Center. Her appointment will begin in September.
http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/960606/obama.shtml
При этом победа Барака Обамы на выборах в сенат штата к тому моменту была уже гарантирована после того, как его конкуренты на демократических праймериз были отведены судом из-за того, что бОльшая часть подписей, собранных ими, были объявлены недействительными (естественно, все это делалось по инициативе самого Обамы):
In the March 19, 1996 primary election, Obama, running unopposed on the ballot <...>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Senate_elections_of_Barack_Obama#Primary_and_general_elections
Позиция в медицинском центре, судя по всему, тоже была создана специально под нее, так как в объявлении о ее назначении ничего не говорится, как это обычно делается, о том, кто занимал эту позицию раньше и почему перестал занимать:
https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/news/2005/may/michelle-obama-appointed-vice-president-for-community-and-external-affairs-at-the-university-of-chic
После того, как Обама стал президентом, эту позицию просто-напросто закрыли за ненужностью:
The University of Chicago Medical Center late Friday confirmed a massive restructuring that will trim $100 million in expenses, or nearly 7 percent of its annual budget, amid the economic downturn and unpaid bills owed the hospital from the state Medicaid program for the poor.
Initially, the hospital is eliminating 15 senior executive jobs, including vice president for community and external affairs, a position that had been by incoming First Lady Michelle Obama. Her duties will be taken over by Dr. Eric Whitaker, a friend of her husband, President-elect Barack Obama, and a long-time executive vice president for strategic affiliations and external affairs.
https://web.archive.org/web/20090123121633/https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat-uofc-restructuring-jan10,0,5270924.story
