12. Michelle Obama
Marian Robinson is Michelle Obama’s mother, but she’s so much more than just a parent to the President’s wife. In Washington, she is referred to as Grandmother-in-Chief or First Grandmother of the United States. These titles may be jocular, but they imply that Mrs. Robinson has more than a significant influence on the First Family. She isn’t there just along for the ride – she’s very much a key part of the Obama entourage.
While Michelle and Barack campaigned in 2008, Robinson was in charge of taking care of her granddaughters Sasha and Malia, and she apparently did one heck of a job. Early in January 2009, they made a decision that it would be best for the entire family if she were to move into the White House with the rest of them. She’s the first live-in grandmother there since Elivera M. Doud.