First lady Michelle Obama turns 50 on Friday, Jan. 17, 2014. Michelle Obama has spent the first half-century of her life breaking barriers and checking off a series of firsts. Now, as she reaches her milestone birthday Friday, the nation will be watching to see in what other areas she will leave her mark. Five years after moving into the White House, and without a re-election campaign to worry about, she has more room to relax in her role and, political watchers say, possibly become more vocal   on political issues in the three years left in office. So far, critics have complained about Michelle's silence on issues where they expected to hear her voice: Last year, at the start of her husband's second term, she disappointed advocates for tighter gun-control measures after she failed to push harder on the issue in response to the massacre   at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. She also disappointed some feminists   who wanted her to defend their causes instead of falling back on her self-described role as the nation's "mom-in-chief." Nor did she handle racial issues during her second term, as some had expected. "The most important thing to remember is, whether you are black, white or Hispanic, you're the first lady and the president of all the people in the United States. That's a huge melting pot, so to reinforce  that she's African American over anything else would not be wise," said Anita McBride, who directs programming and national conferences on the legacies   of America's first ladies and their historical influence at American University. Valerie Jarrett, a top White House adviser and a close friend of the Obamas, said the first lady doesn't want to " _ " "She really wants to have a maximum impact and to do that in fewer areas," Jarrett told the Associated Press. "That, she said, "is better than trying to take on every single possible cause." But Robert Watson, a Lynn University professor, said he expects Obama to "go a little harder at issues" over the next several years. "Second-term first ladies usually feel more at ease to speak more forcefully about issues close to their heart," he said. Myra Gutin, a Ryder University communications professor and frequent lecturer on first ladies, said she expects Obama to continue making both of them a priority in her remaining years in the White House, given their success. Michelle launched the "Let's Move" campaign in 2010. It in particular has gained widespread support, ranging from the National Football League to the Sesame Street franchise  , which even gave permission to the produce industry to use its licensed characters for free on fruits and vegetables. "There's no such thing as a traditional first lady, not anymore in this technology-filled world. Is Mrs. Obama cutting edge? Is she an activist? No. As first ladies go, I think she's been politically careful because she does not want there to be a major flare-up that would require her husband to use his political capital to clean up," she said. "But she's not exactly just sitting in the White House pouring tea and having receptions, either." Critics were disappointed with Michelle because   _  .
she didn't put gun-control measures into effect she failed some feminists to stand out to be a career woman she didn't solve some racial problems she failed to voice her opinion on some issues