By Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor

Okay, I have to say I think Marisa is way too hard on Mara Gay here. One of the questions in a contest like this is whether someone who writes a first good entry can do more -- is there a second act? And I think this column shows that for Gay, there definitely is -- and I'd guess a third and fourth act, too, if she gets the chance.

What's good about this column? It's got a great opening sentence, for one thing. With that little twist on a cliche, we know whom Mara is talking about and the theme of her oped, and we want to know more. We know also that she's going to be critical of, or at least disappointed in, Michelle Obama so far -- but the first two words ("For now") suggest this isn't going to be a screed.

Then, I think Gay does a good job in the rest of the column of marrying the political to the personal. Her description of her evolving feelings about Clinton and Palin, and her continuing hopes for Michelle Obama, give the reader a good understanding of the complexities of this subject in the 21st century -- and help us feel like we're beginning to know Mara.

My biggest complaint is that she goes on too long. If I'd been her editor, I would have suggested ending the piece right here:

I hope she's right. In the meantime, American women of my generation are left to question why "mom in chief" is the most celebrated role for women in American politics.

In column writing, coming up with the right last sentence can be almost as hard as writing the first.