Of course, because those jobs required actual work.
Via Washington Examiner:
In Gainesville, Fla., First Lady Michelle Obama told voters yesterday that she was proud of her husband for rejecting a job in the private sector and choosing instead to help others.
Explaining that the president was “charming, talented and very wicked smart,” Michelle added that she fell in love with him because of his character.
“See, I loved that Barack was so committed to serving others that he turned down high-paying jobs, and instead started his career fighting to get folks back to work in struggling communities,” she said to applause from the crowd, “I respected that.”