Michelle Obama Addresses the Democratic National Convention Tonight
Monday August 25, 2008
Tonight just might be the biggest night of Michelle Obama's life.
She's front and center at the Democratic National Convention tonight, giving a prime-time speech that will be seen and heard by millions. Tonight is her best chance to make a vivid and lasting impression, free from the fingerprints of media handlers or the inane interview questions of too-cute talk show hosts. Tonight Michelle gets to paint a picture in words and images, describing who she is, where she comes from, what her family values are about, and why Team Obama is worthy of your vote.
As the Seattle Times notes in today's online edition:
What Michelle Obama says and how she presents herself to the conventioneers in Denver and a national television audience could affect the presidential campaign. Americans don't vote for first ladies, presidential historians and first-lady scholars say, but how a candidate's spouse or family is viewed can reinforce positive or negative feelings in voters' minds. Jacqueline Kennedy, for example, buttressed her husband's image as the youthful leader of a new generation of American politicians.For this generation, Michelle stands as an example of what future First Ladies (or First Spouses) could be - substantive individuals with their own varied careers and accomplishments, rather than pieces of attractive arm candy. Tonight is her night - not to shine in reflected glory like presidential bling, but to blaze a new trail into the future as she makes history for all of us.
Related article: Profile of Michelle Obama
Comments
Thanks, Linda! Visiting from Twitter and will start following your womens issues twits…
Well, I am not sure how I really feel. I did Not listen to the full speech just tid bits from the news. She seemed to present nicey nice comments. Just can’t seem to put my finger on it.
I just have a hard time even looking at her. It ppears that she is trying to present a softer side, however, it just is NOT genuine. She still presents as an angry Black woman. This causes me to be apprehensive toward her. I guess I just do not trust her anymore than I trust obama. That’s it for now.
Michelle is a good speaker, but the content of her speech seemed very scripted, and probably written by a crack team of speech writers. I’m sure she rehearsed it for several days. The speech said all the right things, but was hardly recognizable from her unscripted words spoken over several years … like “America is a mean country’ … ‘In my adult life, I’ve never been proud to be an American until now” … and does not reflect her many years as the follower of Jeremiah Wright’s black liberation philosophy … which she also exposed her young daughters to for several years … hardly the typical American family that they’re now trying to package and sell to the Amerian people. Michele’s speech more accurately resembles an expedient attempt at damage control by way of an immediate severe, and not very believable magical massive makeover. Furthermore, Barack and Teddy, who would like you to believe they are above reproach, have been elevated to sacred cow status. Sorry about Ted Kennedy’s illness, but Mary Joe Kopechne’s life was snuffed out at age 29 … so, you might want to revisit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jo_Kopechne