The first lady delivered her speech Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, saying that her husband is just like every other American. “Barack knows the American Dream because he’s lived it,” she said, making sure that the country knows that her husband believes in the same values as the rest of America; hard work, perseverance and optimism.
During her speech, Mrs. Obama touched on the couple’s early times together when money was scarce, saying, they were “so in love, and so in debt.” The speech was a mix between personal anecdotes of the couple and politics.
“Today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are – it reveals who you are,” she said.
Mrs. Obama’s speech talked of a president who understands the struggles that Americans face each day and holds an agenda with them in mind.
“That’s the man I see in those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk, poring over the letters people have sent him,” she said. “I see the concern in his eyes … and I hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, `You won’t believe what these folks are going through, Michelle . it’s not right. We’ve got to keep working to fix this. We’ve got so much more to do. I see how that’s what drives Barack Obama every single day.”
Mrs. Obama discussed the politics of her husband, the health care overhaul, tax cuts for middle income Americans and the bailout of the auto industry. She also touched on the state of the economy, saying that the president “brought our economy back from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again. In the end, for Barack, these issues aren’t political. They’re personal.”
Barack viewed the speech with his daughters at the White House. Earlier in the day, at a rally in Norfolk, he said, “I’m going to try to not let them see their daddy cry because when Michelle starts talking, I start getting all misty.”
Mrs. Obama is schedule to introduce the president on Thursday when he accepts the Democratic nomination for president in front of 74,000 people. The couple’s daughters will also be in attendance and on stage for the president’s nomination acceptance. According to the latest poll from the Associated Press, Mrs. Obama earns the highest popularity ratings out of all the figures in this race. She has higher ratings than her husband, than Mitt or Ann Romney and all vice president candidates.
