DNC Diary: Michelle, Michelle, Michelle
Michelle's speech was a home run. Emotional, heartfelt, and very authentic. On a night where Ted Kennedy passed the Democratic Party's moral baton, Michelle picked it up and ran with it -- evoking RFK's famous evocation of George Bernard Shaw ("Some men see things as they are...") by talking about the world as it is vs the world as it should be. The cutest, laden with meta-meaning line of the night, however, came from Michelle's brother who revealed that even though, as children, they were only allowed to watch one hour of television a night Michelle had still managed to memorize every episode of that iconic rendering of American family life, The Brady Bunch. Lucky for Team Obama that the show she memorized wasn't Gilligan's Island or Green Acres. Michelle, Michelle, Michelle...
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Ariana...M
There are two Americas. One America is currently losing in this economy. Highest Unemployment, High energy costs, High Foreclosure rates, Record a Deficit. America is mean. We should not have veterans receiving substandard medical attention when our President doesn't.
As for your comment about Ms. Obama's speech, no Michelle has never been angry. That is an often used term when people choose to use dog whistles for passionate. I have been following the campaign very closely, and I have NEVER seen Ms. Obama angry. Your history of comments seem to reek with this language.
If I were here I'd also be angry that I had to face the type of contempt and derision that you've penned in your screed.
What tree did you climb out of..I have heard her say many of these things many times in the Primary. And well, I am wondering if you have ever had to go to the bathroom in a colored only
place or drink out of colored only water fountain, or ride on the back of a bus because you
are not white, or not be served in a place that does not allowed color people, or have to go
to a separate but UNEQUAL school. When you have done these things then you can talk
to me about the meaning of two Americas. I love my country too, and I am a 66 year old white
woman who was sadden and horrified as a young matron moving to the South to follow my husband who was in the Army and to find out that members of our military that were going to
VietNam to fight for you and this nation had to follow these other American rules. So why don't you get a life.
You're the one who needs to be rehabilitated. Michelle spoke from her heart last night, but you wouldn't know anything about that.
As someone who saw Michelle live on the stump, I can tell you that she was as eloquent and warm on the stump as she was at the convention. She was never the racist caricature that the Right has tried to portray her as. This is the genuine Michelle, as she always has been. I guarantee that you will not find a single person who knows Michelle well that describes her as angry. It's just another racist lie from the Republicans.
I certainly hope someone quizzes her knowledge of the Brady Bunch episodes to validate the claim. We Bradyites take false claims of knowledge very seriously. To us, false claims are just as serious as not knowing how many houses your wife owns. The validation needs to be of adequate depth and scope; we can't let Michelle off with just a question about the "pork chops and applesauce episode" or the "volcano in the driveway episode" - we need to get serious and have Michelle discuss the evolution of the perm in the Brady men household - who had one when.
Finally! Someone who understands what the REAL issues are in this election!
I think Bill and Hillary will overshadow anything Barack or Michelle do.
Only if they try to subtly attack the Obama campaign in the Clinton's selfish quest to get to the White House for another 8 years. Hey, one President in a family is enough for a lifetime. I wonder when Chelsea will start her campaign?
Can anyone even imagine Cindy McCain giving such a speech at the RNC!? Michelle Obama rocks.
In Cindy McCain's case, actions speak louder than words. She's been a long-time volunteer ambassador to the poor and the disenfranchised.
And she stole drugs from one of her own non-profits. The good, the bad and the ugly.
She's worth 100 million. I would hope so, rich people get bored.
and she stole drugs from the charity she was supposed to be overseeing. What a gal.
She even lied on Mother Teresa. How do you lie on a Saint? She has a half sister that lives in Phoenix that she cut off the moment her father died. She cheated with a married man. Yeah her actions speak louder, nothing she can do can make of for the lies and deceit that she creates.
And Michelle---who did not have a family fortune to fall back on, and whose hard earned credentials could have helped her earn wealth---decided to work for a nonprofit because she thought it was the right thing to do.
to buckbuck11 -
"Usually reliable voices on msnbc" - are you kidding me??
Chris Matthews said "Look at these kids. I think that's part of the story. They have not exploited those kids at all but it's nice to see them all together once" - but the truth is they put those girls on 'Access Hollywood' then claimed it was a 'mistake' to do so. you don't make that kind of mistake with your children.
Keith Olbermann said "To try to erase doubts that now seem difficult to voice aloud because they seem almost foolish." - wait a minute - are you saying that the fact that she said "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country" doesn't matter? Are you telling me, Olbermann, that I'm a fool for taking Michelle Obama at her word?
Then Olbermann went on to say this was not a 'modeling' or 'salesmanship' speech - I'm sorry, but the truth is that this convention, just like any other political convention, is about selling. Michelle Obama was selling, but unfortunately for her and the DNC she was having to sell herself as 'not angry' because there's a lot of the country, including independents and undecided voters, who wonder exactly what she and her husband are really all about, and her first impression wasn't such a good one.
Olbermann went on to say "I know I'm beginning to sound borderline sickophantic of this".
Yes, Keith, you are.
Hmmm. Your Republican roots are showing.
I rather agreed with her about being really proud of my country for the first time in my adult life. After basically 40 years of Republican rule proud moments have been few, and far in between. You're not a fool for taking her at her word. You are a fool for taking in the Republican spin rather than using your mind to form your own opinion.
I have thought highly of Michele Obama from the first time I heard her speak. I think she has done a fine sales job.
And finally, I know exactly what she and her husband are all about. One just needs a couple tools to accomplish that; a computer, Obama's website address and the ability to read. It's somewhat helpful to be able to think for yourself as well.
I think it's too bad you see things that way. We are all entitled to our own opinion, of course, but I think there have been plenty of things happen in my lifetime (41 years) to be proud of, under both Democrat and Republican Presidencies.
We allow more people from around the world an opportunity of freedom than any other country. We ended the cold war. We freed the Iraqi people from tyranny. We stopped Iraq from invading Kuwait. We stopped ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.
We have done more for poverty, malaria, and AIDS in Africa than any other country in the world. We gave more in government funds and private donations to the victims of the tsunami than any other country - by number and per capita.
We have the best healthcare system in the world. Granted our system is not perfect, but I'd rather have our system than wait in an ambulance outside an emergency room, like what happens in socialized nations like England and Canada. (Canadians come here when they need surgery or higher quality care)
Anyone who has the desire and determination - regardless of skin color, financial background, or any other factor - can live a good life in this country. The same can not be said in many other countries. Our freedoms are unprecedented, and for that I am always proud of my country.
"...becaus
Keep reciting GOP talking points, maybe you and Elizabeth Hasselbeck can have a discussion about how "scary" the Obamas are.
I thought it was the best speech by a possible first lady or first lady for that matter, that I had ever seen. It's too bad, that most of the pundits were dissecting it and criticizing her ad nauseum. I think if she were not African American they would have given her the credit she deserves. It is sad that we can't see the greatness of our country in this speech as most of the critics are either jealous, jaded, or just plain prejudiced.
Michelle was spectacular. Nobody could have done better. Anybody who's not impressed just doesn't want to be.
Oh, I was impressed. Impressed that Michelle Obama is at least as big a liar as her husband. Clearly, from her past statements, she is an angry, controlling, ungrateful woman who shares every left-wing prejudice against the United States of America; even in her dissembling last night, she basically restated her view that the only reason she's now 'proud' of her country is that Barack is a candidate for President. Brady Bunch my posterior!
Bonsage - I'm tired of hearing people make broad, generalized statements that they don't back up with facts. What are these lies Obama is supposed to have told? What are these "left-wing prejudices" you're going on about? And what do you mean by "dissembling"? I thought there was something in the Bible about not bearing false witness...
What's wrong with Gilligan's Island?!?
There were a lot of valuable lessons taught on the Island. For example, in a first-season episode entitled President Gilligan, the islanders decide that they need a leader and hold elections. What could be more American than that?
And who can forget the second season episode titled, Nyet, Nyet, Not Yet, when two cosmonauts land on the Island and the Castaways expose the Russians to their own special brand of international diplomacy. If that won't help prepare someone to be President of the United States, what will?
There are many more examples, but the best is possibly a third season episode called The Invasion, where Gilligan and the Skipper retrieve a briefcase from the lagoon that has Property of U.S. Government stamped on it, and their patriotism gets tested. Those are times that try mens souls.
Don't get me wrong, I like the Bradys as well as any other kid of the 70's, but having the hots for Jan didn't prepare me to be President, any more than having the hots for Peter prepared Michelle Obama to be First Lady.
Well yeah, I watched the whole show and Michelle and the kids and Barrack and Joe and his family....
Karl Rove wasn't satisfied. Karl Rove is using too much of my air.
Karl Rove is using too much of everyones air.
I watched Michelle Obama last night with a full range of emotions--pride, joy, admiration, hope, and wonderment at the history that was unfolding before my eyes.
Like Michelle, I was born in 1964. I too grew up in a working class African American family memorizing Brady Bunch episodes, working hard in school and graduating near the top of my class. I was the first in my family to go to college, and I remember sitting in my dorm room with my friends—all “firsts” like me—watching the “Cosby” show and dreaming that, one day, we’d live a life like that. We dreamed of being professional women, married to handsome professional men, living in beautiful homes on tree lined streets, where our children would play.
And as I watched Michelle from my beautiful home, on a tree lined street where my three children and husband were quietly sleeping, I could not control the tears.
Michelle’s story is my story. It’s the story of countless black women who worked hard, did what we were supposed to do and attained a dream that our parents and grand parents couldn’t have imagined.
I'm proud today. Proud of how far we’ve come individually; proud of how far we’ve come as African Americans; and proud of how far we’ve come as a country.
Somewhere last night a group of young African American women were sitting around a college dorm room watching Michelle Obama and who today, are dreaming a bigger dream than we dreamed.
My wife and I have a similar story---she born in 64, me born on the Southside of Chicago in 66. We were also marveling at the speech and were grateful that, like your family and the Obamas, we've are able to live a life similar to the Huxtables. We live in amazing times don't we? Who would have believed this even 10 years ago? Bravo on your moving post!
So beautifully said. God bless you and your family.
First Michelle and now you made me cry. Thanks :)
First M O and now you made me weep. Thanks:)
Your story made me cry. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with Arianna that Michelle's speech was heart-felt and genuine, with the exception of the statement about Hillary Clinton. In the context of the speech just prior to it, the statement seemed like it was forced in with a crowbar.
The worst nightmare of the Obamavention will be if Hillary has better ratings than Michelle
No,not a nightmare, just a reality. Of COURSE she'll get better ratings! Americans love nothing better than a good fight. The networks know this. That's why they'll continue to give loads more airtime to the Hillary holdouts than their numbers actually warrant -- it's all about creating phony cliffhangers to keep you tuned in. Cha-ching, cha-ching.
Just keep stoking those fires of division. Yuck.
It's not a race. Senator Clinton will of course get higher ratings, she was after all a close contender for the nomination. If she didn't get higher ratings, that would be worthy of comment.
I hear the sound of "taking pride in ignorance.
What I'll give Michelle credit for is having more executive experience than her husband, although there is that questionable hospital contract she awarded to Blackwell. While Michelle proved she can read a teleprompter as well as her spouse, neither her speech nor her delivery were genuine; she gave a "designer speech," carefully crafted to combat the negative comments that she's made on the campaign trail.
How many times do I have to read the same old inane teleprompter comments? It's really getting old. Have you ever even given a lengthy speech? The teleprompter is the modern day cue card and EVERYONE uses them unless they want to have a 'blank' moment, which is what happens if you try to completely memorize every word of a lengthy oratorical address. Everyone uses them! It's time to move on please and stop repeating talking points you may have heard as insults from people who have no comprehension of the effort required in public speaking.
Let me see you get up there and do that een with prompters.
another person taking pride in being ignorant.
RATINGS FLASH: 10 PM ET/CONVENTION COVERAGE
NBC 4.85 MILLION
ABC 3.78 MILLION
CBS 3.52 MILLION
[8 PM NBC 'DEAL OR NO DEAL' 10.95 MILLION]
So what!
The RNC viewership will probably be in the 1000s.
how many watched c-span or pbs? lots, i'll bet.
wasn't michelle's speech terrific? i loved it.
I watched CSPAN. Far better than the cable networks who won't let their viewers figure out for themselves what the Democrats are saying. The worst part is having the Republican counterpoint which is even more stupid. Of course they will try and put a negative spin on everything. Best to watch the convention unfiltered. Your stats on who watches what sort of reinforces Bill Maher's contention that because Americans are so dumb we get the dumb leaders we deserve. Ignorant is closer to the mark. They want their knowledge spoon fed to them in little bitty sound bytes or better yet negative ads.
I watched CSPAN because the corporate cable channels had the power to decide who's speech you heard in its entirety. C-Spanners just set the camera up and go home, lol. Alright, they did have some commentary at the END of the convention.
Where are the cable channels, One TV, BET, CNN, MSNBC. Viewership combined was not included in that assessment.
Democrats don't have a moral baton to pass - that's the point. And that's one of the main reasons they will lose come November..
Oh...liste
That's the spirit! Claim moral superiority. This from the Grand old Party that's brought us Larry Craig, Newt Gingrich (personification of the word hypocracy), Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff..
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