| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Politix |
| Magic Words: 'I LOVE THIS COUNTRY' |
| 2008-08-27 |
| 'I love this country": Those are the magic words that Michelle Obama said at the Democratic National Convention last night. They're the words we've wanted to hear from her ever since we saw her say that she was proud of her country "for the first time in my adult life" now that her husband was winning primaries en route to the White House. Did she buy into the American dream? Was she part of our national aspiration - or part of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's twisted view of us? Those were the questions we wanted answered. Last night, she answered - loud and clear. We've watched the scripted familial intimacies Hillary Clinton always shares from the podium and wondered if they had been focus grouped. We've watched Theresa Heinz Kerry's vaulting ambition at the 2004 Democratic convention and wondered if she was really human. But this year we saw an eloquent, sincere woman speaking of her dreams and aspirations. She gave a speech that sounded real with anecdotes that seemed genuine. Michelle Obama last night became a political plus, not a problem. We worried that Barack was an elitist. But her speech made it clear that she wasn't born as part of the elite and that he wasn't either. Her genuine working-class stories transcended race and rang true with Americans. By bringing her husband down to earth, Michelle reassured us. But when she began reeling off the stories, we couldn't help wondering if it wasn't too much. OK, we found ourselves saying, You didn't grow up as elitists. You can reach back for the stories and the memories. But what about now? What about the future? You started off poor, but have you gone Ivy League on us? Listening to her, we couldn't help feeling that we've heard it all before from Barack Obama himself. Couldn't help wondering if there was more than just the rhetoric and the emotion, no matter how sincerely and obviously felt. Michelle, essentially, gave Barack's standard speech for him. Now it's up to Barack to put meat on the skeleton and flesh out his agenda - to go beyond her words and emotions and give us programs, concrete ideas and commitments. The generalities have worked before but, to quote Sen. Obama, "not this time." |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #17 Since I haven't really watched political conventions since 1980 (when I threw up a little because Fritz Mondale claimed that Jimmy Carter had enhanced the defense of the US), I am not sure when this trend of having the candidates' wives speak at the convention started. Or is is just a Democrat thing? "Look, even his wife loves him! Surely you must vote for him." |
| Posted by: Rambler in California 2008-08-27 20:42 |
| #16 So how long is Michelle's nose now? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-08-27 20:40 |
| #15 Love and pride are two very different emotions. Mrs. Obama, esq. isn't running for office, any more than Hillary Rodham Clinton was back in the '90s when she wasn't baking chocolate chip cookies. I really don't understand why the wives must make speeches at the convention, when nobody really cares what they think -- outside their personal circle, anyway. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-08-27 19:35 |
| #14 Maybe she can explain how she got 200-300% pay increase when her husband became a Senator -- without using the letters B, R, I, B, or E. I never could understand how that didn't raise a lot of red flags. As my mom used to say. Actions speak louder than words. Last night was words. Her, and her husband's close ties with the likes a Ayers and Rev. Wright and Renko are actions. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2008-08-27 16:04 |
| #13 I've heard those words before from someone who was not born here. Seriously, did anyone except anything other than this? She did have 2 months to practice. And poor folk don't know what arugula is. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-08-27 15:15 |
| #12 Let's wait and see if they let her off leash or keep her in the kennel for the rest of the campaign. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-08-27 13:54 |
| #11 How can you say Dick MOrris is usually wrong? I mean Condi Rice is the only one that can beet the Hillary Juggernaut in this election and you all know it! /snark |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-08-27 13:52 |
| #10 Obama is running on personality because he has no record and There, fixed it for ya. |
| Posted by: no mo uro 2008-08-27 10:48 |
| #9 I don't think this won or lost any votes. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-08-27 10:42 |
| #8 It appears Dick Morris is easily swayed. And usually...wrong. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-08-27 09:33 |
| #7 Biden has about 35 years of experience on the Hill. With The One's experience, they'll have a combined experience level of 36 years. Pretty good I'd say. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-08-27 08:41 |
| #6 Look, she had a job to do and she did it well. Obama is running on personality because he has no record and has no agenda that he can articulate clearly. She had to establish that he is a regular guy so blue collars can imagine that they can relate to him. Hard to pull off because in so many ways it's simply not true. James Carville, one of my favorite people to detest, was disgusted that she didn't talk politics. But if she had, she would have lost him votes. Noone should vote for Democrats to govern us until they learn to govern themselves. This whole process of picking a Democratic presidental candidate has been an incredible frenzied insanity. And the beat goes on. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2008-08-27 08:11 |
| #5 We worried that Barack was an elitist. But her speech made it clear that she wasn't born as part of the elite and that he wasn't either. Snobs are born. Elitists make themselves, and despise those who, for what ever reason, did not. The Obamas are elitists, not snobs. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-08-27 08:01 |
| #4 'I love this country' Talk is cheap. Did you take time to go outside the convention and confront the Ayers Brigade wannabees with that message? aka Sister Souljah momement time. Or are you avoiding such out of 'professional' courtesy. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-08-27 07:50 |
| #3 Cleanup in Aisle 3! |
| Posted by: Bobby 2008-08-27 06:05 |
| #2 Who'd do such a thing? No politician I ever heard of! (sarc) |
| Posted by: JitterBug 2008-08-27 01:15 |
| #1 And she wouldn't lie to us, just to move into the White House, now would she? |
| Posted by: Grunter 2008-08-27 00:28 |