Aug 25 2008
The Overly Dramatic Michelle Obama Speech
OK, give Michelle a big D- for her speech tonight. First off, she went way too quickly to the dead father analogy. I grieve for her and her family for the loss of a wonderful father (I can tell, she is a very successful woman). But don’t shove that down my throat as a reason to vote for Obama – he had nothing to do with any of it.
Second, the horror stories she recounted came out of a bad B-Movie script. Yes, people are struggling, many because of personal decisions that led them down the wrong path. Every child in this country HAS access to a world class education. That is how we ended up with Justice Thomas, Secretaries Rice and Powell, Lt. Governor Steele. It is not the lack of opportunity that hampers Americans, it is poor personal choices which cripples those opportunities.
And I had to laugh out loud when she wanted to claim we need to follow our “dreams”, not our fears. Bin Laden and al-Qaeda are not fantasies liberals – they are real. 3,000 funerals might have clued you folks in. Pretending we can ignore the threat – that is not dreaming that is delusion. Don’t give me the I can have “my dreams” spiel. They include turning back time and cheating death. You going to promise me that for my vote?
Here is the mistake in Michelle’s speech, besides all the sappy melodrama – it meant nothing to the American voter. Michelle is an admirable American women. Half the country is. Every mom out there is as valued and as much the heroine as Michelle. The mistake was assuming Michelle is the victim of unfair bias and prejudice, when in fact she has shown nothing of any special merit that makes her any more compelling than the women on my street.
This speech was a huge tactical mistake. Every husband and wife in the country has similar, if not more riveting, life stories. Michelle never had to prove she was an American woman, mother, wife and professional. All that was a given. But the liberal left assume to find her wanting must come from hate and fear and prejudice, when in the end it simply could be she is not overwhelming and Barack is the reason Americans vote.
It was a bad speech, off focus and without any real meat. It was a B Movie script acted out by a B Movie actress. It was not very persuasive to those who need to be persuaded.
You’ve lost it if you thought Michelle Obama wasn’t amazing. We were impressed by her hardworking middle-class upbringing. You elitist Republican types will never understand what most of us go through to making a living, get an education, and raise a family. Quit looking down your nose and realize that the only thing that Cindy McCain can bring to the Republican Convention is tips on how to find the best diamonds, where to shop in NYC.
Oh, man – seriously, AJ, why don’t you just publish your posts for the rest of the week today, and save yourself the trouble?
Michelle was “overly dramatic” – I think my only surprise is that you didn’t find something to quote in order to prove that she’s “Marxist” or “anti-American”.
Tomorrow, you’ll find something in Clinton’s speech to harp on the “divide” in the Democratic party.
Wednesday, Joe Biden will say something that was too nice to McCain, or you’ll just keep running comments from him from 3-5 years ago that said something nice about McCain.
And then Thursday, Obama will show all of his inexperience, and will make some kind of “gaffe”, but he’s nothing but “pretty speeches” anyway.
That about cover it? Good – you can take the rest of the week off.
We get it – you don’t like Democrats. Anything new?
sasmith:
Michelle Obama makes $376,000 a year. That is about ten times what I make. She sends her kids to private schools. There is nothing wrong with that but she is not suffering. And the idea that Republicans are all rich or something is absurd.
We have people like Al Gore flying around in private jets yammering about global warming. Millionares and billionares throwing fundraisers for Barack Obama.
Barack Obama has a brother in Africa living in a hut in poverty, but he thinks the rest of us are not generous enough.
Please, spare me the hypocricy.
Cindy McCain actually adopted a sick child and raised her. She has done more charity and outreach work for poor and destitute children throughout the world than a whole room of Michelle Obamas.
breschau:
And next week the Democrats will all be saying nice things about Cindy McCain, right?
The Democrats worry about poor people, but does that millionare Nancy Pelosi with her 9% approval rating care what it costs me to drive to work these days? Hell no, they will just try to blame everything on Bush and play the victim. Blame others, play the victim. that is what they always do.
When the Democrats took Congress over in 2006 the unemployment rate was lower, the price of gas was lower, the inflation rate was lower and the deficit was lower. And yet somehow someway all these problems have nothing to do with them.
I can’t give an opinion on Missy Obama’s speech. There’s no way in hell I would watch a Marxist tell us why she’s not proud of America but one time in her life. and there is not a need to publish any quote of her’s to prove she’s Marxist, she’s said it too many times.
sasman:
You elitist Republican types will never understand what most of us go through to making a living, get an education, and raise a family.
well sunshine, you wanta know what unlucky is, check with breschau, he didn’t know enough about writing contracts or getting hucksters like John Edwards to review his contract so that some shyster like Rezko took advantage of him and probably donated it to a democrat running for office. Shoulda gone to a school in the US (instead of Scotland) we learn better here. Not all of us Republicans were born with a silver spoon, we just learned better.
note to bresch: remember to ignore this.
It appeared to me that the Obamas and the Democrats think that because the Obamas are black, Americans can’t relate to them. So they had to paint a picture of normal, every day people, that the average American would vote for. These average Americans who are married, have children and by the way, earn millions, went to Ivy league schools, live in a mansion and do community service work, because it’s good for the soul.
I’m sure that some Americans look at the Obamas and see their blackness and won’t vote for him. I’m not sure that what she had to say tonight changed anything. For those of us who don’t care what color you are, but how you will govern, the speech said what we already know. Obama is running for President of the United States, he is married and has two children. OK, now what?
By the way sasmith, I under very well what the average person does to raise a family, make a living, and send children to school. You forget sasmith that 97% of Americans are the hard working that deserve middle class tax breaks.
And sasmith, your snarky remark about Cindy McCain is uncalled for. I think that Obama must have you in mind when he talks about changing the snipping in the political discourse.
I thought the speech was dull, dripping with self-platitudes — about half way through, I went out to the kitchen to do the dishes (no we don’t have help around the house). Sure, we all feel sorry for her Dad’s M.S., but as others have said, what does that have to do with Obama?
Everyone in my home agreed — Obama lost the election the second he passed on Hillary as his VP choice. It doesn’t really matter what Michelle says or doesn’t say, unless of course a bad video comes out with her spewing hate.
My Dad died of colon cancer and my mother went blind and had a stroke. Everyone has problems. That is life.
at this link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080825/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_democrats_faith
I read this story: the head line is:
Democrats open faith-filled convention with prayer
and the first paragraph is:
At the first official event Sunday of the Democratic National Convention, a choir belted out a gospel song and was followed by a rabbi reciting a Torah reading about forgiveness and the future.
Helen Prejean, the Catholic nun who wrote “Dead Man Walking,” assailed the death penalty and the use of torture.
Young Muslim women in headscarves sat near older African-American women in their finest Sunday hats.
Further down is this:
One reason religion is playing such a prominent role at this week’s convention is that Obama has made faith outreach prominent in his campaign.
“People of faith are being engaged in the convention in a new and robust way ,and it’s because of Senator Obama’s acknowledgment that people of faith and values have an important place in American public life,”
further along it says:
Despite all the effort, there is little evidence religious votes are shifting. A Pew poll released last week showed the political preferences of religious voters, including highly sought Catholics and white evangelicals, have scarcely budged since 2004.
Isn’t that rich, a rabbi reading the Torah to young Muslim girls in headscarves.
NOWHERE does the whole story mention that anyone said a prayer (as the headline says).
Why are Dems playing at religion(something they know nothing about) this year? do they think blowing smoke is gonna produce results? Here is a man, the leader of a party, that personally advocates infanticide, trying to create an impression that he is religious. Maybe he’s trying to make the missus proud of America for the SECOND time in her life
note to bresch: remember to ignore this.
“Despite all the effort, there is little evidence religious votes are shifting.”
The fact that they think it should shows how little they know of real religious voters. Their contempt for what they call “religious voters” (Hint to the clueless – it’s about FAITH, not “religion”) is what makes them think we are people who will fall for some trumped up dog and pony show. Does he think we can’t recognize the real thing from a fraud?
Worst of all (for the dems) is that their bad attempt to pay lip service to religion makes people who’s faith is important to them KNOW to have nothing to do with them. We’ve all seen the pitch from the conman who wears religion on his sleeve and is pretending to be doing “god’s work”; this lame attempt puts Obama and the Dem’s right on his level.
Of course, there are always the C&E people who are in it just to be socially acceptable and who don’t have any real beliefs – they’ll think this is just great, as long as it makes them look good to the “right” kind of people. Fortunately they’re always a pretty distinct minority, overall.
“These average Americans who are married, have children and by the way, earn millions, went to Ivy league schools, live in a mansion and do community service work, because it’s good for the soul.”
Hmm. I’m trying to figure out which part of that description puts the Obamas in a bad light.
First off – “earn millions” – please tell me the last non-wealthy person who managed to get elected President of the United States. It’s become a requisite, sadly.
Second – what is wrong with “Ivy league schools”? You are aware that the current President graduated from Yale, right? Is there something wrong with him because of that?
Third – “live in a mansion” – is this better or worse than living in 7 mansions?
Fourth – “and do community service work”. Umm… ok. That actually sounds like a nice thing, doesn’t it?
But hey – thanks for improving the impression of the Obamas around here! I appreciate it.
“And next week the Democrats will all be saying nice things about Cindy McCain, right?”
I wouldn’t expect it, no – but will she still be in Georgia, counting civilian casualties?
As soon as Cindy McCain gives the GOP keynote speech, you get back to me, okay?
Bresch, why would we WANT Cindy to give the GOP keynote speech? Is she running for office?
Michelle and o are NOT who they say they are. You know I am right.
I really liked Mrs. Obama’s speech. Then, as usual I started on substance. oops. Not much… lots of usual platitudes and Powerline nails it.
” Michelle Obama is an accomplished woman. She graduated from Princeton and from Harvard Law School. She became a member of the bar and practiced law at a top Chicago law firm. After that, she took on a prominent role as a lawyer for a major hospital.
Yet last night, at least according to the transcript of her speech, she mentioned none of these accomplishments. Instead, her speech portrayed her as the daughter of her “rock” of a father, the sister of the estimable Craig Robinson, the wife of Barack, and the mother of small, cute daughters.
It was a pre-feminist speech.
For the Obamas, the need to impress voters with Michelle’s “ordinariness” (a counter-intuitive notion) clearly trumped the need to adhere to the feminist narrative so dear to the heart of Hillary Clinton’s core supporters.”
btw, his two daughters are cuter than cute…. and smart… I think he should showcase them at every opportunity…