Michelle Obama to Fight "Distortions" in Her Convention Speech
On "family day" at the Democratic National Convention, we visited with two longtime pals of Sen. Barack Obama and his wife Michelle and learned two things: Michelle is sick and tired of all the stuff the blogs are writing about her and plans to push back in her address to the convention tonight and the campaign always expected to be even with Sen. John McCain in the polls going into the four-day party here in Denver.
First Michelle: After taking it on the chin for months for allegedly being unpatriotic or worse, she will use her speech tonight to present her own story. At a breakfast with Obama pals and advisers, 17-year friend Valerie Jarrett said that Michelle will have her first chance to tell her family's story and address some of the Internet tales about her as well as some of her own words that have been viewed negatively. Jarrett said that many stories about her friend are "a complete distortion" of who Michelle is and she's eager to take them on. But mostly her speech will "give some shape to what moves them individually and as a couple." Obama is expected to first talk about her Chicago upbringing and how she has raised her own family while also being a working mom. Then she will turn to her husband's upbringing as the son of a single mom and how that shaped who he has become, at least as a dad. Jarrett, for example, said that Michelle is likely to talk about how her husband's dad fled their family when he was two and how Barack Obama has pledged to be a "better father" than his dad was.
Next, the polls: With Jarrett at breakfast was Sen. Dick Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois. He claimed that the Obama campaign fully expected the polls to even after Obama's recent trip to the Middle East and Europe and they expectedly fell further when the senator took a vacation this month. He added that the Russian invasion of Georgia helped McCain move above Obama in some polls, presumably because McCain took a very hard and public line against Moscow. But he said that the polls are irrelevant until the conventions are over and the public starts paying attention to the race. Durbin's is an interesting take on the drop in Obama's polling because before the Democrat went overseas, the campaign fully expected a bump in the polls. It never came. Still, Durbin sounds confident that the campaign can turn it around here in Denver.
Tags: Denver | Democrats | Barack Obama | Richard Durbin | Michelle Obama
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Reader Comments
Your Word
My parents taught me that you are as good as your word.
Its a good thing we have videos so we can actually see a person
say whats on their mind. Sometimes people quote things out of context to make a person look bad. With videos, you can hear and see an entire speech which squelches the fact that something was taken out of context. I hope everyone will do a search on Michelle Obama's speeches. There are plenty on youtube. You can decide if she said the words or not and you can see if its her that said it. The videos shown on tv don't count because they are scripted to make the candidtate look perfect.
A shame
It is a shame that America claims to be past prejudice but as soon as a black man, (who has pretty much won the presidency mind you) comes along, the long way that America says we have come as far as prejudice and equality is just a lie, it is showing it's ugly head more than ever. I knew it was just a covered up kind of prejudice, full of biases and stereotypes. I see it everyday. There is nothing that black americans can do to change the minds of people who already have set way of seeing an entire race of people, not our education, not our promotions, not even the presidency which is the highest honor to date, as far as man is concerned won't change anyone's mind. Don't be so critical and judgemental because none of us are perfect and hello you aren't either. Learn to like it because Obama will be president and he will do a great job with God's help.
Sincerely,
Carmilia
Alana of CA
You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not
all the people all of the time.
The speech by Michelle portrayed just the right elements....portrayal of an average joe family(the Obamas) who worked hard to get where they are now, love of this country, love of their children,down to showing their affection to one another at the end of the speech.
According to the polls this morning the speech didnt have a
positive affect on Americans. Could it be the speech wasnt
from the heart. You can't turn around a negative affect that one person(Michelle) has on another person if prior speeches of hers reflect a chip on her shoulder, calling America a mean country, and saying she hasnt been proud of her country till now. Does she really think people are that ignorant that they will buy into her portrayal of them as a normal American family? She must think most people are bobble heads that will accept what she says. With the world being as cynical as it is, she must have an elevated opinion of herself thinking no one should critize anything she or her husband have to say while also accepting anything they say.
Excuse me...only dictatorships think that way.
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