Michelle Obama Steals the Show!

(Charlotte, North Carolina)

 

I have written about political spouses before and how sometimes they are so dynamic that they steal the limelight from the candidate. Elizabeth Edwards could upstage husband John; Bill Clinton still has so much star power in some circles, that Hillary gets dwarfed; and first lady Betty Ford often made more headlines than President Gerald.

 

Why this is? I don't know! My friend Doug Sovern from San Francisco's KCBS radio and I were pondering this tonight after we watched Michelle Obama simply blow the doors off a campaign event in Charlotte that was not attended by her husband. I wondered whether candidates' spouses are simply more liberated because they can say pretty much anything they want without repercussion. Maybe that's it, we agreed. Who knows?

 

To say Michelle Obama was spectacular would be an understatement. I had never heard her speak in public before, and - quite honestly - I was blown away. So was the crowd, and this event had a pretty full marquee. Former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt and longtime civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery spoke before Mrs. Obama. Gantt (shown here on the right) talked about Obama's ability to be a unifier, appealing to a lot of people: "Black, white, young, old, rich and poor and bring them together to solve our problems."

He received the loudest applause when he said, "We need to send someone to Washington who is not beholden to the special interests." The crowd went wild!

 

Rev. Lowery (seated on the left) said Obama could, "Move America from the dark valley of doubt to the mountain top of hope."

 

But, when Mrs. Obama took the stage, she took command of the audience. In rapid fire she laid out her husband's case for the nomination: 

 

"Barack Obama has raised more money, has broken records. Barack Obama has won more of the popular votes. Barrack Obama has won more pledged delegates. Barack Obama has won more states. And let's be clear, Barack Obama has won in all kinds of states," she said, barely coming up for air. "Barack Obama has won in big states and small. He's won primary and caucus states."

 

She then added, "He's won red states and blue states and purple states." With that, the crowd erupted in laughter; but the point was made.

 

Michelle also talked about her modest upbringing on the south side of Chicago. "There's a whole lot of talk in their race about elitism and being out of touch," she said. "The life I had growing up was not miraculous."  Michelle's father was a disabled city worker in Chicago, yet worked hard enough to get two of his kids educated at Princeton.

 

"He got up and went to work every day, without complaining. He knew hard work could lead to a better future for his kids. That's what kept him going," she said; and the crowd cheered her personal story. "Barack's upbringing was tough too, his mother 18 and single. A white woman trying to raise a black child in the 1960s. You know she was a dreamer!" The crowd laughed again.

 

But it was a poignant story, and people were touched by that. Obama says she and her husband try to teach their two little girls the values that her parents and Barack's parents and grandparents taught their kids.

 

One person who was especially touched by the story was retired school teacher Lula Glover. She tried to teach her students similar lessons. "When I was teaching school, I taught just this thing, that they could be what they wanted to be, as long as they persevered," she said, "and I especially taught that message to young boys."

 

Glover admires the Clintons, but has doubts about whether there should be a Clinton-Obama ticket, no matter who is on top. "I have a problem with that. I was hoping for it in the beginning, yes. Now I may have to calm down," Glover said. "I'm not feeling it again."

 

The crowd was completely raucous. Many had voted by mail and were urged to make phone calls and e-mails to get out the vote. Michelle Obama clearly inspired them, despite her husband's absence. One campaign worker led the crowd in a repeated chant: "Fired up; Ready to go!"  We'll find out Tuesday night whether all the inspiration paid off!

 

I will be "live" on KTVU's "Mornings on 2" with Ross McGowan at 7:45 Tuesday morning, with the very latest from North Carolina and Indiana.

 

Keep it on www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com

 

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