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Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Michelle Obama Sets a Great Example for Our Country

She talked about her and Obama raising their kids and how they strive to set an example for their children but also for their country.

If this was a knock on anyone, it was on Donald Trump. Here's a guy who's an international embarrassment for the country, who causes other countries to worry and suffer terrible uncertainty.

The only foreign leaders who like him-and who he likes-are dictators like Putin, Kim Jong un or the Iranian leadership.

It's amazing. You go back 8 years and she was castigated for saying-or at least being seen as saying-'This is the first time I've been proud of my country.'

Yet, who have turned out to totally disparage the nation that we are? This was what was so interesting last night. The GOP has become the party of 'This country is a shitstorm' and the Dems have become the party of 'America is already great.'

Both FLOTUS and Corey Booker came in this truly American outlook of optimism and aspiration.

An interesting piece by J.D. Vance looks at this fascinating evolution of an unpatriotic Right and an upbeat, patriotic Center Left; note, I said Center Left, not Left.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/07/25/how-the-white-working-class-lost-its-patriotism/

The division is: the Right says 'Make America Great Again', the Left says 'America Was Never Great', and the Center Left is 'America is Already Great.'

Saying it is already great doesn't mean we've solved all our intractable problems by any stretch. Part of this shift between the GOP and Dems is race,

Many more people of color feel better about their country now with the rise of President Obama and FLOTUS.

Anyway, overall, what struck me about the First Lady's speech was how upbeat and optimistic it was. Even Erick Erickson was impressed:

"I may disagree with Michelle Obama on everything politically, but she is a good mom and wife and the one and only wife of the President."

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/757760203051769856

So even he feels pride having her as the nations First Lady. Because she sets a good example. She and her husband see that as their duty

Can anyone feel any such pride with Trump? Trump doesn't care about setting an example. He just does him. It's a recipe for more disunity and ripping this nation apart.

More on this interesting evolution of the parties. After Trump last week, the optimism of Michelle Obama and Corey Booker is a welcome respite.

Greg Sargent:

"To understand Cory Booker/Michelle Obama speeches, note this polling on Trump's speech: http://wapo.st/2a0yyMI

https://twitter.com/ThePlumLineGS/status/757908438206779392

"But the demographic breakdowns are even more interesting. Whites say his speech reflected their feelings about the country by 52-41. Non-college whites say this by an overwhelming 60-34. White evangelicals say this by 73-22. But white college graduates say Trump did not reflect their feelings about the country by 53-39. This shows once again that Trumpism is causing a real cultural split among white voters along educational lines, suggesting that college educated whites are much more accepting of the cultural, social and demographic changes sweeping the country than blue collar whites are."

[Donald Trump is a unique threat to American democracy]

"So perhaps Hillary Clinton, who is already on track to become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win college educated whites in decades, can make a serious pitch for these voters at the Dem convention by embracing culturally and demographically changing America. Meanwhile, majorities of women, nonwhites, and moderates also disagree with Trump’s depiction of America."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/07/25/this-is-the-single-most-depressing-finding-in-todays-polls-showing-trump-ahead/

Meanwhile Trump is not interested in hope, optimism, aspiration.

He live tweeted this:

Why aren't the Democrats speaking about ISIS, bad trade deals, broken borders, police and law and order. The Republican Convention was great."

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/757918002339778560

Because they want to bring the country together not rip it apart?

By no means have I given a comprehensive look at the First Lady's speech. For more check out:

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/michelle-obama-hillary-clinton-226182?lo=ap_a2

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michelle-obama-dnc-speech_us_5796c902e4b02d5d5ed2ac9b

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/a-speech-for-the-ages/493010/?utm_source=atltw

A few of my favorite lines was when she talked about how we can't stoop to the level of public figures engaged in hateful rhetoric, 'We don't get low, we get high.'

This is in line with Hillary's message as well. She eschews name calling with Trump but rises above it.

FLOTUS talked about bullying-Hillary in her career has been subjected to a lot of very bullying coverage and commentary and has always risen above it. She gets right back up again and doesn't let it derail her.

She then talked about Hillary in 2008 not becoming disillusioned or packing up and going home.

This was a clear rebuke to the Bernie or Bust dead enders.

"In her endorsement, Obama addressed Clinton’s biggest liability — her trustworthiness — by insisting that, as a mother, the former secretary of state is the candidate she trusts in the Oval Office and believes is truly qualified to shape her and all of America’s children."

"November’s election isn’t Democrat versus Republican or left versus right, Obama said. “No, in this election and every election is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives,” she said. “And I am here tonight because in this election, there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president of the United States, and that is our friend, Hillary Clinton.”

"She praised Clinton’s resiliency after the bitter primary in 2008, one that had similar levels of heat as this year’s battle between Clinton and Sanders, whose supporters are angry and divided over a Democratic National Committee email scandal that showed party officials working to undermine the Vermont senator’s White House bid."

“When she didn’t win the nomination eight years ago, she didn’t get angry or disillusioned,” Obama said, a remark likely aimed at staunch Sanders supporters who are not ready to support Clinton. “Hillary did not pack up and go home because as a true public servant, Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments.”

"While touting Clinton’s experience fighting for children with disabilities as a young lawyer and pushing for health care when she was first lady herself and child care as a New York senator, Obama contrasted the drastically different character traits of America’s next potential leader."

“There were plenty of moments when Hillary could have decided that this work was too hard, that the price of public service was too high, that she was tired of being picked apart for how she looks or how she talks or even how she laughs,” Obama said. “But here's the thing: What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/michelle-obama-hillary-clinton-226182#ixzz4FWF3wlsD

Finally, a perfect finish to her speech:

"And she issued a call to action, urging Democrats to be just as active, if not more, than they were when they elected and reelected President Obama in 2008 and 2012."

“In this election, we cannot sit back and hope that everything works out for the best,” she said. “We cannot afford to be tired or frustrated or cynical. No, hear me: Between now and November, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago. We need to knock on every door. We need to get out every vote. We need to pour out every last ounce of passion and our strength and our love for this country into electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America. So let’s get to work.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/michelle-obama-hillary-clinton-226182#ixzz4FWFIB185

Let's get to work.

After this speech even some GOPers were a little envious:

I'm jealous of the party that still offers hope and inspiration, and not merely anger and darkness.

https://twitter.com/EricTeetsel/status/757763016867717120

Laurie Goodstein added,

"Whoa. Telling comment from a Marco Rubio campaign staffer."

https://twitter.com/lauriegnyt/status/757763523753705473

Donald Trump's campaign leader Katrina Pierson right away goes back into the gutter:

"Pocahontas talks abt crushing student loans, banks & rigged system yet backs their cheerleader #crookedHillary #twilightzone #DemsInPhilly"

https://twitter.com/KatrinaPierson/status/757765547773693952

Earning this rebuke from Mitt Romney's adviser, Stuart Stevens.

"This is sort of proving FLOTUS' point about @realDonaldTrump & his race to the bottom."

https://twitter.com/stuartpstevens/status/757767122567192577

Lets get to work. If fighting for this vision over the vision of Trump is not enough I don't know what is.

2 comments:

  1. I left this for you before, but Erickson actually wrote a post saying it was Michelle's night:

    Mike, Erick Erickson lavishes praise on Michelle Obama (no shit!, he really does):
    http://theresurgent.com/michelle-obama-is-the-story-of-the-night/

    ReplyDelete
  2. See, this is why Obama-and Michelle-have become so popular. People having second thoughts after the rise of Trump. Maybe Obama was a lot better than we realized

    ReplyDelete