Michelle Speech Brings Obamas Back to Earth

Portrayal of an ordinary American family balances hubby's lofty rhetoric

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 26, 2008 3:14 AM CDT

(Newser) – Michelle Obama's rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention kept things down to earth where her husband has the tendency to soar skyward, Roger Simon writes in Politico. She introduced herself as a sister, wife and mother, underscoring the campaign's effort to show the Obamas as an ordinary American family.

Michelle hit on the campaign's major talking points and gave careful praise to Hillary Clinton, notes Simon. But she made the speech her own, and drove home her central point that "Barack Obama is a human being just like you. He is not an 'other,' he is not a 'celebrity.' He is a father, a husband, a person," Simon writes.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (2)]

Michelle Obama and daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, wave to the audience the Democratic National Convention in Denver yesterday. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia chat with Barack Obama as he talks via video link from Kansas City, Mo., during the Democratic National Convention in Denver yesterday. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Michelle Obama addresses the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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I come here as a Mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world. They're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night.
- Michelle Obama

What struck me when I first met Barack was that even though he had this funny name, even though he'd grown up all the way across the continent in Hawaii, his family was so much like mine. - Michelle Obama

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Michelle Speech Brings Obamas Back to Earth