Michelle Obama Saved the DNC Last Night
Michelle Obama speaking last night at the DNC. Photo by J. Scott Applewhite/AP
After a day of mild unruliness, First Lady Michelle Obama swooped in to save the Democratic National Convention last night.
Around 10 p.m., she strolled onto the big blue stage and graced the audience with a speech that delivered a confident, no-nonsense, proud and inspiring vision. The crowd went wild. The internet exploded. And really, did we expect anything less?
Obama pointed toward the future – one with Hillary Clinton – and nodded to the achievements of the nation’s past.
“I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, and I watch my daughters, two beautiful and intelligent black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn,” Obama said to a teary-eyed crowd.
“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that this country isn’t great. Because right now, this is the greatest country on earth.”
Obama made race a key point in her speech and referenced Clinton when she said that shattering glass ceilings “is the story of this country … the story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, but who kept striving and hoping and doing what needed to be done so that today.”
The crowd cheered especially loud when Obama boldly called out insistent Twitter users (cough cough, Donald Trump) with a plea for a leader “who understands that the issues the president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters.”
And though she alluded to the potential catastrophe Trump could inflict on the country as president, never once did she use his name.
“When you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military at your command, you can’t make snap decisions,” Obama said. “You can’t have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out.”
It was debatably the crowd’s favorite speech of the night, and one that certainly prompted Democrats to get their acts together and unite. All in all, seems like Melania Trump would have a harder time pulling from this one.
Incredible speech by an incredible woman. Couldn't be more proud & our country has been blessed to have her as FLOTUS. I love you, Michelle.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) July 26, 2016
Perhaps THE most popular Democrat in the arena tonight. #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/6gA16ASgeN
— Asma Khalid (@asmamk) July 26, 2016
My heart rate just picked up. Get in formation, people, right behind @MichelleObama #DemsInPhilly
— Osamudia James (@ProfOsamudiaJ) July 26, 2016
.@FLOTUS begins by explicitly referring to her speech eight years ago. Almost as if we might have heard some of it recently
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) July 26, 2016
.@FLOTUS: "We insist that the hateful language [our daughters] hear from public figures on TV does not represent the spirit of this country"
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) July 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/aterkel/status/757761950524776452
https://twitter.com/lizmeriwether/status/757760836341563392
Michelle Obama is giving the speech of her life right now.Regardless of political persuasion- she's definitely delivering a powerful message
— Tom Durian (@TMJ4Tom) July 26, 2016
Michelle Obama / Michelle Obama 2016
— Jazmine Hughes (@jazzedloon) July 26, 2016
Michelle Obama was the anti-Trump: She was positive, inclusive, optimistic, a role model: "When they go low, we go high."
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) July 26, 2016
I'm not gonna front, I would also steal Michelle's speech.#Goosebumps #DemsInPhilly 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) July 26, 2016
What are the odds on Michelle Obama becoming America's 1st female president?
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 26, 2016
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