the lady impressed me

I gotta hand it to her, I was impressed by Michelle Obama. Blown away is more like it. I went down to the University of Houston with my friend Maggie, who is a Precinct Captain for Obama. I was super stoked about going before I even got there. There was so much energy too. I'm already an Obama supporter, voted earlier today in the primary (and I'm going back on March 4 for the Caucus) but since I don't watch television I had not seen Michelle Obama speak. WOW!
She has incredible oratory skills but is very genuine and down to earth. I have read both of Barack's books so I knew most of his story but I didn't know hers but she also shed new light on his for me. I loved how she talked about Barack's mom being a single white woman raising a black son. She said something like, "You know she had to be a dreamer, and in the 1960s!" And she talked about how they moved to other countries so his mom could get him a broader education and do her own social work. Yet they lived on food stamps at times (I related to this because so did I when I lived with Dad).

She moved me to near tears a few times, one of which was when she mentioned how hard it is for single mothers. My fist went up on that one! She used the concept of a bar always being raised higher and higher - first to say how they said the Obama campaign was impossible - and then to relate to what every day Americans are going through, and it’s so hard to keep up with the rising costs of living, and make ends meet, and how it's easy to give up on hope. She also moved me when she talked about growing up with all these messages from her family that she could make it, but messages from the world that she couldn’t or wouldn't or shouldn't (her grades/scores were not good enough to get into Princeton, but she applied anyway and got in). She spoke for probably an hour - and we stood the whole time since it was a Stand for Change Rally and I'm worn out! But I was and am so pumped! There was so much to be inspired by within her talk, and the very real hope for change in America. I was hoping Youtube had a video of already of her talk, but alas they don't. However the Houston Chronicle did an article, "Michelle Obama rallies Houston supporters" on that discusses the speech, and this one little fact speaks volumes about the momentum the Obama campaign is seeing. When she spoke in Galveston earlier in the day, apparently 900 people showed up at her event. A week earlier, Bill Clinton stumped for his wife in Galveston- and only 300 people showed (oddly this info about Clinton's visitors was in the earlier version of the article but it's not in the updated version...). Something like 1,200 people were at the U of H Rally. There was an incredible sea of diversity, and it was beautiful to see. There were also some cool signs. One said World for Obama, another Tijanos for Obama, and at one point some people started chanting Si Se Peude which is Yes We Can! in Spanish.

The only thing I wish she/Barack would address more seriously is the environment. To me, it's a critical issue and I'm not hearing it being spoken of. It may be because, unfortunately, it's not an issue most Americans are concerned about -- though they should be! I hope the issue comes out more in the general eElection once Barack secures this nomination!It is so awesome to see people coming out in support of Obama - I am finally excited about a candidate for the first time in my adult life!!

And I have to hand it to Michelle. She was genuine, eloquent, and an inspiring speaker and human being. I was so pumped up and excited just to be there. I am thinking of signing on as Precinct Captain. This election - and the future of our nation - is too important to not get involved!!! Then Maggie & I grabbed dinner at Chilis and it was so awesome to just have some friend-time!

Here's a video from the Obama campaign with Michelle. Woohoo! A great day!