Michelle Obama in the battlegrounds: Today it was Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday Gainesville, Fla.: Photo by Rob C. Witzel, Gainesville Sun)
by Mark Silva
With the Democratic nominee for president away in Hawaii to see his "gravely ill'' grandmother, Michelle Obama campaigned for Barack Obama in Ohio today.
The candidate's wife distilled a message that Obama has attempted to drive home about the difference between himself and Republican rival John McCain during a tough time for working families and people without jobs or health insurance - McCain, the Obama campaign maintains, "doesn't get it.'' Obama, his wife said, "gets it.''
"What I know is, my husband Barack Obama gets it,'' she said. "He gets it.''
The campaigning spouse also demonstrated why the Democrat wasn't forfeiting all that much, politically, by spending more than a day off the campaign trail with less than two weeks to go - though certainly there could be an empathetic edge to be gained in the trip to see grandma.
"She's doing OK,'' Michelle Obama said of the grandmother whom they call "Toot.'' She helped raise Barack, she noted.
"She's tough. Her birthday is on Sunday... I asked Barack the other day, how are you doing this (campaigning)? You are tough. He said, I got my toughness from Toot....
"So, 11 days to go,'' she said in Columbus, with the flair of a natural stump speaker, the case-closing argument of a lawyer and the passion of a wife, mother and daughter of a shift worker going through an historic campaign. "That's how we greet each other in the campaign - we say, 'How ya' doin?'... 'Eleven.'
"I come here first and foremost as a wife who loves her husband,'' she said. "I know in my heart, with no hesitation, that he will be an extraordinary president.''
She arrived in Ohio as a mother, and a daughter as well, she said. What's at stake in this election is her children's future, she said. What got them this far are their families.
"What my father and my background reminds me of deeply is that is the American dream that we are fighting for,'' she said. "When I think of the issues that are at stake in this election... how we're going to fix this broken economy... how we're going to fix a broken health care system... how we're going to end this war, how we're going to clean up the environment, all these issues to me aren't political issues. They are personal.
"We're all feeling it now,'' she said. "And if you're not feeling it, you're living real close to someone who is.''
"What I know is, my husband Barack Obama gets it,'' she said. "He gets it.''











Comments
Of course, what else do you expect Michelle Obama to say? But what Michelle doesn't know is Barack doesn't get it. His "sharing-the-wealth" socialist agenda and tax-and-spend policies will be rejected by the American people.
Posted by: Ryan | October 24, 2008 12:54 PM
Ryan, Obama never said share the wealth. Is that why you put it in quotes? Because it is a lie?
Posted by: pd | October 24, 2008 1:11 PM
Jeez, if I didn't know any better, I'd think some one was talking about the Bush-McCain Republicans, if I heard any reference to, " tax and spend " policies of the last 8 years. Or " Sharing the Wealth " policies that are saving the hides of many a Wall Streeter, or Banker !! That's those silly Republicans, trying to call day, night and wrong, right. Not this time, my friends, your 15 minutes are up !!
Mrs. Obama has it right !! Senator Obama got it right, from the get-go !! Meanwhile, the McCain-Palin ticket to Nowhere is spinning it's wheels, in the mud, with which, they tried to cover Senator Obama and Senator Biden !! Give it up, boys and girls, nobody wants to play with you anymore. You play dirty !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | October 24, 2008 1:18 PM
Why is MarkSilva writing about Michelle Obama today, rather than the latest Pew Poll?
After all, Mr. Silva never found a Pew Poll he didn't publicize.
Until now.
Because this Pew Poll shows that the American public, virtually unanimously (70%-9%), think the media is in the tank for Obama. See http://people-press.org/report/463/media-wants-obama for the poll results Obama's media claque don't want you to know about.
Posted by: Disgusted | October 24, 2008 1:20 PM
What cases has she argued again?
Posted by: MinisterR | October 24, 2008 1:20 PM
He gets the Neo Communist Party agenda. He gets how to pose like Stalin for pictures looking up and off into the distance. It's a Brave New World out there, folks!
Posted by: truthurts | October 24, 2008 1:25 PM
We get it too. Elitism, smugness, arrogance, all born of a sense of entitlement. He is entitled all right, he's entitled to be shown to be the thin skinned, socialist he really is. When he says things like people are bitter, he will spread the wealth around we get it. Here is a man who has been endorsed by the U S Communist Party.
Posted by: Den C | October 24, 2008 1:30 PM
MIchelle thank you. Obama "gets it" and I look forward to voting for Obama 2008! This is a Democratic society based on capitalism and that is what Obama will work hard to make work better for "everyone" in America.
Posted by: Gracie Lawson-Borders | October 24, 2008 2:03 PM
Don't call Obama a socialist. Socialism involves government ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods. (See your dictionary). Obama has never favored that.
Posted by: Eleanor H. | October 24, 2008 2:11 PM
They can fight for the American Dream, but it can't go over 250K or they will want a piece of your Dream. Using the words of VP Biden, "mark my words" when there isn't enough money to distribute to all his fancy programs that amount that Obama figures as wealthy (250K) will slowly come down to 200, then 175, then a little lower as they need it. He has a lot of promises to fulfill to all those voters he promised "change" to.
Posted by: vla | October 24, 2008 2:23 PM
as for "disgusted" comments-
How is the media not supposed to show positive coverage of the man who politics by being positive(i.e. Obama)? When one(i.e. McCain) is busy wallowing in anger, confusion and mud slinging. Is the media supposed to simply make up positive stories about a man who has no clue what to say in a prepared speech, much less for the next four years?
Welcome to CHANGE. As we all know, that's a concept most republicans can't deal with.
Obama/Biden '08!
Posted by: Barry o. | October 24, 2008 2:40 PM
Via,
I know what you mean. The next thing you know, we'll be bailing out the banks and Wall St. greed merchants. Good thing that McCain's tax cuts for the wealthy will pay off the soon-to-be $13 trillion dollar national debt.
Posted by: dt | October 24, 2008 2:40 PM
Here's why McCain doesn't get it. Because McCain takes it for granted that that he or Cindy can walk into Neiman Marcus and drop thousands of dollars on clothes, when the rest of us are having trouble paying our bills. The rest of us shop at Wal-Mart, and I bet he's never stepped inside of one.
It is a slap in my face that a supposed average "hockey mom" like Sarah Palin would think nothing of wearing clothes that cost more than a year's salary for most of us. If she'd been as in touch with small towns as she claims, she'd have told her shoppers to buy her clothes at mid-priced stores instead of elite stores that are out of range of the rest of us. She has issued no word of apology for wearing clothes that average people could never afford.
McCain and his ilk take being wealthy for granted. They have it and they can't imagine what it is like to have to worry about where your next dollar is coming from. They think nothing of dropping $500 on a pair of shoes or $300,000 on an evening gown. They wouldn't be caught dead in some cheap piece of clothing from K-Mart. They CAN'T IMAGINE IT. That's why they don't get it. The first Bush didn't get it, either, because he had no idea how much a gallon of milk cost. And look how the economy suffered under HIM and that's why Clinton got elected.
It's the economy, stupid...remember that line?
Posted by: laylasax | October 24, 2008 2:42 PM
Mr. Obama gets it.
The McCain campaign has grossly distorted the share the wealth comment. Except for MSNBC, none of the media will call McCain's hand on the distortion. I saw the re-play of the whole conversation with Joe the Plumber. What Obama said, and meant, was that he wanted other small businesses to be successful and have an easier time getting to where Joe is, so that we spread the wealth more widely through small business success.
Posted by: Bartley Gray | October 24, 2008 2:49 PM
Just a minute. Government just approved distribution of 700 billion dollars of our money (main street – 95% of US) to bail wall street (reach people – 5% of US) and you do not call that socialism. Now when Obama wants to raise taxes on reach people to repay what we gave them you call it socialism. Give me a brake.
Posted by: Sam | October 24, 2008 5:14 PM
"he gets it" I am in...disbelief.
Pride cometh...either now or after the election...
Identity has won...the left has finally fielded a candidate who is criticism-proof. Coupled with the press's adulation and softballs all the way through...also, it is admitted, people generally want the current party out when things turn sour...1980 for example..., he may well win.
Not by as much as he should have though, IF he wins (holding out hope for weird switcheroo)
Posted by: Wade | October 24, 2008 6:14 PM
Also, can we please stop kissing Obama's feet over how positive his campaign has supposedly been:
Adage reports:
"Overall, 73% of the McCain campaign's ads have been negative, vs. 61% of the Obama campaign's ads."
For some the halo will never come off of the guy's head.
Posted by: Wade | October 24, 2008 6:44 PM
Wade,
All those negative Obama ads have been in response to the Palin/McLost filth attacks, and the American people know it.
The Republics are through for a generation. Get used to it.
Posted by: C.Hussein.Morris | October 24, 2008 7:09 PM
Of course the media is in favor of Obama. Balance in the media is not about supporting sides equally; it is about reflecting reality fairly.
McCain has nothing positive to say, even his own policies are echoes of what has been shown over the past eight years to not work.
His main platform, deregulalion, is now disowned by prime proponent Greenspan.
McCain didn't want Bush's tax cuts introduced for reasons of fairness, he now derides Obama's winding back of these taxcuts as "socialist".
McCain's support from even his fellow republicans is eroding. What sort of fair, responsible media would be "in the tank" for McCain?
Posted by: Sandy | October 24, 2008 7:25 PM
"Berg vs Obama" - WAKE UP AMERICA THIS AFFECTS 300 HUNDRED MILLION AND OUR CONSTITUTION!!
Mr. Obama step up to the plate and tell the truth!!!!
NEWS MEDIA WHY HAVE YOU FAILED TO TELL US ABOUT THIS!!!!!
Pennsylvania Democrat Philip J. Berg, who filed a lawsuit demanding Sen. Barack Obama present proof of his American citizenship, now says that by failing to respond Obama has legally "admitted" to the lawsuit's accusations, including the charge that the Democratic candidate was born in Mombosa, Kenya.
As WND reported, Berg filed suit in U.S. District Court in August, alleging Obama is not a natural-born citizen and is thus ineligible to serve as president of the United States. Though Obama has posted an image of a Hawaii birth certificate online, Berg demands that the court verify the original document, which the Obama campaign has not provided.
Now Berg cites Rule 36 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which states that unless the accused party provides written answer or objection to charges within 30 days, the accused legally admits the matter.
Since Obama has only filed motions to dismiss and has not actually answered the charges in the lawsuit, Berg claims, according to Rule 36, Obama has legally admitted he is not a natural-born citizen.
Now Berg is asking the court for a formal declaration of Obama's admission and asking the Democratic National Committee for another presidential candidate.
In a statement released today, Berg argues that he filed Requests for Admissions on Sept. 15, meaning Obama had until Oct. 15 to answer or face the consequences of Rule 36.
"Obama and the DNC 'admitted,' by way of failure to timely respond to Requests for Admissions, all of the numerous specific requests in the Federal lawsuit," Berg's statement reads. "Obama is 'not qualified' to be president and therefore Obama must immediately withdraw his candidacy for president and the DNC shall substitute a qualified candidate."
Posted by: Vic | October 24, 2008 8:24 PM
Is she finally "proud to be an American". That makes me feel so warm inside.
Posted by: Trey | October 24, 2008 8:29 PM
Morris:
you mean like the one that criticized McCain's lack of email use? Or the one where the scare tactic was to falsely accuse McCain of cutting Medicare?
You made my point for me, True Believer, welcome back to Carter Country. Should only be four years before another chance.
And, frankly, I don't like most republicans either. However, post 9/11 democrats have been worse. Obama is no healer, he is just a run of the mill tax and spend liberal who will add gas to the fire of our poor economy, which is the product of both democratic and republican failings.
Posted by: Wade | October 24, 2008 8:57 PM
Obama will be elected in a landslide. The only ones sniveling and complaining about his economic ideas are those who make a great deal of money and don't like paying taxes. Too bad, I say. I've paid and paid while the wealthy have basked in republican luxury. Kiss it goodbye, boys.
Posted by: MizLiz | October 25, 2008 2:16 AM
Michelle is so trite Obama gets it McCain doesn't get it. Say What?
I get it Obama will ruin our nation Obama will take all our moneyu and spread it around.
Obama is giving all a tax cut who pay FICA taxes dilluting the money that goes to Social Security. Some 44 percent pay no taxes at all.
Obama will ruin Social Security he doesn't care he gets it Michelle its all about the big O!
Save America vote McCain/Palin! Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | October 25, 2008 10:12 AM
Good old Odumbo wants to spread the weath around. Karl Marx couldn't say it any better. Yeah, he gets it.
When your jobs start to evaporate under an Obama administration, remember to thank fearless leader for his vision for the masses that punishes innovation, hard work, and taking a risk all in the spirit of "fairness". There are people out there that actually believe it's only a few percentage points higher in tax on those making over $250k. False. Try closer to 17% and that is not including the increase in capital gains tax that will help discourage capital investment. His spending agenda is so massive that he will also go back to the well for more tax revenue not only from the "rich", but the middle class as well.
For those that don't know, small businesses accounted for almost 80% of all new job creation since the early to mid 90s.
Posted by: jd | October 25, 2008 7:04 PM
Michelle gets it. When your roots look like these slave quarters on Friendfield Plantation - http://www.motleymoose.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=520 - when only your parents and grandparents have been free to work to give you a chance: you get it.
Posted by: Chris Blask | October 25, 2008 11:30 PM
So, my fellow blacks think that Obama gets 'it.' When are you all going to get "it"? When are you all going to stop blaming whites for your non-performance, black crime, lack of ambition, dependence on the black-hating Democrat party? When? Instead of awaiting a false messiah to lead you out of the ghetto you created for yourselves, why not take school seriously and become somebody? That's the "it" we, as black people, need to get. All Obama offers is socialism—taking from the workers to give to the lazy who don't want to work. Why accept government handouts when we can earn more from our labors?
The sad thing about Obama and his America-hating wife is that they discourage people from going the corporate route. In other words, stay poor. As Obama could tell anyone, community organizers don't make money ... not unless they've got a Bill Ayers who's willing to give 'em millions of a foundation's money to muck up with. Or not unless they've got pals like Tony Rezko or that Greek gangster guy who Obama's pals with. If he'd worked at corporate law a bit harder, Obama wouldn't have needed Rezko et al.
I guess that shows that Obama didn't get "it." He didn't get the point of America. No wonder he wants to change her in his socialist image and likeness.
Posted by: SilentWatcher | October 26, 2008 1:52 PM
Tell your friends, and show them the proof.
Adolf Hitler was well-known to have used hypnosis on crowds to gain power in Germany. (Just Google it if you doubt it.) So why cant this happen in America? It is happening.
Now, this document, An Examination of Obama's Use of Hidden Hypnosis Techniques in His Speeches is really spreading. Many people, including young people, are starting to wake up.
Young people have come up with a saying, "Don't drink the kool-aid Obama is pushing on you."
Obama has no accomplishments, we don't know him, he wrote a memoir, he has racist connections, he is using hypnosis, and he thinks he's the Messiah and that he should be in control of the world. We've seen this story before in Germany in the 1930's, haven't we? We know what happened there.
Obama's use of hypnosis in speeches is why:
-nothing sticks to him
-the huge crowds
-the huge money contributions
-the mesmerized effect, especially in young people, who, because of their imaginations are more susceptible to hypnosis (read the document)
-the exorbitant election fraud, rule-breaking and bias in the media
-he gets away with changing every position
-people are calling him the "greatest leader of a generation" with no accomplishments
You have to read this document to understand how his hypnosis works. Logically and rationally, why not get to know this guy a little more before handing the world over to him? Why not wait?
An Examination of Obama's use of Hidden Hypnosis Techniques in His Speeches can be found at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7470439/Obamas-Use-of-Hidden-Hypnosis-Techniques-in-His-Speeches
PS - "Dont drink Obama's Kool-Aid"
Posted by: a | November 2, 2008 2:33 AM