Michelle Obama Roll-Out Continues
The Michelle rollout continues with this new video, just blasted out to supporters by the Obama campaign, of Michelle prepping backstage for her big speech and giving her little girls tongue-in-cheek advice to come out and praise her performance. . .
The vid underscores two of Michelle's goals here tonight: To soften her and make her a more mainstream figure, and to deflect attacks on the Obamas as intoxicated with their "celebrity." The "celeb" sneer ads, and the criticism of Michelle's claim that she's proud of her country for the first time, are both all about painting the Obamas as too puffed up for their own good, and here Michelle's nervousness and mock advice to her kids shows her modest and reserved side.
As for the need to soften Michelle, earlier tonight Rev. Eugene Rivers was on Hardball with Chris Matthews and really drove home that imperative. "They're the Huxtables!" he told Matthews, "What could be more American than the Huxtables?"
In my memory, Claire Huxtable wasn't the softest of characters. Still, softening is clearly the goal here, as is evidenced by Michelle's cuddling with her children and effeminately describing the stage as "full of color and light."
Uppity, Kate.
The word is uppity.
August 25, 2008 9:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Unfortunately, true.
August 25, 2008 9:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah, that klonick isn't all that subtle, is she...
August 25, 2008 10:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
thanks for the back up, greg.
August 25, 2008 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think the uppity tag was a dig at you Kate. It was a dig at the narrative that so many in the media were so blithely singing along with the McCain campaign.
You'll know when the pitchfork get aimed in your direction.
August 25, 2008 10:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
That was what I thinking. No attack on Kate intended.
August 25, 2008 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
It wasn't an attack on Kate, as everyone but Greg and Kate picked up on.
August 25, 2008 10:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was joking...cmon
August 25, 2008 11:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
No worries!
August 26, 2008 12:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, hello_world, for explaining that to Greg and Kate.
August 25, 2008 10:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anytime. There's a lot of pent up angst in a lot of corners lately. Don't sweat it.
August 25, 2008 11:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kewl. By the way where is the Ted Kennedy thread?
August 25, 2008 9:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oo, let's start one. Man, Caroline looks wonderful - she never gets any older!
August 25, 2008 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Still, softening is clearly the goal here, as is evidenced by Michelle's cuddling with her children"
Yeah, Michelle would probably never cuddle with her children other than to soften her image.
August 25, 2008 10:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
No. . . but TAPING her cuddling with her children and presenting it in a roll out on her speech prep, might be about softening her image.
August 25, 2008 10:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
But you didn't say "might be about softening her image" in your post. Rather you said, "The vid underscores two of Michelle's goals here tonight: To soften her and make her a more mainstream figure, and to deflect attacks on the Obamas as intoxicated with their celebrity". And "softening is clearly the goal here".
What do you base these factual statements on?
August 25, 2008 10:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excuse me, let me clarify: Taping herself cuddling her children and putting it on the internet is DEFINITELY about softening her image. My factual evidence? I base it on having eyes in my head.
August 25, 2008 10:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know, what will it take to get Bob Schieffer to retire? I mean really -
I'll put money in the pot if that's what it will take -
August 25, 2008 10:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I haven't been able to stomach him since the Wesley Clark crap.
August 25, 2008 10:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hate to say it, but I'm agreeing with Carville and Gergen that this first night is really missing the fireworks, aside Ted's speech. I know that they will go after Bush et al. in the days to come, but this hasn't been very compelling stuff so far.
August 25, 2008 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Darlin - nothing happened yet.
All I'm seeing and hearing are talking heads.
August 25, 2008 10:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you're watching the CNN coverage of the convention, you're not watching the convention.
August 25, 2008 10:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, duh on me then, I'm on CBS.
August 25, 2008 10:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
C-SPAN is providing excellent coverage of the sights and sounds and all the speeches.
August 25, 2008 10:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was just hoping that there would be one pound the podium speaker who would put this in the context of the fierce urgency of now. Besides Ted.
August 25, 2008 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. The lameness factor (Kennedy, aside) has been off the charts.
August 25, 2008 10:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
teddy k. thread coming, all. hang in there
August 25, 2008 10:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I had no idea how much Michelle's brother looks like her. It's almost disconcerting to watch him speak...
August 25, 2008 10:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Having lived in Oregon, he just delivered the Beaver vote for Obama. Not that Oregon was in danger of going to John.
August 25, 2008 10:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only reason Michelle Obama has to show herself to be "more mainstream" is because she's black. Plain and simple.
By what criteria is she not mainstream? And why, Kate, do you perpetuate this awful smear by making it look important and not racist?
Ridiculous.
August 25, 2008 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Listening to Michelle now. She is a force. I CAN NOT WAIT for this woman to be our first lady.
August 25, 2008 10:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope they put her more in the limelight after the convention. She will definitely help make her being a first lady a reality.
August 25, 2008 10:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Michelle: You're awesome!
August 25, 2008 10:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wonderful. Just wonderful.
August 25, 2008 10:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Barack live link was really legit. What a lovely family!
August 25, 2008 10:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Michelle is awesome. Wow, wow, wow.
August 25, 2008 10:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm also listening to Michelle. Wow!! She's doing a fabulous job.
My wife is gnashing her teeth at the rhetoric of family-first Michelle is having to deploy in order to "soften" her image. But that's politics. Even weighed down by all that domestic ideology, she shines.
The cutaways to her mother in the bleachers are really moving, too.
August 25, 2008 10:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
This first night is positively awful. Someone has seriously dropped the ball here.
August 25, 2008 10:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Disagree.
August 25, 2008 10:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I assume that was snark.
August 25, 2008 10:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
They could it done better, but between Ted Kennedy and Michelle, it was alright. If the was supposed to be a lighter night, it was this one. McCaskill let me down and even if Leach's speech had good ideas, the delivering was dull. Jesse Jackson Jr. was good and they should it put him in a better spot tonight.
Tomorrow, Hillary (enough said) and looking forward to Warner's speech. No excuses tomorrow: time to bash Bush and McCain.
August 25, 2008 11:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I had high expectations. She going past them.
August 25, 2008 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lot of shots of teary eyed delegates. Sweet.
August 25, 2008 10:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Michelle rocks!
August 25, 2008 10:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
She killed it. What a wonderful speech. I absolutely loved it.
Thank you Michelle. Thank you so much for that.
August 25, 2008 10:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, the last hour has seemed a forced and programmed.
Starting with the McCaskill speech and continuing on.
I'm reminded of Samantha Jone's speech on one of the last episodes of Sex and the City that her boyfriend told her to ax.
Kennedy was the star of the night.
August 25, 2008 10:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm going to have to watch the replay of Kennedy, because I didn't see it the first time around, but I think Michelle's speech was amazing.
August 25, 2008 11:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Michelle gave an amazing speech, better than I could have hoped.
I can see the "America as it should be" line in a 527 ad.
August 25, 2008 11:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Knocked it out the park..
August 25, 2008 11:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Really unbelievable - she's amazing.
This family is just gorgeous - they are just what we need - small children in the White House again - a real marriage. A real family.
August 25, 2008 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Alex--no not snark. And no knock on Micelle Obama, but there was not much energy at all generated tonite. Michelle's speech was nice, but forgettable.
August 25, 2008 11:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hahahahaha!
Sez you.
A bunch of other people in tears say you're full of it.
August 25, 2008 11:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remember the audience. The audience is not us. The audience is Democrats who are not yet on board with Obama -- in part because they haven't been paying close attention, or because they're alienated by his perceived otherness.
Some things that are going to feel "conventional" to us may feel "reassuring" to them. I thought Michelle did a brilliant job of bridging the gap -- of translating progressive passion into a concrete language of family and community.
August 25, 2008 11:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well said.
August 25, 2008 11:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
What, did you want her to slip in an f-bomb?
August 25, 2008 11:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
She is fucking awesome. Just awesome. Wow.
She looked just gorgeous, too.
August 25, 2008 11:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, she nailed it. i dont think many people will have a probelm with her speech. it was well delivered, perfect tone, eloquent and she look great.
August 25, 2008 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
california--agree. It was great that Teddy spoke.
August 25, 2008 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Michelle Obama - 9.7
August 25, 2008 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Could those kids be any cuter?
August 25, 2008 11:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ahhh...no.
August 25, 2008 11:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's see Cindy do that!
Solid.
August 25, 2008 11:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
The little girl knocked it out of the park. And Obama responded perfectly.
If this had been John McCain, instead of a laugh and "I'm in Kansas City, sweetie", it probably would have been more along the lines of "I was a POW, you little trollop".
August 25, 2008 11:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, so, so impressed by Michelle. Really dynamic lady. What a duo those Obamas are.
Watching her on stage w/ the girls talking to their Dad on the screen, it struck me - they're gonna be sharing their dad with the entire world. Kinda sad for them, really...
The youngest one is 7 years old. I wonder what she's making of all of this?
August 25, 2008 11:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll tell you what she did do. She just raised the bar for Barack. Now he's going to have to be on his A-game to top his wife's speech.
August 25, 2008 11:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. One of the best speeches I've seen in a while...she really connected emotionally. She also was able to give some bio to make middle America comfortable and throw in a couple of heartfelt "I love this country" statements.
She knocked it out of the freaking ballpark!!!!
August 25, 2008 11:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Effeminately"?
I think we all ought to go in together to buy the reporters of this page an English dictionary. I expect soon there'll be McCain adds quoting some of their malapropisms if we aren't careful.
"Effeminately"?
WTF?
August 25, 2008 11:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like big words and I cannot lie.
August 26, 2008 9:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Michelle was great. I thought.
August 26, 2008 12:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
August 26, 2008 2:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Proud for her country for the first time in her life...
How about explaining your nearly triple salary at after Barack got into Congress--explain to us how there was no connection.
How about explaining your racist participation at Unity Church? Or did you and your daughters also not listen?
How about explaining your connection with Ayers? It is reported that you personally organized and moderated several public forums between yourself, Barack, and Ayers.
Yep, a proud but corrupt, racist, and terrorist loving America. Impressive.
Matthew
http://theproblemwithobama.com/?p=105
August 26, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why do you hate America Matt?
August 26, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Cute question. I love America, always have. I served in the military, am not now, nor have I have I ever been corrupt, racist, or associating with terrorists. I hold myself to high standards and expect the same of anyone running for office or openly, as Michelle has, shilling for her husband as a candidate. She has used his coattails to gain what appear to be undo raises, she has sat in the same pews as Barack, and she has been equally close with Ayers, even arranging forums for him and Barack. She put herself out into the public spotlight and it is appropriate that she answers a few questions. Else, as the New Yorker did in parody, we can define her by her own words, actions, and associations.
August 26, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink