DENVER—Michelle Obama delivered a rousing speech to a receptive constituency at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver, Colo. on Aug. 25.
In the speech, before a packed house at the Pepsi Center, the Harvard-trained lawyer and wife of Barack Obama sought to show a more personal, down-to-earth side of her husband and herself.
“Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them,” she said.
She also described herself and her husband as typical Americans, whose lives have been guided by a belief in hard work, integrity, and success—values at the heart of American society.
The Obamas have faced criticism from opponents as being “elitist,” in a possible effort to paint the couple as being removed from the concerns of average Americans.
And indeed, while Obama dominates among well educated urban voters, his campaign has been hindered by a difficulty connecting with more rural and working-class populations.
To address these concerns, Michelle spoke of her role as a mother, and Barack’s concern with passing on positive values to future generations.
According to recent polls, however, the presumptive Democratic nominee will have to do more to convince some voters of his patriotism.
Born to a Kenyan father and an American mother, Obama spent his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia. This background may be an asset in courting some, particularly immigrants, African Americans, and voters seeking a revival of American internationalism.
Yet this may make him seem exotic and unfamiliar. A refusal to wear an American flag on his lapel early in the Democratic campaign could have hurt Obama’s attempts at portraying himself as an average, patriotic American.
Also of consequence were impassioned statements from former pastor Jeremiah Wright, and from Michelle Obama herself, who was quoted widely as saying that her husband’s campaign marked the first time in her adult life that she was proud of America.
Michelle Obama later stated that she was referring to the political process—not the country itself—when stating these remarks.
Polling data currently shows Obama in a statistical heat with Republican opponent John McCain, and a recent Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll found that 35 percent of Americans surveyed questioned Obama’s patriotism. Only 9 percent said the same of McCain.
Although Obama has had much publicity and exposure during his run for the candidacy, many undecided voters may still perceive him as an unknown and, for that reason, a potential risk.
