Michelle Obama took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, and rocked the house. Whether you're a fan or not, you'll find her speech was truly inspirational. As former RNC Chair Michael Steele said, "I thought the First Lady gave a hell of a speech. I know I'm supposed to be partisan, but I'm an American."
Here are 8 of her most inspiring quotes:
- If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire ... if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores ... if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote ... if a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time ... if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream ... and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love ... then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.
- We learned about gratitude and humility -- that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean ... and we were taught to value everyone’s contribution and treat everyone with respect.
- I have seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are -- it reveals who you are.
- Our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys ... Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma’s house ... and a date night for Barack and me was either dinner or a movie, because as an exhausted mom, I couldn’t stay awake for both.
- Barack and I were both raised by families who didn’t have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable -- their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.
- [W]hen you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.
- And believe it or not, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage. We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.
- If so many brave men and women could wear our country’s uniform and sacrifice their lives for our most fundamental rights ... then surely we can do our part as citizens of this great democracy to exercise those rights ... surely, we can get to the polls and make our voices heard on Election Day.
More from The Stir: 10 Wise, Witty Betty White Quotes That Prove She Won’t Talk to an Empty Chair at the DNC
Did you watch the First Lady's speech? What did you think of it?
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Comments 65
No surprises here. The posts by JAFE and billsfan remind the rest of us what hateful and unhappy people so many conservatives in America have become. Stories like that of the Obamas infuriate petty-minded people with preconceived notions about what success looks like and the circumstances from which it can arise. Or, as the younger generations are so fond of saying, haters gonna hate. And a large proportion of modern conservatives have plenty of hate.
lovemyviolet, why was her dad's MS so much worse than Ann Romney's? Where did they get 12 million dollars if 20 years ago they were full of debt? Do you have that kind of money? I don't know anyone else who does either. She said BO took on all the little guys. How did they pay him?
Well, back when I was a youngster, someone becoming rich by profiting from a public office used to be called "corruption"...
But now days, it is different. Being a successful businessman, building a business and creating jobs in the private sector and earning your money is what is supposed to be "evil"...
JAFE -- I can tell you didn't even watch Michelle's speech. There was virtually no "woe is me" element to it. The narrative was about a woman who both faced adversity and had exceptional opportunities granted by her circumstances, chief of which was being born into a country like the United States. It was a very balanced and nuanced take, which is refreshing to see.
I watched every minute of that speech. I also love the first lady. I just wish she'd have talked about the things she's accomplished. She's done a lot of great things. I guess you didn't see when she was talking about her dad then? Maybe it was you that didn't see the speech Algeria.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/09/05/Fact-Check-Michelle-Obama-s-False-Fairy-Tale-of-Struggle
she lied through the whole thing just to get her husband back in office.
I do not agree with the first lady. I do not agree that they struggled like she portrays and there is some proof that she and the President didnt struggle and had it pretty easy.
I agree with Jafe that she could of talked about what she does as first lady and what she wants to continue if she were to remain first lady. Instead to me she was very partisan and had subtle digs at Mitt and Ann Romney