Playing it Safe: Michelle Obama At the Democratic National Convention

August 26th, 2008 | By Sonnie Johnson

I’m on East Coast time and have a little girl to chase around all day, so I missed Michelle Obama’s Speech last night. I watched the convention all day yesterday just waiting to hear from Michelle Obama.

They say she is completely on Board with the Campaign. She was willing to get a make over, practice her Public Speaking More; basically anything that would help her husband get elected. I laughed because I could just see this being a disaster.

When she was being herself, America is down right mean, and She just found Pride in Her Country since her Husband started Running and Winning. But in this truly sincere, well scripted, and practiced speech, we will see the Real Michelle Obama.

Got up this morning, Found the Video and The Words and Now it’s time to Go To Work.

The first part on the speech focuses on her Brother. Nice Words. No Complaints; Let’s move on.

“And he’s been there for me every step of the way since that clear February day 19 months ago, when – with little more than our faith in each other and a hunger for change – we joined my husband, Barack Obama, on the improbable journey that’s brought us to this moment.” Full text

Little more than each other. Yeah, right. After Barack Obama’s Speech at the DNC for John Kerry, you had a lot more than just each other. You had the extreme left of the Democratic Party pushing for An Obama Nomination. They had a candidate that could say he was against the War from the Beginning. And that made him a Dream to the Bring Our Troops Home People.

Not to mention, the simple color of Barack Obama’s Skin got him a couple votes. There are people that have supported Hillary Clinton since Bill’s Presidential Days; that turned their backs to vote black. These are people that have worked with Senator Clinton to get actual Legislation passed, have never worked with Barack Obama, but will say that he is more qualified. You can’t tell me that Hillary Clinton is that inept.

Michelle Obama then starts to tell of her Father. How he got up everyday and went to work, even after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. As he got sicker, he had to get up earlier to get ready for work. It didn’t stop him, though his paced was slowed.

He wanted something for his children, so he worked for it. Remarkable Story. Hey, Tell that Story more than once. Tell People that Shit Happens, but you have a choice on what to do Next. You could lose your home and complain that it’s all the Government fault or you can fix your credit, save for a down payment, and this time read the entire Loan Application. And if you don’t understand something, Ask. That’s your choice.

Her father could have said. “I’ve worked for enough years, the President should assign money to my family so I don’t have to work so Hard. I shouldn’t have to save to send my Children to College. I shouldn’t have to work for my Children to have Health Care.”

But if he said All That, “Would he still be Michelle Obama’s Rock? Would she have been able to recognize the qualities she loves so much in Barack Obama? Or could she have ended up as another statistic? Poor, black, and stuck in the same place.

It’s in the struggle. Character is built in Struggle. Confidence is built through Struggle. Success is the by product of Struggle. Why would you want to take that away? To give people more of a reason to feel entitled, and then when the programs stop; the people are left with no way to take care of themselves because they have never struggled.

Give me a enlightened story of a Man with No Struggle. The greatest People have stories fill with pain and heartache. Why? Because that made them strong enough to with stand storms and still persevere. It’s not easy to stand when you feel the entire world is falling around you, unless you’ve been there before and you know it’s going to be okay. Don’t try to give so much to your kids, that you forget to give them what you had.

“And you know, what struck me when I first met Barack was that even though he had this funny name, even though he’d grown up all the way across the continent in Hawaii, his family was so much like mine.”

Listen up People. This Black Man was raised with a white Family and they still had the same values. Is it Possible that White People Struggle Too? This is not a Knock on Either Obama. This is a little shot out to the Racist of our Communities. The ones that think Life would be Great, If they had been born White. White People Struggle too.

Life is not handed to them on a silver Platter. There are White Families where the Father walks out and doesn’t play a Role in his Kids Life. There are white Families that have lost their homes. There are White Families that don’t have Food to Feed their Kids. Stop using excuses. Especially if they are completely Baseless.

“…to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”

Where is the Part about the Government Financing your Dreams? Isn’t that why you want to raise the Taxes on the Rich? You mean I can work for it, without Government Assistance, and still make it? No Way. Doesn’t that go against the entire Barack Obama Campaign. He doesn’t say, “Study more in High School so you can get a Scholarship to College. He says “I’ll give everyone the ability to go to College. Why?

So they can be rushed out by Professors, so the next group can come in. So colleges can stop caring about entrance scores and start thinking about how much money they’ll be getting from the Government. So we have a large group of Citizens with Degrees, but none with pride in the Accomplishment.

“And he urged us to believe in ourselves – to find the strength within ourselves to strive for the world as it should be. And isn’t that the great American story?”

I’m going to be here all day. To believe in Ourselves. That’s Funny. If we believed in Ourselves we would leave towns crippled by No Economic Growth. If we didn’t leave, we would hold the local Public Office Accountable. Not Continue to Re-Elect those that do nothing to solve the Problem.

Black Democrats govern most Black districts. We are a diverse people, all with different beliefs, values, and economic situations. How is it possible the 97% of us all believe in Barack Obama? I don’t really do statistics, but I’m sure the chances aren’t good. The only places were anyone gets that kind of support is Countries were it’s not wise to step outside the box.

So is this the Position we’re in now. If I actually believe in myself enough to know I don’t agree with Obama positions, that makes me less black. I’m a trader, an outsider, a disgrace to my own people; because I follow Obama’s advise. Because I believe the American Dream shouldn’t stop when you reach Success. Because I believe if I earn $5 million, the Government shouldn’t take $1.25 million or more. To me, that’s like putting a cap on your Success; Don’t let our company grow to fast, or we’ll be in the High Tax Bracket with little chance for more expansion.

Corporations cost money. I plan on building one. I think about things like that. When I get there, let me keep my money. I got investment ideas to help the economy, let me spend my money as I see fit. I think I’d do more for the community opening businesses, than giving more money to Social Programs. That’s how much I believe in Myself.

“The young people across America serving our communities – teaching children, cleaning up neighborhoods, caring for the least among us each and every day.”

Little jab at those who believe you should only take care of yourself. If you plan on voting for the Obamas’, you should know they expect you to lend a hand to your fellow man. Your Hero is giving you a glimpse inside the change he’s bringing. What’s up?

“It was strong enough to bring hope to those neighborhoods in Chicago.”

I’m just wandering. Kanye West is from Chicago. Barack Obama was a Illinois Senator. Kanye came out with a song talking about the Violence in Chicago. Are you seeing where I’m going. Kanye West is a proud Barack Obama Supporter.

I’m just saying. If the Senator of My State was running for President, I would question how 30 people could be killed in One Weekend in my town. I would be wondering why didn’t you bring this change you talk so much about to the community that gave you a start. Yes you fought for this, and yes you campaigned for that, but where are the changes? We are still getting slaughtered in the Streets?

Where is the Barack Obama Doesn’t Care About Black People Speech?

All in All, I think Michelle Obama has adopted her Husband’s style beautifully. She says everything People want to hear, with little actual substance. See gives messages of Hope, but not self reliance. She gives a Great Family Message, but doesn’t advocate the path that got her there.

There were some really Great Things she said.

“All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do – that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.” Declaration to Fight

But each of us also comes here tonight by way of our own improbable journey. Expect Problems

Instead of heading to Wall Street, Barack had gone to work in neighborhoods devastated when steel plants shut down, and jobs dried up. Starts with Me

The world as it is” and “The world as it should be.” And he said that all too often, we accept the distance between the two, and settle for the world as it is – even when it doesn’t reflect our values and aspirations. Equal Opportunity

I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history – knowing that my piece of the American Dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me. All of them driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work. The same conviction that drives the men and women I’ve met all across this country: It’s Our Turn