Le malheur de la classe moyenne vient de là, pas de l'Obamacare. He is a profoundly decent man, guided by faith. So, it is up to us to add our voices and our votes to the course of history, echoing heroes like John Lewis who said: “When you see something that is not right, you must say something. They see people shouting in grocery stores, unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe. And he listens. “He is a profoundly decent man guided by faith. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Maybe the barriers felt too steep. So many of you are already going that extra mile. Adding to the unusual, virtual character of this convention, Obama’s speech was recorded before Kamala Harris was selected as Biden’s running mate last Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the timing. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. They’re looking around wondering if we’ve been lying to them this whole time about who we are and what we truly value. When he was a young senator, Joe lost his wife and his baby daughter. Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Michelle vs. Melania On August 25th of the year 2008, Michelle Obama gave an outstanding speech at the Democratic National Convention. When my husband left office with Joe Biden at his side, we had a record-breaking stretch of job creation. Michelle Obama painted a dark picture of Donald Trump’s America Monday, telling Democratic National Convention viewers that the president lacks the empathy and character to govern. Click on the yellow highlights to see annotations with analysis from The Fix. “And he will govern as someone who has lived a life that the rest of us can recognize.”, Former first lady paints a dark picture of Trump’s America, Obama reprises her 2016 advice to ‘go high’ against attacks, Former First Lady Michelle Obama: Trump “is clearly in over his head.”. Michelle repudiates Barack’s core tenet of politics in urgent plea to boot Trump. Indledning The speech is epideictic, as Barack Obama is praising Joe Biden. And if we want to keep the possibility of progress alive in our time, if we want to be able to look our children in the eye after this election, we have got to reassert our place in American history. And then, make sure our friends and families do the same. The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. We will write a custom Essay on Analysis of Obama’s Victory Speech specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page. We have got to vote like we did in 2008 and 2012. 2020 Conventions. EMAIL. He knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic and lead our country. This is who we still are: compassionate, resilient, decent people whose fortunes are bound up with one another. You know I hate politics. Over the past four years, a lot of people have asked me, “When others are going so low, does going high still really work?” My answer: Going high is the only thing that works, because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that’s drowning out everything else. He wants all of our kids to be able to go to a movie or a math class without being afraid of getting shot. It has left millions of people jobless. And when he was vice president, he lost his beloved son. Maybe they were fed up. So what do we do now? Michelle Obama kicked off her “Dear Class of 2020” graduation speech with a list of uncomfortable questions and truths. While he does that, he talks about, how Donald Trump is using his power to help himself and his own friends, while he does nothing for the American population. We were respected around the world, rallying our allies to confront climate change. But let’s be clear: Going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. SHARE. He will make smart plans and manage a good team. We degrade ourselves. It is what it is. TRANSCRIPT: Michelle Obama – Former First Lady of the United States. You must do something.” That is the truest form of empathy: not just feeling, but doing; not just for ourselves or our kids, but for everyone, for all our kids. Calling Joe Biden “a profoundly decent man,” Obama said she saw firsthand during the presidency of her husband how the job requires judgment, an appreciation of history, and a moral compass. Well, a presidential election can reveal who we are, too. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Reporter covering identity politics for The Fix, Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events, Michelle Obama’s full speech to the Democratic National Convention, annotated, Congress affirms Biden’s presidential win following riot at U.S. Capitol, How members of Congress voted on counting the electoral college vote, Trump pledges ‘orderly transition’ after Biden is declared winner at the end of a violent day. Former first lady Michelle Obama was the closing speaker during the first night of the Democratic convention. Learn More. But she added: “Going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty.”. It requires clearheaded judgment, a mastery of complex and competing issues, a devotion to facts and history, a moral compass, and an ability to listen — and an abiding belief that each of the 330,000,000 lives in this country has meaning and worth. Bitcoin Declines After Musk Hints That Prices Are Excessive, Facebook Ends Australia News Blackout After Law Compromise, Pfizer-BioNTech Shot Stops Covid Spread, Israeli Study Shows, Elon Musk’s Bitcoin Tweet Hurts Tesla’s Own Bet in Currency, Tech Paces U.S. Stock Slump as Rotation Takes Hold: Markets Wrap. But enough of you know me by now. He will tell the truth and trust science. As I’ve said before, being president doesn’t change who you are; it reveals who you are. But I am here tonight because I love this country with all my heart, and it pains me to see so many people hurting. They can summon our better angels or awaken our worst instincts. Former First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the 2020 Democratic National Convention: "Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He tells the people about all the times that Joe Biden has helped him avoid or get through huge crises. Intelligence Failures, Guard Delays Detailed in Riot Hearing, Biden Team Hunts for Tanden Votes as Senate Opposition Grows, Former Senator Perdue Won’t Run Against Warnock in Georgia, Biden Nominee Open to Using Trump-Era Order to Punish China. The speech was premiered on October 6, 2020. Michelle Obama uses the language of her speech to help her get her message across. Michelle Obama’s speech Monday night at the Democratic National Convention was the heart and soul of opening night. Good evening, everyone. And like so many of you, Barack and I have tried our best to instill in our girls a strong moral foundation to carry forward the values that our parents and grandparents poured into us. Michelle Obama had some great things to say to all the students graduating amid the quarantine and being unable to have a proper prom as a result. But right now, kids in this country are seeing what happens when we stop requiring empathy of one another. Obama does it by carefully selecting her words and speaking in a chatty tone with many interjections. Look, we have already sacrificed so much this year. Michelle Obama’s full speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. And he’s got plans to make all of that happen. Maybe they thought the outcome wouldn’t be close. Most of us practice this without a second thought. Below is a transcript of her remarks as prepared for delivery. Among the star-studded appearances included names like: LeBron James, Yara Shahidi, Malala Yousafzai, Zendaya, The Jonas Brothers, Kevin Hart, Bad Bunny, Dua Lipa, Megan Rapinoe, and Timothée Chalamet, just to name a few. Michelle Obama painted a dark picture of Donald Trump’s America Monday, telling Democratic National Convention viewers that the president lacks the empathy and character to govern. We live in a nation that is deeply divided, and I am a Black woman speaking at the Democratic Convention. They can start wars or broker peace. There’s a lot of beauty in that story. And that’s not just disappointing; it’s downright infuriating, because I know the goodness and the grace that is out there in households and neighborhoods all across this nation. And thanks to so many who came before me, thanks to their toil and sweat and blood, I’ve been able to live that promise myself. “A presidential election can reveal who we are too,” she said, “and four years ago too many people chose to believe that their votes didn’t matter.”, She described Trump’s America as a place where people fight over wearing masks at grocery stores, federal officials put immigrant children in cages and where “stating the simple fact that a black life matters is still met with derision from the nation’s highest office.”, “Sadly this is the America that is on display for the next generation, a nation that’s underperforming not simply on matters of policy, but on matters of character,” she said. “Being president doesn’t change who you are,” she told Democrats in 2012, speaking of Barack Obama. In her speech, Michelle Obama delves into her autobiography as a child on the South Side of Chicago and as an adult working in the public service sector. Too many have lost their health care; too many are struggling to take care of basic necessities like food and rent; too many communities have been left in the lurch to grapple with whether and how to open our schools safely. A nation that’s underperforming not simply on matters of policy but on matters of character. Duration: 18:26 8/18/2020. Believe it or not, the election is right around the corner. Joe Biden wants all of our kids to go to a good school, see a doctor when they’re sick, live on a healthy planet. And it is well past time for our leaders to once again reflect our truth. Avec le covid, les Américains comprennent qu'ils ont un déficit monstrueux qui sert à gonfler les profits des grandes entreprises qui ne payent presque plus d'impôt et à financer l'armée la plus puissante du monde. Now, Joe is not perfect. Because Joe Biden has served this nation his entire life without ever losing sight of who he is; but more than that, he has never lost sight of who we are, all of us. Read former first lady Michelle Obama's speech from the 2020 Democratic National Convention, as prepared for delivery: It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. 25th Amendment: Senior officials have discussed removing Trump. Internationally, we’ve turned our back, not just on agreements forged by my husband, but on alliances championed by presidents like Reagan and Eisenhower. We’ve got to request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they’re received. Obama’s 2020 DNC speech analysis. Obama’s speech culminated a night of testimonials about Biden’s character from across the political spectrum -- from Republicans to democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. And who we choose as our president in this election will determine whether or not we honor that struggle and chip away at that injustice and keep alive the very possibility of finishing that work. If we see someone suffering or struggling, we don’t stand in judgment. Even when you’re anxious, you’re delivering those packages, stocking those shelves and doing all that essential work so that all of us can keep moving forward. And I know a lot of folks are reluctant to tune into a political convention right now or to politics in general. She also talks about her upbringings as well as Barack’s. Going high means taking the harder path. And I know that regardless of our race, age, religion or politics, when we close out the noise and the fear and truly open our hearts, we know that what’s going on in this country is just not right. Michelle Obama is the first African American first lady of the white house. His life is a testament to getting back up, and he is going to channel that same grit and passion to pick us all up, to help us heal and guide us forward. I’ve heard your stories. And he will govern as someone who’s lived a life that the rest of us can recognize. https://www.rev.com/.../michelle-obama-commencement-speech-transcript-2020 Joe Biden wants all of our kids, no matter what they look like, to be able to walk out the door without worrying about being harassed or arrested or killed. I know Joe. You know how much I care about all of our children. TWEET. They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages, and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protesters for a photo-op. So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. But her speech was uniquely personal, directly addressing people reluctant to tune into political speeches. In one of the states that determined the outcome, the winning margin averaged out to just two votes per precinct — two votes. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it. Sadly, this is the America that is on display for the next generation. She is married to the 44th president, who have endured much scrutiny just because of his skin color. In other words, the former First Lady of the United States joined the MTV Prom-athon – a virtual dance experience created just for the class of 2020! More than 150,000 people have died, and our economy is in shambles because of a virus that this president downplayed for too long. And here at home, as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and a never-ending list of innocent people of color continue to be murdered, stating the simple fact that a Black life matters is still met with derision from the nation’s highest office. Joe knows what it’s like to struggle, which is why he gives his personal phone number to kids overcoming a stutter of their own. Monday, she made a direct case for why voters should back Joe Biden and reject Trump and Trumpism, and warned of obstacles to voting by mail or in person. It’s what we teach our children. The virtual convention format proved tricky for many Democrats Monday night, but Michelle Obama showed there’s a way to nail it by veering away from what would normally work in an arena. You simply cannot fake your way through this job. Because whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy. There’s a reason why … And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth. It’s a hard time, and everyone’s feeling it in different ways. Former First Lady Michelle Obama anchored the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention on Monday night, kicking off a week that will culminate in the party’s nomination of Former Vice President Joe Biden for president. Empathy: That’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. It was a familiar convention role for the former first lady, who delivered uniquely personal speeches to three previous conventions, mixing meditations on character with the problems of everyday Americans. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us.”. Senior officials have discussed removing Trump. "Class of 2020, this is for you," said NBA star James, as he kicked off the event, which started at 8PM … They see an entitlement that says only certain people belong here, that greed is good, and winning is everything, because as long as you come out on top, it doesn’t matter what happens to everyone else. Michelle Obama’s speech is only 14 minutes, which is an ideal amount of time to transfer emotion to an audience without overstaying your welcome. Here’s how that could work. When he was a kid, Joe’s father lost his job. Here is former First Lady Michelle Obama's speech, delivered Monday, on the first day of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. This is not who we want to be. We reach out because, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” It is not a hard concept to grasp. We’ve got to vote early, in person if we can. A president’s words have the power to move markets. “I know Joe,” the former first lady said in the 19-minute video. Votes are already being cast. Her speech was the fourth Democratic convention address by Michelle Obama, who first introduced herself to the nation during her husband’s groundbreaking campaign in … Obama est allé aussi loin qu'il l'a pu à l'époque. All those folks who sacrificed and overcame so much in their own times because they wanted something more, something better for their kids. Teachers are getting creative so that our kids can still learn and grow. Her speech echoed her convention addresses supporting her husband in 2008 and 2012 and Hillary Clinton in 2016, but with the more intimate setting of a straight-to-camera web video without an audience. We’d secured the right to health care for 20,000,000 people. We have got to grab our comfortable shoes, put on our masks, pack a brown bag dinner and maybe breakfast, too, because we’ve got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to. That’s the story of America. In her speech she talks about her husband's progress in the election as well as his background, political experience, and social activism. Share; Tweet; Share; Flip It; Print; The nation still hasn’t quite fully-absorbed Michelle Obama’s powerful speech last night. Have a confidential tip for our reporters?