Michelle ... I'm sorry, I have to call her Michelle. Calling her Mrs. or Ms. Obama seems too impersonal for such a warm woman. Michelle showed a deep understanding for the struggles of military members and their families... Make no mistake. Michelle gets it. [snip] Aside from the political purpose of the event, I was struck by Michelle's warmth, candor, and sincerity. I'll save the content of my conversation with Michelle, which was personal in nature... but it only made me determined to do everything I can to get Michelle Obama's husband into office.
Michelle made it clear that she is focusing her efforts on military spouses because of the myriad challenges sustaining their families while their spouses are serving. She also proved that she fully grasps the issues raised as she discussed her observations and common concerns raised elsewhere. She has made the effort to hear firsthand the concerns of spouses who must balance work and family under conditions of uncertainty. She made clear her role communicating the information that has informed Senator Obama's vision to support America's military families. "If Barack has the distinct honor of serving as your President, and I have the privilege of serving as your First Lady, I'm going to keep taking your stories to him. Because the Commander-in-Chief doesn't just need to know how to lead the military; he needs to understand what war does to military families, and what he can do to make their lives better."
Regardless of what happens in speculation-land, this much is now clear: Indiana is on the national radar screen, and more importantly than that, Hoosiers are beginning to take note that only one candidate is taking the time and making the effort to reach out and hear their ideas.
When Obama was finally at the podium the crowd spontaneously sang "Happy Birthday," which cracked him up. He thanked and acknowledged a few people in attendance, notably (former) Clinton national co-chair Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones. [snip] At the very end, Obama compared his call for energy independence to the nation's quest to go to the moon. The first step is to set goals, he said. "It takes ingenuity to meet them, but we have that." America has not been striving to achieve lofty goals, and has not been listening to the voices of the people. It comes down to whether we "want a government that's accountable to you, or to the special interests."
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