I didn't give Michelle Obama's Democratic National Convention speech my undivided attention.
I just couldn't.
However, my general impression was that she has become a good campaigner. Her public speaking has definitely improved.
I would say Michelle Obama's speech delivery is better off than it was four years ago.
The substance of the speech was basically the same as it was four years ago.
The same old stuff was rehashed. I don't think it works anymore. We know some of the lines just aren't true.
I didn't like her declaration of her most important title - "mom-in-chief."
Because in the end -- in the end, more than anything else, that is the story of this country. The story of unwavering hope grounded in unyielding struggle. That is what has made my story and Barack's story and -- and so many American stories possible. And let me tell you something, I say all of this tonight, not just as a first lady, no, not just as a wife. You see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still mom-in-chief.
I know Michelle was talking about her daughters, but does she also mean she considers herself to be "mom-in-chief" to all Americans?
We know she thinks that she, "mom-in-chief," knows best, whether it's about dieting or exercising or slaughtering the unborn.
Her tone wasn't condescending, but we have the advantage of being able to put her words in context. We can measure what she said by what we know to be the truth.
The magic isn't framed in some unknown anymore. There is a record now.
All the pretty words in the world can't alter what has happened to us in the past four years, what we've experienced in the Obama era.
We've learned the truth. We've lived the reality.
Like so many American families, our families weren't asking for much.
They didn't begrudge anyone else's success or care that others had much more than they did...in fact, they admired it.
They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that, even if you don't start out with much, if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.
That's how they raised us...that's what we learned from their example.
We learned about dignity and decency – that how hard you work matters more than how much you make...that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.
We learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters...that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules...and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square.
What???
This doesn't fit with all the class warfare and divisive rhetoric that has been Obama's game plan.
Obama most definitely begrudges other people's success. He demonizes them and makes them out to be the cause of others' lack of success. Does "Romney Hood" ring a bell?
And if anyone plays by his own set of rules, it's Obama. He bypasses Congress and imposes his executive orders on us. He ignores the Constitution, brushing aside our right to freely exercise our religion, waging war on Catholics.
Michelle claims that she and Obama learned about "honesty and integrity – that the truth matters."
If that's the case, Obama needs to start applying those lessons.
In sum, much of what Michelle said doesn't fit with what we have learned about Obama these past four, long, terrible years of economic misery and despair.
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Here's the transcript of Michelle Obama's convention speech.
Here's the video:
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