Michelle Obama was the highlight of the opening night of the Democratic convention in Denver, telling the party faithful of her strong family ties.
"I come here tonight as a sister, blessed with a brother who is my mentor, my protector and my lifelong friend," Obama said. "And I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president. And I come here as a mom, as a mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world — they're the first things I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about before I go to bed at night.
"Their future – and all our children's future – is my stake in this election."
Frank James of The Chicago Tribune wondered if the speech, which was very good, would play well in Peoria:
It's difficult to tell how Michelle Obama's speech played out in flyover country. She obviously has a great personal story, this South Side Chicago girl.
But is it enough to overcome her earlier controversial comments and conservative attempts to make her seem like a radical who's far out of the mainstream? Hard to say.
