Michelle Obama raised a big tent – and brought down the house – at the DNC

Commentary

When Michelle Obama took the stage at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night in Chicago to raucous cheering, my mind flashed back to a similar crowd and delirious noise from more than a quarter century ago. The setting was also Chi-town when Michael Jordan and the Bulls found themselves in an elimination game against the Indiana Pacers, and needed a clutch performance to preserve their dynastic empire.

Her husband, Barack, would take the stage minutes later, to a similar response. But there was no mistaking who offered the most compelling and “Jordanesque” performance of the night – the “forever first lady.” Former President Obama acknowledged as much, quipping, “I am the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama,” after the couple embraced on stage.

“There’s something wonderfully magical in the air, isn’t it?” she said. It was an acknowledgment of electricity, the crackling energy in the atmosphere. It reminded me of one of my favorite superheroes, Storm, who has the power to control the weather. For one night, Mrs. Obama embraced a similar command of the political climate, and she gave us the forecast.

What resulted was one of the more important political commentaries in recent memory. It was also a reminder that Mrs. Obama’s speech-delivering prowess wasn’t just the envy of political friends, but of foes as well. Her speech featured familiar themes from the Obama mystique – audacity and hope – while also delivering the counterpunching offense that has been a change in Democratic tactics since Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as President Joe Biden’s replacement.

“It’s the contagious power of hope, the anticipation, the energy, the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day,” Mrs. Obama said. “The chance to vanquish the demons of fear, division, and hate that have consumed us and continue pursuing the unfinished promise of this great nation. The dream that our parents and grandparents fought and died and sacrificed for. America, hope is making a comeback.”

How Michelle Obama rooted hope in personal loss

It was a hope rooted in gravitas, grounded in the loss of a matriarch. Mrs. Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, died in late May. Mrs. Obama parlayed her personal pain into a rousing endorsement of Vice President Harris that was almost diasporic, noting how even “though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country.”

And then, defense turned into offense. It wasn’t simply the fact that Mrs. Obama was unafraid to challenge former President Donald Trump and his “limited, narrow view of the world.” She did so in a way that effectively employed linguistics, which has been the calling card of the Republican Party.

“Woke.” “Critical race theory.” “Liberal.” These terms are considered polarizing in our societal lexicon, if not outright corrosive. But during the course of her speech, Mrs. Obama used Mr. Trump’s making “America great” tagline to promote Vice President Harris’ qualifications.

“Wait, I want to know: Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?” she asked, to uproarious applause.

It was a speech with teeth, and not just the former first lady’s pearly whites. It challenged Mr. Trump’s character and his racial commentary in places such as his interview with the National Association of Black Journalists. 

“Look, I don’t care how you identify politically”

It was a message about the relatively short amount of time until November, and what’s at stake during the next 11 weeks. It was a near-perfect speech for a far-from-perfect country, with protests against the U.S. role in the war in Gaza taking place outside.

And yet Mrs. Obama’s commentary was a graduation of sorts. It was more layered than the “Yes, we can!” of yesterday. When “they go low,” going high might not be the best option. Perhaps securing balance is the best response. 

Certainly, balance is the thing. Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Stephanie Grisham, a former Trump staffer, were part of a quintet of current and former Republicans slated to speak during the convention. It’s hard to imagine conservatives under the same roof as progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, yet there they were, all smiling.

Ultimately, Mrs. Obama’s words were far from a “both sides” narrative. They were reflective of the inclusiveness that her political party preaches.

“​​Look, I don’t care how you identify politically – whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, independent, or none of the above,” she said. “This is our time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right. To stand up, not just for our basic freedoms but for decency and humanity; for basic respect, dignity, and empathy; for the values at the very foundation of this democracy.”