The breakout star at the DNC is...Michelle Obama!
Former First Lady takes up the fight to Donald Trump
Former First Lady Michelle Obama stole the show on night two of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Giving a version of a speech that she has likely been writing since January 20th, 2017, when she and her almost as impressive husband were forced to vacate the White House and watch as the Trumps moved in.
Last night, she drew on all of the emotion of that day and since to tear strips off Donald Trump and his agenda.
In a performance that fired up the crowd even more than President Obama who spoke immediately following her, the former First Lady directly confronted the hate, misogyny and barely suppressed racism she has faced since she came onto the national stage 16 years ago.
She referenced Trump as a whiner and a cheater, someone who had ‘fallen forward’ throughout his life and yet was still playing the victim.
She contrasted the story shared by her, her husband and Kamala Harris as kids of color climbing the so-called meritocratic pole with the second, third and fourth chances granted to Trump as he moved from failing business to failing business.
It was a tour de force that culminated in a clever reference to a recent phrase used by Trump that the presidency might just be one of those ‘Black jobs.’
Even Barack knew she had upstaged him, starting his speech with the acknowledgment that he was ‘the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama.’
After roughly 25 minutes of intelligent, thoughtful and visceral comments, as Michelle Obama passed the baton to Barack Obama to continue the attack, you sensed that Democratic momentum was surging.
The only thing that Donald Trump could be grateful for was that Michelle Obama had stuck to her word to not go into politics. If it was her name at the top of the ticket, a bad week for Trump might have been even worse.