Michelle Obama is America’s mom, teacher and best friend. She has done so much for us and we feel like we know her. When she explains things we listen because her words have weight, but more than that we want to do whatever she asks. Michelle has released a 24 minute “Closing Argument” video for Joe Biden’s campaign in which she clearly lays out the reasons to vote for the sane guy who will get things back to normal. She appeals to the undecided voters and to their friends and she’s amazing as usual. She states, very plainly, what Trump does and says and how he’s messed up this country beyond belief. It’s all so damning, especially coming from MObama, the go high always nice First Lady of our hearts (I know that’s cheesy, but it’s true!). Toward the end she speaks candidly about racism, Trump’s racism and what it’s like to be Black in America and it’s just incredibly moving. In no way can I do her video justice and I highly recommend you watch it. I nodded along and got choked up at times. Here are some excerpts and you can watch it below:
Our country is really floundering compared to other countries
It’s painful to think that months into this crisis, this is still where we are with no clear plan, no peace of mind and the worst part is it didn’t have to be like this. Look around the world. So many other countries aren’t experiencing this level of extended suffering and uncertainty. These countries were hit by the same viruses we were. They have the same kind of resources to contain it as we did, but what they didn’t have to contend with was this president. A man who had every resource at his disposal, the finest medical experts, our best intelligence, and yet ignored all the advice and failed to produce a plan to provide enough tests for worried families or protective equipment for our healthcare workers. A man who knew how deadly this virus is, but who lied to us and told us it would just disappear. Who in the greatest crisis of our lifetimes doubled down on division and resentment, railed against measures that could have mitigated the damage and continues to hold massive events without requiring masks or social distancing, knowingly exposing his own supporters to a dangerous virus.On how Trump is using racism to stoke his base
But right now, the President and his allies are trying to tap into that frustration and distract from his breathtaking failures by giving folks someone to blame other than them. They’re stoking fears about Black and Brown Americans, lying about how minorities will destroy the suburbs, whipping up violence and intimidation and they’re pinning it all on what’s been an overwhelmingly peaceful movement for racial solidarity. It’s true, research backs it up. Only a tiny fraction of demonstrations have had any violence at all.On how racism affects people
Look, I get it, but I also feel it. As a black woman who has, like the overwhelming majority of people of color in this nation, done everything in my power to live a life of dignity and service and honesty. The knowledge that any of my fellow Americans is more afraid of me than the chaos we are living through right now, well, that hurts. It hurts us all. It is a heaviness that sits on our hearts.She asks people to imagine how racism feels
So, I want to appeal for some empathy here too. I want everyone who is still undecided to think about all those folks like me and my ancestors, the moms and dads who worked their fingers to the bone to raise their kids right, the teenagers who wear hoodies while working hard to get their diplomas, the millions of folks who look like me and fought and died and toiled as slaves and soldiers and laborers to help build this country. Put yourselves in our shoes for just a moment. Imagine how it feels to wake up every day and do your very best to uphold the values that this country claims to hold dear, truth, honor, decency, only to have those efforts met by scorn, not just by your fellow citizens, but by a sitting president.Imagine how it feels to have suspicion cast on you from the day you were born, simply because of the hue of your skin, to walk around your own country scared that someone’s unjustified fear of you could put you in harm’s way, terrified of what four more years of this kind of division might mean for the safety of you and those you love. Living with the knowledge that no matter how hard we try, how much good we do in the world, there will be far too many who will never see our humanity, who will project on us their own fears of retribution for centuries of injustice and thus only see us as a threat to be restrained.
We know what happens next, a racial slur from a passing car, a job promotion that never comes, a routine traffic stop gone wrong, maybe a knee to the neck. Racism, fear, division, these are powerful weapons and they can destroy this nation if we don’t deal with them head on. So, I want to ask every single American, no matter what party you normally vote for, to please take a moment to pause. Click off the news. Think about how you felt over these last four years, how quickly things have turned and then think about what next four years could mean for our country’s future, the message we will send to our children about who we are and what we truly value. Think about what would possibly compel you to accept this level of chaos, violence, and confusion under this president and be willing to watch our country continue to spiral out of control. Because we can no longer pretend that we don’t know exactly who and what this president stands for.
Search your hearts and your conscience and then vote for Joe Biden like your lives depend on it.
She’s just such an incredible speaker and so motivating. When she asks us to imagine what racism is like it’s powerful and I know she’ll get some people to vote who wouldn’t otherwise. In a way it’s a shame that Michelle isn’t going into politics, but you can tell she’s over it, especially when she so plainly describes Trump.
After watching Biden’s speech in Gettysburg yesterday, especially when contrasted with Trump’s inability to take covid seriously, even after he and so many of his minions caught it, I can’t believe there are undecided people, or even people who aren’t planning to vote. We’ve been sitting at home for almost seven months! I’ve never experienced a worse presidency and I’m almost 50. Thank you to everyone who is trying to talk your deplorable-adjacent and undecided friends and family into voting for Biden. Ask them to watch at least part of Michelle’s video. I didn’t expect to be as impressed and moved as I was. She and her husband are extraordinary people, as are Joe and Jill Biden. I hope we can get some semblance of normalcy back in our country soon. Please vote and please encourage your friends to vote. There is still time to register! Go to When We All Vote.org for more.
Ooh she should have worn this lipstick for the video!
That was a great speech and so inspiring.
It really was so well constructed and delivered. Collective human memory is very short, and every day, he manages to do something even worse than the previous day, so we have a tendency to forget all his most despicable acts. She summed them all up as a reminder to the American people of who he is and what he does.
Trump just retweeted James Woods’s attack on her. Can’t bring himself to do it but retweeted that scum James Woods.
James Woods…another has-been old white man striving for relevancy.
hey, jimmy, why not go hit on another teenage girl instead?
She is the best. Let’s hope anyone who’s undecided actually listens to her logic
She is wonderful.
As I was watching this last night, in all honesty, I had to stop. I guess I made to the empathy part and clicked stop. I had streaks on my cheeks. I got so ridiculously emotional AND ANGRY! Crying because of her words. Angry because she felt she needed to say those words. You know what I mean? I’m constantly walking around with overflowing extreme ranges of emotion battling each other.
Mabs, I hear you about the anger. I had no idea how it was cumulatively affecting me until I went for a check-up yesterday, and the nurse was concerned that my blood pressure was high. I kept telling her it must be a mistake, my blood pressure is always very low, and then it dawned on me that the political situation was coming for my health. I’m drinking more than I should as well. It’s so distressing.
She’s wonderful and I appreciate every effort she is making.
Love her!
Michelle has had it and spoke her powerful truth. I’ve got family members who are still voting for Trump. And yet 1/2 of our family are BIPOC. I’ve tried to explain how my husband and son are affected by white supremacy but they write it off. I’m so angry at them. So angry at the blatant disregard for human life.
Very powerful indeed. Always so impressive both she and former president Obama. It just made me think of all the people who support Trump and wonder what it must truly be like to be them. To not be bothered by hate and chaos, I just can’t imagine it. I guess when you have absolutely no skin in the game, or think you don’t, it’s possible to be gleeful about the suffering of others. What many of these people are forgetting is that people like me might be the among the first to feel the pain, but their turn will soon follow. It’s like none of these people reads history and have the critical thinking skills to apply it to the present moment.
I admire her so very much!
“ I can’t believe there are undecided people, or even people who aren’t planning to vote. ”
This x 100. I can’t fathom how anyone can be undecided.
I truly hope those people listen to MO’s words.