篇一：米歇尔·奥巴马,2016年最精彩的演讲!
米歇尔·奥巴马，2016年最精彩的演讲！
昨天，美国民主党全国代表大会（Democratic National Convention, DNC）在美国独立宣言宣读与联邦宪法诞生之地，费城，开幕。
这一次的美国选举可以说充满了戏剧性。就在民主党全国代表大会召开前夕，民主党爆发邮件危机，维基解密泄露的邮件显示民主党高层在初选阶段有偏袒希拉里，打压桑德斯的情况。
当人们认为民主党的这次大会将成为一次分裂的灾难时，现任美国第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马站了出来。
米歇尔·奥巴马通过演讲，将现场的人们团结了起来。
她的演讲充满了激情和感染力，说到动情之处，台下不少现场的听众潸然泪下。本来还充满了些许抗议杂音的会议现场，在她的演讲之后，气氛变得空前热烈，人们也一次次为她的演讲献上掌声和欢呼声。
奥巴马总统在米歇尔演讲之后通过推特说到：“一次由一位杰出女性所作的杰出讲演。我无比自豪。我国有幸有这样一位第一夫人。我爱你，米歇尔。”
《华盛顿邮报》评论米歇尔的演讲是，充满“不和谐杂音”的民主党党代会第一天日程中的“精彩顶峰”。
《纽约时报》认为，尽管这次党代会的主角是希拉里·克林顿，但至少党代会第一天晚上绝对“属于米歇尔”。
《洛杉矶时报》形容米歇尔的演讲是“民主党党代会第一夜最富激情的一曲希拉里·克林顿赞歌”。
对此，敏敏老师只能说，
这就是演讲的力量！
如果大家对public speech有兴趣，一定不要错过这段演讲。
接下来，敏敏老师为大家找来了这段号称是“史上最佳第一夫人演讲”的视频。让我们跟着米歇尔·奥巴马，一起来学习一下如何演讲。
演讲全文
Thank you all. Thank you so much.
谢谢各位，非常感谢。
You know, it’s hard to believe that it has been eight years since I first came to this convention to talk with you about why I thought my husband should be president.
距离我第一次参加民主党全国大会，说服你们为什么我的丈夫能当总统，已经过去八年了，这令人难以置信。
Remember how I told you about his character and convictions, his decency and his grace, the traits that we’ve seen every day that he’s served our country in the White House?
还记得我是怎么向你们讲述他的人格和信念、他的正直和风度的吗？如我们每天所见，他在白宫服务于整个国家，他所展示的正是那些特质。
I also told you about our daughters, how they are the heart of our hearts, the center of our world. And during our time in the White House, we’ve had the joy of watching them grow from bubbly little girls into poised young women, a journey that started soon after we arrived in Washington.
我还讲到了我们的两个女儿，讲到她们在我们心中有多么重要，是我们家庭的核心。在白宫的日子里，我们很高兴地看到，她们从活泼的小女孩成长为优雅的年轻女士，这段旅程始于我们来到华盛顿不久。
When they set off for their first day at their new school, I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black SUVs with all those big men with guns.And I saw their little faces pressed up against the window, and the only thing I could think was, what have we done? See, because at that moment I realized that our time in the White House would form the
foundation for who they would become and how well we managed this experience could truly make or break them.
那天她们第一次去新学校上学。我永远不会忘记那个冬天的早晨，我看到我们只有7岁和10岁的女儿在持枪保镖簇拥下挤进黑色的SUV里，她们的小脸紧贴车窗玻璃上。当时，我能想到的唯一一件事是：我们到底做了什么？那一刻，我意识到我们在白宫的日子将为她们的未来奠定基础。我们如何妥善处置这段经历，可能成全她们，也可能毁了她们。
篇二：米歇尔拯救希拉里的这篇演讲太精彩
米歇尔“拯救”希拉里的这篇演讲太精彩，不容错过！ 米歇尔在民主党全国代表大会（Democratic National Convention, DNC）上演讲，为希拉里背书，激昂慷慨、气场十足、极富感染力。
演讲从她自己的两个女儿出发，始终围绕人性最柔软的话题，孩子。
她告诉所有的听众：
The president is about one thing and one thing only, it’s about leaving something better for our kids.
一个总统，最主要的任务就是一件事，要为孩子们争取更美好的未来。
米歇尔只字未提特朗普，却给了一个漂亮的回击：
她说这个国家需要的不是仇恨与猜忌，而是爱、平等与希望——
“When they go low, we go high.”
当别人往道德的低处走时，我们要继续向高处前行。
这场演讲一结束，学习“如何形容一场演讲很棒”的一大波资源就上线了。
外媒是这样措辞的：
Michelle Obama could be Hillary Clinton's ace in the hole
米歇尔或成希拉里的最后王牌
The First Lady is a powerful surrogate to Clinton
米歇尔是希拉里强有力的代言人
Michelle united a divided hall
米歇尔把一个分裂的大堂团结在一起（邮件门使得这个大会原本一团乱）
Michelle’s speech brought down the DNC house
米歇尔的演讲博得满堂喝彩（快把民主党全国代表大会的屋顶给掀了）
Michelle Obama’s Speech of a Lifetime Turns Convention Around for Hillary Clinton 米歇尔这场终身难遇的演讲把整个大会的人们都团结到了希拉里身旁
再看看这些用词：
stirring 震撼人心的
emotional 情感饱满的
incredible 不可思议的
stunning 令人惊叹的
epic 史诗般的
blockbuster 轰动的
speech for ages 千载难逢的演讲
showstopper 因太精彩而屡次被掌声打断的演讲
她的这场演讲让群众激动万分（electrifies crowd），全场都坐不住了（get the crowd on their feet），整个大会的人都被感动得热泪盈眶（move the Democratic convention to tears）。 这就是演讲的力量，想学public speech的同学，一定不要错过。
双语全文
Thank you all. Thank you so much. You know, it’s hard to believe that it has been eight years since I first came to this convention to talk with you about why I thought my husband should be president.
谢谢各位，谢谢。真是令人难以置信，八年就这样过去了。八年前，我第一次站在这个大会上告诉诸位，为什么我的丈夫应该成为总统。
Remember how I told you about his character and convictions, his decency and his grace, the traits that we’ve seen every day that he’s served our country in the White House?
大家还记得吗，我向你们介绍他的品质与信念，说着他的正派与慈悲，以及他在白宫为国操劳的每一天向我们展现的所有优点。
I also told you about our daughters, how they are the heart of our hearts, the center of our world. And during our time in the White House, we’ve had the joy of watching them grow from bubbly little girls into poised young women, a journey that started soon after we arrived in Washington.
我那时还向各位说起我们的女儿，说起她们是我们宝贝的心头肉，是我们眼里世界的中心。在白宫度过的这段时光里，我们欢欣地看着她们从热情活泼的小女孩长大为举止沉稳的年轻女性，这是一趟自我们抵达华盛顿之时就已开始的成长旅程。
When they set off for their first day at their new school, I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black SUVs with all those big men with guns.And I saw their little faces pressed up against the window, and the only thing I could think was, what have we done?
我永远不会忘记她们第一天出发去新学校的场景。那个冬天的早晨，我目送我们7岁和10岁的女儿钻进黑色的SUV车里，陪着她们的全是持枪的壮汉。我看着她们把小脸贴在车窗上往外张望，那时候我想到的唯一一件事是：我们这是做错了什么？
See, because at that moment I realized that our time in the White House would form the foundation for who they would become and how well we managed this experience could truly make or break them.
对，就是在那一刻，我意识到，在白宫的日子将会对她们的成长蜕变起到至关重要的影响。我们若能好好地应对这段经历，这段日子将会成就她们；如果不能，这些经历则会把她们带入歧途。
That is what Barack and I think about every day as we try to guide and protect our girls
through the challenges of this unusual life in the spotlight, how we urge them to ignore those who question their father’s citizenship or faith. How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country. How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high.
这就是我和巴拉克每一天所思考的问题。我们努力地引导我们的孩子，保护她们不受这聚光灯之下的不寻常生活的伤害，鼓励她们不去在意别人对她们的爸爸的国籍或信念的质疑。我们坚持让她们相信，电视上那些公共人物说出来的满带恨意的话并不能代表这个国家真正的精神。我们向她们解释，有些人可能残忍而霸道，但这不意味着你可以堕落到与他们一样。绝不可以，我们的信条是，当别人往道德的低处走时，我们要继续向高处前行。
With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us. We as parents are their most important role models. And let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady because we know that our words and actions matter, not just to our girls, but the children across this country, kids who tell us I saw you on TV, I wrote a report on you for school. Kids like the little black boy who looked up at my husband, his eyes wide with hope and he wondered, is my hair like yours?
我们知道，父母的言行举止时时刻刻都被孩子们所关注，我们是她们最重要的榜样。我想告诉各位，巴拉克和我一直以同样的心态对待总统与第一夫人的工作。因为我们深知，我们所说的话，我们所做的事，不仅仅被自家孩子所关注，更同时被这个国家所有的孩子听到和看到。这些孩子可能会对我说，“我在电视上看过你”或是“我在一份作业里写了你”，也可能就像那个抬头带着希望看着我丈夫的黑人小男孩，心里充满好奇，“我的头发和你的是一样的吗？” And make no mistake about it, this November when we go to the polls that is what we’re deciding, not Democrat or Republican, not left or right. No, in this election and every election is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives.
毫无疑问，今年11月我们去投票时，要做的就是这样一个决定，不是选择民主党或共和党，也不管左翼右翼之分。就同每一场选举一样，这场选举决定的是由谁来掌握一个大权，由谁来影响塑造孩子们生命中接下来的四年或六年。
And I am here tonight because in this election there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president of the United States, and that is our friend Hillary Clinton.
今晚，我站在这里，因为在这场选举中，只有一个人,让我放心地将这个责任交付；只有一个人，我相信真正有能力胜任美国总统一职。这个人就是我们的朋友，希拉里?克林顿。 That’s right.
就是如此。
See, I trust Hillary to lead this country because I’ve seen her lifelong devotion to our nation’s children, not just her own daughter, who she has raised to perfection, but every child who needs a champion, kids who take the long way to school to avoid the gangs, kids who wonder how they’ll ever afford college, kids whose parents don’t speak a word of English, but dream of a better life, kids who look to us to determine who and what they can be.
我坚信希拉里能够领导这个国家，因为我见证了她以一生奉献予这个国家的孩子们，不仅仅是她那被栽培得近乎完美的女儿，更包括每一个需要保护的孩子——保护每一个需要走长长的路上学的孩子不受到犯罪团伙的伤害，帮助那些困惑于为何自己负担不起大学费用的孩子、那些自己的父母并不懂得说一句英语但自身梦想过上更好生活的孩子、那些等待着我们去决定他们的未来的孩子。
You see, Hillary has spent decades doing the relentless, thankless work to actually make a difference in their lives, advocating for kids with disabilities as a young lawyer, fighting for children’s health care as first lady, and for quality child care in the Senate.
如你们所见，希拉里在几十年间一直任劳任怨地工作，为的是真正地使孩子们的生活有所不同。当她是个年轻律师时，她就为残障儿童的权益发声；后来她成了第一夫人，她为孩子们的医疗保障奔忙；在国务卿任上，她依然在为孩子们争取高质量的保育环境。
And when she didn’t win the nomination eight years ago, she didn’t get angry or disillusioned. Hillary did not pack up and go home, because as a true public servant Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments. So she proudly stepped up to serve our country once again as secretary of state, traveling the globe to keep our kids safe. 并且，八年前她竞选失利之后，她并不恼怒，也没有灰心丧气。希拉里没有打包走人，因为作为一个真正的公共利益服务者，她懂得这份事业比个人的欲望与失望重要得多。所以，她又挺身而出，以国务卿的身份为我们的国家服务，为孩子们的安全走遍全球。
And look, there were plenty of moments when Hillary could have decided that this work was too hard, that the price of public service was too high, that she was tired of being picked apart for how she looks or how she talks or even how she laughs. But here’s the thing. What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life.
很多时候希拉里都可以抱怨她的工作有多难，为人民付出的代价有多大，自己的外貌或言语甚至笑容时刻被人指责有多心累。可是，我最佩服她的一点，就是无论面对多大的压力，她都不会垮掉，也从来不会偷懒。在她的世界里，永无放弃可言。
And when I think about the kind of president that I want for my girls and all our children, that’s what I want.
所以，当我想象一个能为我的女儿和所有孩子带来美好和希望的美国总统的样子，这就是我想要的。
I want someone with the proven strength to persevere, someone who knows this job and takes it seriously, someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters.
我想要一个真正有能力坚持下去的人，一个了解这份工作、严肃对待它的人，一个懂得总统面对的问题不是非黑即白，也不能短短归结为140个字的人。
Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your
command, you can’t make snap decisions. You can’t have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well-informed.
因为当核武器的发射密码就在你指尖，并且手握着整个国家军队的时候，你不可以做出轻率的决定。你不能死要面子，也不能一戳就发火。你必须运筹帷幄、深思熟虑、见识广博。
I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves, we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.
我心目中的总统，要有从事公众服务的纪录，用毕生工作向孩子们证明，我们奋斗的目标不是追名逐利，而是让每个人都有成功的机会。
And we give back even when we’re struggling ourselves because we know that there is always someone worse off. And there but for the grace of God go I.
就算当我们苦苦挣扎的时候，也要回报这个社会，因为总有人的生活比你还艰难。我们没吃他们的苦，是因为上帝眷顾。
I want a president who will teach our children that everyone in this country matters, a
president who truly believes in the vision that our Founders put forth all those years ago that we are all created equal, each a beloved part of the great American story.
我想要的总统，应当告诉孩子们，我们国家的每一个人都很重要。他要深信国父们数百年前的理念，人人生而平等，每一个人都是伟大美国历史珍视的一部分。
And when crisis hits, we don’t turn against each other. No, we listen to each other, we lean on each other, because we are always stronger together.
当危机到来时，我们绝不分崩离析。我们互相倾听，相互扶持，因为团结才会让我们更加强大。
And I am here tonight because I know that that is the kind of president that Hillary Clinton will be. And that’s why in this election I’m with her.
篇三：米歇尔,演讲稿
篇一：米歇尔演讲稿
英文原稿：
first lady michelle obama:
孩子们应该受到很好的教育，说道这个问题，barack 懂得，就像我们中很多人一样，没有助学金他就也不可能上大学。
你们相信吗？在我和他新婚之时，我们的助学贷款的压力甚至远大于房贷。当时我们那么年轻，还负债累累。
thats why barack has fought so hard to increase student aid and keep interest rates down, because he wants every young person to fulfill their promise and be able to attend college without a mountain of debt.
因此，barack 竭尽全力提高助学金额度，同时压低利息，他希望让每一个年轻人都能大展宏图，不必为了求学债台高筑
so in the end, for barack, these issues arent political – theyre personal. because barack knows what it means when a family struggles. he knows what it means to want something more for your kids and grandkids.
他懂得希望子孙过上好日子是这样一种感受。他知道什么是美国梦，因为他曾亲身经历。他希望每一个人都能有相同的机会。
barack knows the american dream because hes lived it...and he wants everyone in this country to have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where were from, or what we look like, or who we love.
他知道什么是美国梦，因为他曾亲身经历。他希望每一个人都能有相同的机会。无论身份，无论家乡，无论种族，无论信仰和情感。
and he believes that when youve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity...you do not slam it shut behind you...you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.他相信当每一个人努力奋斗，出人头地，在通过机遇的大门之后，不会自私地关上大门，而会转身伸出援手。给予人们共同的机会一起成功！
如果你要问我白宫这四年是否改变我的丈夫？我可以坦诚相告，不论是看他的品格，信仰，还是内心，此时此刻的他是彼时彼地我相爱的那个人！
如今的他还会像那时一样，拒绝高薪工作，而深入社区基层，去帮助濒临倒闭的钢厂的职工和家属。去重建那样的社区，帮助人们再度就业。因为对他来讲，成功的标准并不是收入，而是你对他人生的积极影响
hes the same man who, when our girls were first born, would anxiously check their cribs every few minutes to ensure they were still breathing, proudly showing them off to everyone we knew.
他还是那个当女儿刚降生时，会分分钟钟就跑到婴儿床边查看女儿是否还在呼吸的那个父亲。会抱着女儿去找所有的熟人显摆。
thats the man who sits down with me and our girls for dinner nearly every night, patiently answering their questions about issues in the news, and strategizing about middle school friendships.
他至今仍每晚和我跟女儿一起吃晚餐。耐心地回答她们关于新闻和时事的问题，为她们在学校交朋友的事儿出谋划策。
i see the concern in his eyes...and i hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, you wont believe what these folks are going through, michelle...its not right.
weve got to keep working to fix this. weve got so much more to do.
我看到他为此忧心不已，他无比坚定地对我说：你无法想象他们过着什么样的日子，米歇尔，这是不对的！我们必须再接再厉去改变这些，我们做的还远远不够！
i see how those stories – our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams – i see how thats what drives barack obama every single day.and i didnt think it was possible, but today, i love my husband even more than i did four years ago...even more than i did 23 years ago, when we first met.
我看到那些故事，那些艰难困苦和那些梦想希望，正是那一切让奥巴马每日为之努力，从前的我绝想不到今天的我反而比四年前更爱我的丈夫了，甚至远胜23 年前我们相爱时，我爱他！
i love that hes never forgotten how he started.i love that we can trust barack to do what he says hes going to do, even when its hard – especially when its hard.i love that for barack, there is no such thing as us and them – he doesnt care whether youre a democrat, a republican, or none of the above...he knows that we all love our country?
因为他不忘本！我爱他，因为他会去履行承诺，困难当头他只会越挫越勇，我爱他，因为他对人们一视同仁！从不管你是那个党派，又或是有无党派。他知道我们都深爱这个国家， and hes always ready to listen to good ideas...hes always looking for the very best in
everyone he meets. and i love that even in the toughest moments, when were all sweating it – when were worried that the bill wont pass, and it seems like all is lost – barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.
他愿意倾听，从善如流，他愿意去挖掘每个人身上的闪光点！我爱他，因为在艰难无比，揪心不已的时刻，在法案可能无法通过，一切都可能重头再来的时候。他从不会被四面的楚歌所动摇just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward...with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace. and he reminds me that we are playing a long game here...and that change is hard, and change is slow, and it never happens all at once.
就像他的祖母一样，他会重新振作，再度前进，用他的耐心，智慧，勇气和气度！他总会提醒我们任重道远，变革往往艰难而缓慢，根本无法一撅而起
but eventually we get there, we always do.we get there because of folks like my dad...folks like baracks grandmother...men and women who said to themselves, i may not have a chance to fulfill my dreams, but maybe my children will...maybe my grandchildren will.
但总有一天，我们会成功，就如既往的那些胜利，我们会最终达到彼岸，因为像我的父母，他的祖母，还有所有像他们一样的人都对自己承诺，我没能实现自己的梦想，但或许我的孩子们可以, 或许的们的孙辈可以.
so many of us stand here tonight because of their sacrifice, and longing, and steadfast love...because time and again, they swallowed their fears and doubts and did what was hard.
我，我们今天能站在这里，就归功于他们的奉献，渴望和从不动摇的爱，归功于他们一次又一次压在自己的恐惧和疑惑，艰苦奋斗。
so today, when the challenges we face start to seem overwhelming – or even impossible – let us never forget that doing the impossible is the history of this nation...its
who we are as americans...its how this country was built.
所以当今我们面对的挑战似乎艰巨得难以克服，请别忘记开创不可能的奇迹，正是我们国家的历史，美国人就是这样，我们的国家就是这么建立起来的。
and if our parents and grandparents could toil and struggle for us...if they could raise beams of steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, and connect the world with the touch of a button...then surely we can keep on sacrificing and building for our own kids and grandkids.
如果我们的父母先辈可以为了我们而艰苦奋斗，如果他们可以建起摩天大楼，把人类送上月球，如果他们可以用一根按钮就把世界连接，那是当然，我们也可以我们的后代而牺牲自我，努力建设。
and if so many brave men and women could wear our countrys uniform and sacrifice their lives for our most fundamental rights...then surely we can do our part as citizens of this great democracy to exercise those rights...surely, we can get to the polls and make our voices heard on election day.如果那么多英勇的军人可以穿起戎装上阵，为捍卫我们的根本利益牺牲生命！那么当然作为这个民主之国的一份子我们也可以发挥自己的作用！当然我们也可以通过投票，让我们的呼声响彻大选之日
if farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire...if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores...if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote...
如果农民和铁匠都可以从一个帝国中谋求独立，如果移民们可以放下从前的一切来到这里寻求美好的生活；如果妇女们冒着牢狱之灾也要投票；
if a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time...if a young
preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream...and if proud americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love...then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great american dream.
如果一代人可以打败大萧条，成就一番事业；如果一位年轻的牧师可以用他的正义理想把我们送上平等之巅；如果美国人民为他们的身份而自豪，为他们所爱的人而勇敢的站在讲台上。那么当然，当然我们可以给人们平等的机会，去实现自己的美国梦！
because 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 baracks story, and so many ot(本文来自：wwW.xIaocAofanwEn.coM 小草 范文 网:米歇尔精彩演讲)her american stories possible.
因为当尘埃落定，胜过一切的是这个国家的故事，一个希望不死，斗志永存的励志传说，我的故事，奥巴马的故事，和千千万万美国人的故事，也因此成真。
and i say all of this tonight not just as first lady...and not just as a wife. you see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still mom-in-chief.
今天我不仅是第一夫人，也不仅是代表一个妻子，每当一天的工作结束，我的身份就只是一个操心的妈妈
my daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world. but today, i have none of those worries from four years ago about whether barack and i were doing whats best for our girls.
我的女儿仍是我的心头肉，我世界的中心但今天我不再像四年前般顾虑重重，不再担心我和他怎么做才是对孩子们最好的。篇二：米歇尔演讲稿
米歇尔?奥巴马演讲稿英文全文-华尔街日报
国第一夫人米歇尔?奥巴马在9月4日民主党全国代表大会上发表演讲，以下是演讲稿的英文全文。 first lady michelle obama:
thank you so much, elaine?we are so grateful for your family’s service and sacrifice?and we will always have your back.
over the past few years as first lady, i have had the extraordinary privilege of traveling all across this country.
and everywhere i’ve gone, in the people i’ve met, and the stories i’ve heard, i have seen the very best of the american spirit.
i have seen it in the incredible kindness and warmth that people have shown me and my family, especially our girls.
and i’ve seen it in our men and women in uniform and our proud military families?in wounded warriors who tell me they’re not just going to walk again, they’re going to run, and they’re going to run marathons?in the young man blinded by a bomb in afghanistan who said, simply, “?i’d give my eyes 100 times again to have the chance to do what i have done and what i can still do.
every day, the people i meet inspire me?every day, they make me proud?every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth.
serving as your first lady is an honor and a privilege?but back when we first came together four years ago, i still had some concerns about this journey we’d begun. while i believed deeply in my husband’s vision for this country?and i was certain he would make an extraordinary president?like any mother, i was worried about what it would mean for our girls if he got that chance.
how would we keep them grounded under the glare of the national spotlight?
how would they feel being uprooted from their school, their friends, and the only home they’d ever known? our life before moving to washington was filled with simple joys?saturdays at soccer games, sundays at grandma’s house?and a date night for barack and me was either dinner or a movie, because as an exhausted mom, i couldn’t stay awake for both.
and the truth is, i loved the life we had built for our girls?i deeply loved the man i had built that life with?and i didn’t want that to change if he became president. i loved barack just the way he was.
you see, even though back then barack was senator and a presidential candidate?to me, he was still the guy who’d picked me up for our dates in a car that was so rusted out, i could actually see the pavement going by through a hole in the passenger side door?he was the guy whose proudest possession was a coffeetable he’d found in a dumpster, and whose only pair of decent shoes was half a size too small.
but when barack started telling me about his family that’s when i knew i had found a kindred spirit, someone whose values and upbringing were so much like mine. you see, barack and i were both raised by families who didn’t have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.
my father was a pump operator at the city water plant, and he was diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis when my brother and i were young.
and even as a kid, i knew there were plenty of days when he was in pain?i knew there were plenty of mornings when it was a struggle for him to simply get out of bed. but every morning, i watched my father wake up with a smile, grab his walker, prop himself up against the bathroom sink, and slowly shave and button his uniform. and when he returned home after a long day’s work, my brother and i would stand at the top of the stairs to our little apartment, patiently waiting to greet him?watching as he reached down to lift one leg, and then the other, to slowly climb his way into our arms.
but despite these challenges, my dad hardly ever missed a day of work?he and my mom were determined to give me and my brother the kind of education they could only dream of.
and when my brother and i finally made it to college, nearly all of our tuition came from student loans and grants.
but my dad still had to pay a tiny portion of that tuition himself.
and every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time, even taking out loans when he fell short.
he was so proud to be sending his kids to college?and he made sure we never missed a registration deadline because his check was late.
you see, for my dad, that’s what it meant to be a man.
like so many of us, that was the measure of his success in life being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to support his family.
and as i got to know barack, i realized that even though he’d grown up all the way across the country, he’d been brought up just like me.
barack was raised by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills, and by grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.
and for years, men no more qualified than she was men she had actually trained were promoted up the ladder ahead of her, earning more and more money while barack’s family continued to scrape by.
and she would often tell barack, “so long as you kids do well, bar, that’s all that really matters.”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.