Michelle wows delegates

DENVER — Michelle Obama, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, presented the Obamas as a typical American family while at the same time trying to ease continued disunity in the Democratic Party. 

In her remarks on Monday night, Michelle Obama worked to introduce the Obamas to millions of Americans who still know little about the would-be first family, while making a point to mention vanquished rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

{mosads}On the opening day of the convention, which was rife with reports of continued disharmony between the Clintons and the Obamas, Michelle Obama, as the delegates cheered and roared, praised the New York senator “who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling.”

The focus Monday night, however, was the biographical introduction of Obama and his family. Analysts agree that the election has largely been shaped as a question of whether Obama can convince voters to trust him while Republican rival John McCain makes every effort to raise the specter of doubt about who Obama is and what he might do in the highest office in the land.

The Obama campaign said Monday that Michelle Obama was tapped to introduce her husband because “as the person who knows him best, there’s no one who can do a better job introducing Barack Obama to the country.”

 Michelle Obama was introduced by family members and a video titled “South Side Girl,” which highlighted her family background and her “upbringing and the values that have shaped her as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, mentor and dedicated community service advocate,” according to the campaign.

The video was narrated by Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, and Michelle Obama was introduced by her brother, Craig Robinson, the head basketball coach at Oregon State University.

In comparing her and Obama’s upbringings to the “improbable journey” of other Americans, Michelle Obama said, “I come here tonight as a sister, blessed with a brother who is my mentor, my protector and my lifelong friend.

“I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president. I come here as a mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world — they’re the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night.”

The potential first lady was animated throughout her speech, using her hands to make her points and playing off the crowd’s reaction.

The Obama campaign said Monday that it views Michelle Obama as an asset on the campaign trail, and it wanted to introduce her to Americans who have not seen her in person.

{mospagebreak}“Over the last 19 months, Mrs. Obama has demonstrated a unique ability to connect with people across the country on the campaign trail and share in their American experience,” the campaign said Monday. “People have come away from her campaign events knowing that they will have a first lady who truly understands their challenges and is committed to helping women and families.”

Delegates in the convention hall certainly seemed to be sold by Michelle Obama’s depiction of herself and her husband, being received warmly by the packed convention hall.

“And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them,” Michelle Obama said. “And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”

{mosads}While the focus of the speech was a family introduction to America, some of the remarks were clearly aimed at female voters, a critical demographic.

Michelle Obama’s efforts to portray herself as a working mother seemed to be continuing the efforts of the Obama campaign to smooth over any lingering resentment female voters might feel after the contentious Democratic nomination battle between Obama and Sen. Clinton, with Obama officials working feverishly to tamp down any talk of a divided party.

“Like many moms, she’s learned to juggle the responsibilities of work and family,” the Obama campaign said. “She knows what it’s like for millions of women who face the same challenges every day. She’s made a career of bringing people together and finding solutions to seemingly intractable problems in her community, and that’s exactly what she’ll do as first lady.”

The family affair was on full display following Michelle Obama’s remarks as daughters Sasha and Malia commandeered the microphone from their mother when their father appeared on screen live via video from Kansas City, Mo.

Childhood enthusiasm took center stage as the girls said, “I love you, Daddy.”

Obama had high praise for his wife, saying, “Now you know why I asked her out so many times even though she said no. We need a persistent president.”