Michelle Obama's convention speech: Overrated?

The First Lady's passionate address at the Democratic National Convention brought the crowd to its feet. But critics contend that the speech wasn't that "masterful"

Michelle Obama
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

First Lady Michelle Obama earned rave reviews from across the political spectrum for her speech on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, delivering an emphatic defense of her husband's first term that deftly used personal stories to illuminate the convictions at the core of his governing philosophy. Fox News host Chris Wallace said her speech was "masterful," and CNN's Anderson Cooper tweeted that he had "never heard such a well delivered speech by a first lady ever." But now that the applause has subsided, Michelle Obama's speech is getting another look. Does it hold up in the cold light of day?

The speech lacked substance and vision: "In terms of sheer oratorical skills," the First Lady is "as good as anyone in politics today," says Mark McKinnon at The Daily Beast. But "I don't think the speech itself was a home run." Sure, it "accomplished the goal of humanizing Obama and reminding people why they like" the president and his family. "But in the annals of convention speeches, I don't think it will be remembered for the content, the theme, [or] the vision." Michelle Obama succeeded at getting "Democrats all fired up and ready to go" — but that's about it.

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