Michelle Obama earns thunderous applause with Hillary Clinton endorsement


First Lady Michelle Obama made it clear at the Democratic National Convention on Monday that fear mongering doesn't work on her, and it shouldn't work on anyone else.
"Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country isn't great, that somehow we need to make it great again, because this right now is the greatest country on Earth," she said to thunderous applause. "We cannot afford to be tired or frustrated or cynical. Hear me: Between now and November we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago. We need to knock on every door, we need to get out every vote, we need to pour every last ounce of our passion and our strength and our love for this country into electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States. Let's get to work."
For Obama, the election is about securing a prosperous future for the nation's children. "Hillary understands it's about leaving something better for our kids, that's how we've always moved this country forward, by all of us coming forward on behalf of our children," Obama said. Clinton has a "lifelong devotion" to helping children who need champions, she continued, and has spent decades "doing the relentless work to actually make a difference in their lives." Clinton "never buckles under pressure, never takes the easy way out," and "is someone who understands the issues the president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"When you have the nuclear codes at your fingerprints 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," Obama added. "You have to be steady and measured and well-informed."
The first lady also reflected on what life has been like in the White House for the Obama family, and how she and the president have urged their daughters to "ignore those who question their father's citizenship or faith" and "insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country." Obama became emotional when discussing her children, and shared that "because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Acid rain is back: the sequel nobody wanted
Under The Radar A 'forever chemical' in rainwater is reviving a largely forgotten environmental issue
-
Book reviews: 'Clint: The Man and the Movies' and 'What Is Wrong With Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything'
Feature A deep dive on Clint Eastwood and how Michael Douglas' roles reflect a shift in masculinity
-
Recreation or addiction? Military base slot machines rake in millions.
Under the Radar There are several thousand slot machines on military bases
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oil
Speed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymander
Speed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
-
Texas Democrats exit state to block redistricting vote
Speed Read More than 51 legislators fled the state in protest of the GOP's plan to redraw congressional districts
-
Trump criticized for firing BLS chief after jobs report
Speed Read Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Erika McEntarfer oversaw a July jobs report that the president claims was rigged
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest