'Hope Is Back': Michelle Obama Brings Down The House At The DNC

CHICAGO ― Former first lady Michelle Obama delivered a trademark barnburner at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night ― a determined speech that focused on getting Americans involved in politics, rather than political personalities or policy details.

“Something wonderfully magical is in the air,” Obama said, speaking of “the contagious power of hope” and “the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day.”

Obama, who was America’s first Black first lady as the wife of the first Black president, Barack Obama, noted that the country could once again make history if it gives the presidency to Kamala Harris — who would be the first female president — come November. But she warned the rallied Democrats against taking that prospect for granted, leading DNC attendees in increasingly loud chants of “DO SOMETHING!”

“Let us not forget what we are up against. Remember there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome,” Obama said, referencing possibilities like some voters being unwilling to vote for America’s first female president.

Over the course of a 20-something minute speech, Obama brought a fiery energy to the stage, alternately reminding people of how much hope was ahead of them ― and how much work.

“No matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle,” she continued. Democrats, she said, should anticipate moments where polls suggest Harris is behind Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and noting that Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, cannot be expected to be perfect as they campaign.

“We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right,” Obama said.