Whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, one thing most can agree on is that Former First Lady Michelle Obama marches to the beat of her own drum.
In her speech presented at the DNC, Obama boldly dove straight into her thoughts as she passionately and explicitly told the American people why she believes President Trump is unfit to lead this nation for four more years. She made it plain that she does not see this president as a leader to begin with: “Because whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy,” she said.
She spoke about the devastation caused by COVID-19, which could have been prevented if President Trump had not suggested early on that it would simply disappear. She spoke of the lives lost, jobs lost, and for many, the respect lost for the President because of his apparent inability to empathize, among other characteristics and choices that have negatively impacted the country.
Obama expressed her own empathy, as she acknowledged George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, “and a never-ending list of innocent people of color” who are continuously murdered, while the mere statement of Black Lives Matter is “still met with derision from the nation’s highest office,” she said.
On the surface, this may seem like a first in US history. While it is true that most first ladies in the past years have not been so straight–forward and intentioned in their aim to discourage voters away from their husband’s successor. However, when it comes to President Trump himself, he has spoken publicly against his predecessor before, as well as during his time in office.
President Trump aimed remarks at President Obama even amidst the pandemic. In an interview with CNBC, he said, “No, I don’t take responsibility at all,” going on to say, “Because we were given a — a set of circumstances, and we were given rules, regulations and specifications from a different time. It wasn’t meant for this kind of — an event with the kind of numbers that we’re talking about.”
The President has made these excuses and attacked the work set in place before his term in an attempt to divert the attention from his own mistakes.
When First Lady Melania Trump gave her speech at the RNC, she did not completely ignore what the Former First Lady had to say:
“I do not want to use this precious time attacking the other side because as we saw last week, that kind of talk only serves to divide the country further,” said First Lady Melania.
So the question is this: is the former first lady still following her own “When they go low, we go high” mantra?
Obama acknowledged this question in her speech and elaborated on what it truly means to “go high,” saying, “Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we’ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences,” she said.
While Obama clearly criticized the current administration, she did not suggest anything on the scale of what some speakers at the RNC claimed Democrats will do if elected. In contrast, Rep. Matt Gaetz claimed that democrats “want to disarm you, empty the prisons, lock you in your homes, and invite MS-13 to live next door.” None of which, there has been any evidence of Biden’s campaign or the Democratic party saying, or taking any action toward doing so.
This issue of falsehood is another element that Obama brought up with great urgency. “And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth,” said the former first lady.
This idea of “the cold hard truth” may seem incredibly elusive in this present time where misinformation spreads faster than the coronavirus. Therefore it is all the more vital to be critical thinkers. The tools and skills being taught in CRTW grow more and more valuable as the journey of navigating through this chaotic and confusing world continue, especially when it comes to understanding politics.
Graphic by Lizzy Talbert
