Hours before she is to present a keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama spoke on a conference call with college campus news outlets and unaffiliated students Tuesday, in what cumulated in a campaign event urging young people to get out to vote.
“Even on a big day like this, I wanted to make sure that I was connecting with some of what we consider our biggest supporters,” she said before continuing her It Takes One voter registration push. “Register the person sitting next to you in class; don’t let anyone escape your grasp.”
Michelle Obama speaks to an estimated crowd of 2,800 people June 20 at Arapahoe High School in Littleton, Colo. (CU Independent/Alison Noon)
The call, organized by the president’s re-election campaign, Obama for America, was geared toward young activists, including those that turned out to support Obama in 2008.
“Young people like you all are going to provide the spark that’s going to be needed – you did that back in 2008 and we’re going to need you to do it again in 2012,” Obama said.
The first lady presented the idea that young Americans influenced the 2008 presidential election by rallying family members to vote for Barack Obama.
“Don’t forget to talk to your own parents, you never underestimate how much you can inspire them. This is something that I heard in the last election from a lot of older people who were not going to vote for Barack, but it was because their children and their grandchildren were so passionate about his presidency… they became Obama supports because of young people like you in their lives.”
The first lady did not take questions on the call, but campaigned for about ten minutes.
“As college students, you can see how important things are [this election] when you look at your tuition statement,” she said. “Before you go into that voting booth in November… ask yourselves, ‘Who’s gonna stand up for me in the White House?’”
Michelle Obama is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention tonight at 8:35 p.m. Mountain Time.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Alison Noon at Alison.noon@colorado.edu.
