Michelle Obama appeared at the Overture Center Monday in a final attempt to convince Madison residents to vote for her husband, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in Tuesday’s primary elections.
“For the first time in my adult lifetime I’m really proud of my country,” Obama said to a packed audience at the Overture Center’s Capitol Theatre.
“And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”
Tia Nelson, daughter of Earth Day founder and Wisconsin politician Gaylord Nelson, introduced Obama and applauded Sen. Obama’s dedication to environmental issues.
“Wouldn’t it be great if Earth Day 2009, we were celebrating with a president who understands the need address climate change?” Nelson said.
Obama addressed her husband’s focus on poverty and economic stability in his quest for the Democratic presidential candidacy, emphasizing the current financial struggles of working class citizens throughout the country.
“Blue-collar jobs are dwindling all over this country. And if you’re lucky enough to have a job, nine times out of ten, your salary’s not keeping up with the cost of living,” Obama said.
She urged the audience to overcome political disenchantment that comes from economic frustration and remain active in U.S. politics.
“When you’re tired of struggling —you don’t feel like you can catch the bar—then you are more susceptible to the division,” Obama said.
“Because you do feel hopeless, you feel like nothing can change and politics is just a cynical mess. And you want to fold your arms in disgust and not engage.”
Obama also focused on the deficiencies of primary education and the advantages her husband would bring to a culturally-diverse nation of young people.
“We should be in a position in 2008 where our children—regardless of their race, their region, their parents’ political party—that they should be able to imagine any kind of future for themselves.”
Obama’s visit to Madison occurred at the same time as her husband’s opponent, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., campaigned in several cities throughout Wisconsin. Clinton appeared at a rally at the Monona Terrace in Madison Monday night.
