For the Obama campaign, the 'closer' is in the family

[TeamJordan23]

For the Obama campaign, the closer is in the family
While her husband stumps, Michelle Obama locks in Iowa voters with a personal appeal

By John McCormick | Tribune staff reporter
December 17, 2007

OTTUMWA, Iowa — In the fickle world of Iowa presidential politics, where many party activists prefer to remain neutral so they can continue to be courted, Judy Beisch had a confession to make.

"I was totally between John Edwards and Barack Obama, and you sold me," the wife of the Wapello County Democratic chairman whispered to Michelle Obama a few minutes after hearing her speak to about 100 people here.

"That's my job," Michelle Obama responded.

As much attention as Oprah Winfrey received for campaigning with Sen. Barack Obama a week ago, there is another woman in his life who is likely more central to securing votes, especially among women.

While her husband barnstorms across early-voting states, often drawing hundreds or thousands, Michelle Obama is painstakingly campaigning at a much more retail level.

With a more emotional and direct appeal than her sometimes-professorial husband, she has been assigned a critical role: Michelle Obama is the closer.

Although the senator seals the deal himself with many, his wife is often sent to follow up in towns he has recently visited. Her events typically involve no more than 100 people and offer a more intimate setting than her husband's celebrity—and security—allows.

Of those who attend her events, aides say, routinely a third or more sign cards pledging to support her husband.

Her appeal is especially strong among women, who represent about 60 percent of likely Democratic Iowa caucusgoers. Her husband's growing popularity among women likely to participate in the caucuses was a major reason he moved to the top of the most recent Iowa Poll. Some of that support can almost certainly be attributed to her.

When she talks about how fortunate she is to have her mother in Chicago to help with her children, the grandmothers in the audience, a group also highly likely to vote, often nod or smile. She mixes talks about the stresses of fixing a Thanksgiving dinner for 60, or the trials of Christmas shopping, with empathy for the challenges of average Americans.

Besides striving to convince voters her husband is decent and deserving, Michelle Obama also seeks to make her mostly white audiences in Iowa comfortable with voting for a black man. She asks them to "dream" with her what it might mean to have her husband be president.

"We're not that far off as a society," she said in the interview. "Folks in Iowa are not that different from folks on the South Side."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-closer_17dec17,1,5118970.story

[TwilightGardener]

1. Michelle Obama will be the icing on the cake of an Obama Presidency.

She's such an intelligent, personable, stylish woman.

[earthlover]

16. I thought you had to be a mysogynist to support Obama!

:-)

[BeyondGeography]

2. Oops, TJ, you beat me to it

I'll delete.

[ClarkUSA]

3. What a woman. I'll say it again: the smartest thing Barack ever did was marry Michelle Robinson

I'm sure he'd agree with me, too. Nice story, thanks.

[Maven]

4. Very likable woman.

She and Elizabeth Edwards should run together! :P

[madrchsod]

6. i`d vote for those two in a heartbeat!

[Maven]

7. Ditto.

I'm actually not even kidding.

[babylonsister]

9. Ha!, and your Giants suck, mine do, too. Majorly. nt

[silverojo]

12. Now, there's an idea! n/t

[madrchsod]

5. she seems to be more at ease than barrack at public speaking

and she comes across as a very intelligent sincere woman and wife. she is an equal to him.

[babylonsister]

8. That sounds like the truth. Mrs. Obama is his equal, and that's sexy. They

have the same vision, and if they're bs'ing us, they're very good.

I dream of a family like this, both of them with values, working together-for us. This could be a masterpiece!

[thoughtcrime1984]

10. She is very interesting...

a strong asset to her husband's campaign!

[silverojo]

11. IMHO

When she can battle cancer AND stump for her husband, I'll be impressed. Elizabeth Edwards would make a fantastic First Lady.

[babylonsister]

13. So she needs to have cancer before she's worthy?

:wtf: That's like saying we HAVE to vote for Clinton because she's a woman. I hope you didn't mean either of those scenarios.

[thoughtcrime1984]

14. Forgive Michelle for not being ill

Elizabeth Edwards is a cool lady, but I'm not sure why you said what you did. Kind of unnecessary, IMO.

[Connie_Corleone]

17. What a truly pathetic thing to say. There's nothing more to say. eom

[ellisonz]

15. Dream Team.