Wednesday, September 10, 2008

I Just Talked to Michelle Obama

Seriously! She was here in town today for an economic roundtable for working women. My friend Linda Seifert mentioned yesterday that she had one of the 300 coveted tickets for the event. I said I'd like to go too if she found another. Not only did Linda find me a ticket, but she got me into the front row. Behold the power of networking!

Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert was also in the audience (she is giving a huge presentation tonight at a local church). One of the organizers tried to get her a seat next to me, but ran out of time, so she ended up standing in the back. Seriously! I've made a vow to read her book next.

The other diversion was watching the Secret Service guys. They are quite intimidating and focused. And whatever you do, don't make eye contact with them! It'll freak you out.

Michelle herself is breathtaking. She is so warm, poised, graceful, articulate, and sincere. She was flanked by former Indiana first lady Judy O'Bannon and former Lt. Governor Kathy Davis, along with several regular working women, who all told their stories of their personal struggles as working moms. I laughed; I cried; I reaffirmed my 20-year commitment to the Democrats.

I believe that even though Barack faces near-insurmountable challenges in straightening out this mess our country is in, his heart's in the right place and his wife is an excellent ambassador for him. Afterward, I thanked Michelle for fighting for us, and she asked me to fight, too.

So there you go. I'll post photos tonight.

3 comments:

Krisan Matthews said...

WOW! I am so jealous right now. Michelle is an inspiring role model for all women and girls. I hope that maybe someday I'll get to see her and her hubby in person. But I'm still waiting for another public appearance in the Chicago area.

Can't wait to see the photos!

Anonymous said...

They're not likely to spend much time in New Jersey, which is a deep shade of blue. But maybe I'll get to see them across the river in Pennsylvania. The Philly suburbs are a key swing district. (I did get-out-the-vote there 4 Novembers ago.)

Katharine O'Moore-Klopf said...

Ooh, Lori! Lucky you! I want Barack in office—and Michelle in the White House working on all her favorite causes—so bad that I can almost taste it. In my front yard there are

1. A made-to-order 3'x5' (yes, feet, not inches!) "Change we can believe in" flag with the Obama campaign's logo on it, flying on a 50-foot flagpole

2. A made-to-order outdoor banner of about the same size, bearing Barack's likeness in shades of red and blue and hanging below one of the windows on my house

3. An Obama campaign yard sign stuck into the lawn