Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

583 Park
New York, New York

6:22 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, thank you so much.  (Applause.)  I am so thrilled to be here -- truly, truly thrilled.  Thank you.  You all are so sweet.  You all have been just amazing.
 
I want to start by -- although I miss this because I miss all the fun stuff.  (Laughter.)  They just pull me in.  If we’ve got a great singer, I never get to hear him sing.  (Laughter.)  We had some of the -- so everybody goes, “You’ve got a great event.  This person is going to be there!”  And I’m like, am I going to be there?  (Laughter.)  “No, actually, you’re going to miss everything.”  So was the case tonight.
 
But I want to thank the brilliant and inspiring trailblazing men and women who have graced us -- or graced you all with their performances here tonight.  We are so grateful for them for taking the time to join us.  (Applause.)  And one day, maybe in four more years, I’ll be able to sit out there and watch them perform.  (Applause.) 
 
I also want to give a very huge and warm thank you, hello to Mike Nichols and John Guare for organizing this extraordinary evening.  (Applause.)  It’s amazing.
 
But most of all, I want to thank all of you for taking the time, not just tonight, but I know so many of you who have been working so hard over the last year or two, or three and a half.  But thank you for everything you all are doing and being here, because it feels good.  It feels really good. 
 
And I know you all are fired up and ready to go.  (Applause.)  I know that.  I can tell; I can feel it.  And I will tell you that after hearing my husband talk about his values, his vision that he has for this country in last night’s debate -- (applause) -- yes -- I am not only very proud, as I always am, but I am fired up and ready to go myself.  Absolutely.  (Applause.)  Twenty more days.  Twenty more days. 
 
But another reason why I like to campaign for my husband is that I get to do one of my favorite things -- I get to talk about this guy, this man I have loved and admired since I first met him 23 years ago.  I can only talk like this behind his back.  (Laughter.)  Because when we get home it’s usually, pick up your socks -- do something.  (Laughter.)  But when he’s not here, I can say all these wonderful things, but don’t tell him.  (Laughter.)  Don’t let him know.  I got to keep that upper hand -- you know what I’m saying?
 
But as you know, although my husband is handsome, charming and incredibly smart, what I tell people -- and especially young people -- because I get to travel around to a lot of college campuses -- and I tell young people that that is not why I married him.  It is not.  What truly made me fall in love with Barack Obama is what you all saw last night, what you all have seen for three and a half years -- you have seen his character, his decency and honesty.  (Applause.)  You’ve see his compassion and his conviction.  And that’s the man I married.
 
When I first met him, I loved that Barack was so committed to serving others.  He was always committed to serving others that when started out his career, he turned down high-paying jobs, and instead began his career fighting to get folks back to work in struggling communities.  That’s where he started, and I know that’s where he’s going to finish.
 
And I loved that Barack was so devoted to his family, especially the women in his life.  And I tell this to young men all over -- you’ve got to love your mother.  (Laughter and applause.)  That’s it.  I saw the respect that Barack had for his mother and how proud he was that she was able to put herself through school while still supporting him and his sister as a single mother. 
 
Before she passed, I saw the tenderness that he felt for his grandmother.  He called her “Tutu.”  I saw how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still waking up every morning to catch that bus to her job at the bank.  And as he said last night, she did everything she could to support his family.  But he also watched how she was passed over year after year for promotions simply because she was a woman, but he also saw how she kept getting up year after year, doing that same job without complaint and without regret. 
 
And when I saw these things in Barack, when we first met and I learned his story, I realized that with Barack I found a real connection, because in his life story, I saw so much of my own. 
 
Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, a working-class kid, I watched my own father make that exact uncomplaining journey every day to his job at the city water plant.  That’s the very job my father had his entire life until the day he died.  And I saw how he carried himself with that same dignity, that same pride in being able to provide for his family; that same hope that one day, with all this hard work he was doing, that one day his kids could have opportunities he never dreamed of for himself.
 
And like so many families in this country -- the families that our President is fighting for -- our families just weren’t asking for much.  That’s the beauty -- they didn’t want much.  And they didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success.  No, in fact, they didn’t mind if others had much more than they did -- they admired it.  And that is exactly why they pushed us to be the very best we could be. 
 
But they did believe in that fundamental American promise that even if you don’t start out with much, if you work hard in this country, if you do what you’re supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.  That’s what kept them going.  That’s what they believed.
 
But they also believed that when you’ve worked hard and you’ve done well, and you’ve finally walked through that doorway of opportunity, they believed you don't slam that door shut behind you.  You reach back and you give other folks the exact same chances that helped you succeed.  Absolutely.  (Applause.)
 
And that is how Barack and I and so many of you were raised.  Those are the values we were taught.  And more than anything else, what has kept me going so long, year after year, is that that's what this election is really about.  It’s a choice about our hopes.  It’s a choice about our values.  It’s a choice about your aspirations.  It’s a choice about the America we want to leave for our kids and our grandkids.
 
And let’s talk a bit about that America.  I know it.  We believe in an America where every child -- no matter where they're born or how much money their parents make -- every child in this country should have access to good schools -- the kind of schools that push them and inspire them and prepare them for college and jobs of the future.  (Applause.)
 
We believe in an America where no one goes broke because someone gets sick, no one loses their home because someone loses a job -- not in the America we’re working to build.  (Applause.)
 
We believe in an America where we all understand that none of us gets where we are on our own -- none of us; that there is always a community of people lifting us up, where we treat everyone with dignity and respect from the teachers who inspire us to the janitors who keep our schools clean.  (Applause.)
 
And in this America that we are working so hard to build, when one of us stumbles -- which so many of us do -- when one of us falls on hard times, we don't turn our backs and tell them, "tough luck, you’re on your own."  No, in this America, we reach out.  We extend a helping hand until they can get back on their feet.  We believe that the truth matters in this America.  (Applause.)  You don't take shortcuts, game the system.  You don't play by your own set of rules.  Instead, we reward success that's earned fair and square. 
 
And finally, we believe in keeping our priorities straight.  And we all know good and well that cutting “Sesame Street” is no way to balance our budget.  (Applause.)  No.  Shortchanging our kids is not how we tackle our deficit.
 
If we truly want to build opportunities for all Americans, we know we need to cut wasteful spending.  But we also know we have to make smart investments in our future -- in education, infrastructure for an economy that's built to last.  And that's what my husband stands for.  That's the country he has been working to build for the last three and a half years.  Those are his values.
 
And over the past three and a half years as First Lady, I’ve seen up close and personal what being President really looks like and how critical those values are for leading this country. 
 
As I’ve said again and again, I have seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk are always the hard ones -- the decisions that aren’t just about the bottom line, but they're about laying a foundation for the next generation.  And I’ve seen how important it is -- oh, so important -- to have a President who doesn't just tell us what we want to hear, but who tells us the truth even when it’s hard -- especially when it’s hard.  (Applause.)
 
And I’ve also seen that when it comes time to make those tough calls, and everyone around you is urging you to do what’s easy, what polls best, what gets good headlines, as President, you have to be guided by the struggles, hopes and dreams of all of the people you serve.  And that is how you make the right decisions for this country.  That's what it takes to be President of the United States.  That's what it takes.  (Applause.)
 
And why I am so proud of our President:  Since the day he took office, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis, that is exactly what we have seen in this man. 
 
Think back to when Barack first took office.  This economy was on the brink of collapse -- you of all people remember where we were.  Don't take my word for it.  Newspapers were using words like "meltdown," "calamity;" declaring, “Wall Street Implodes,” “Economy in Shock”
 
For years people had been lured into buying homes they couldn’t afford, so for many people, their mortgages were underwater.  Then banks weren’t lending; companies weren’t hiring.  As you recall, the auto industry was in crisis.  This economy was losing 800,000 jobs a month, and a lot of people wondered whether we were heading for another Great Depression.  And this is what Barack faced on day one as President of the United States.  He inherited an economy in rapid decline.
 
See, but your President, he didn't point fingers.  He didn't place blame.  Instead, he got to work, because he was thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.  See, and that's why he cut taxes for small businesses and for working families because he believes that in America, teachers and firefighters should not pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires.  That's just not right.  (Applause.)
 
And that's why, if you recall, while there were some folks out there who were willing to let the auto industry go under -- you recall?  (Laughter.)  With more than a million jobs that would have been lost -- you want to talk about job creation -- Barack had the backs of American workers.  He fought hard to protect jobs for American families across this country, and that is why today the auto industry is back, and new cars are rolling off the line at proud American companies like GM today. (Applause.)
 
And, yes, I remind people, yes, we still have a long way to go to completely rebuild our economy.  Today, there are more and more signs every day that we're heading in the right direction.  The stock market has doubled.  Exports have grown by 45 percent.  Manufacturers have added 500,000 jobs.  We've had 31 straight months -- most of this presidency -- of private-sector job growth.  A total of 5.2 million new jobs have been created under this President, under this administration -- good jobs right here in the United States of America, something we should celebrate.  (Applause.)
 
But here's the thing about being President.  You've got to be able to do a few things at one time.  So while your President was focusing on creating jobs, he was also fortunately focusing on improving access to health care for millions of Americans.  (Applause.) 
 
And I am so proud and grateful that Barack did not care whether health reform was the easy thing to do politically --because that is not who he is.  He cared that it was the right thing to do.  He was fighting and thinking -- fighting for and thinking about all those folks that he had met all across the country with so many heartbreaking stories -- the woman diagnosed with breast cancer who couldn't find an insurance company to cover her care, the many seniors pinching pennies to save for the medicines they need, the parents who couldn't get life-saving treatment for a child because someone lost a job.  We hear those stories.  Every day we heard them. 
 
And now we're hearing about how their lives have changed, because today, because of health reform, a lot has changed for so many people.  Our parents and our grandparents on Medicare today are paying hundreds less for their prescription drugs -- because of health reform.  Because of health reform, our kids can stay on our insurance until they're 26 years old -- because of health reform.  (Applause.)  Insurance companies now have to cover basic preventative care, things like contraception and cancer screenings, with no out-of-pocket costs.  (Applause.)  Today, because of health care, they cannot discriminate against us because we have a preexisting condition like diabetes or asthma.  (Applause.) 
 
And here's one that really gets me.  Now, if you get a real serious illness, something really expensive and life threatening and you need expensive care, no longer can insurance companies tell you, "sorry, you've reached your lifetime limit and we're not paying a penny more."  (Applause.)  Because of health reform, that is now illegal.  (Applause.)  So thank goodness we had a President willing to fight for those reforms.  (Applause.) 
 
Now, when it comes to giving our young people the education they deserve, Barack knows like me and like so many young people in this country, we never could have attended college without financial aid.  We would not be standing here today if it weren't for financial aid.  In fact, when we were first married, our combined student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.  So when it comes to student debt, Barack and I, we have been there.  This is not a hypothetical situation.
 
And that's why Barack doubled funding for Pell grants.  That's why he fought so hard to keep student interest rates down four our students.  (Applause.)  Because fortunately, we have a President that wants all of our young people to be prepared for good jobs for the future.
 
And then, finally, when it comes to standing up and understanding the lives of women, when it comes to making sure that we have rights and opportunities, we know good and well that this President will always have our backs.  We know that.  (Applause.)  And why do we know this?  Because Barack knows from personal experience.  He has seen what it means for a family when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  He's seen that.  And believe me, as a father of two beautiful girls, he knows what it means to want our daughters to have the same rights and freedoms and opportunities as our sons. 
 
And that is why the very first bill, the very first thing he did as President of the United States was to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to make sure women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  And let me tell you this -- that is why my husband will always, always fight to ensure that we as women make our own decisions about our bodies and about our health care.  That is what my husband stands for.  (Applause.) 
 
So this election is important.  It is big.  So for the next 20 days, I know you all are going to be out there, right?  (Applause.)  You're going to be out there, and you're going to come across people who are going to say, well, what has this President done for this country?  When you run into people who are trying to decide between these two individuals to determine which of them will keep this country moving forward for four more years, here's just a few things, just a few that I want you to tell them.
 
Tell them about the millions of jobs this President has created.  Tell them about all the kids in this country who can finally afford college.  Tell them about the millions of lives that will be changed forever because of health reform. 
 
Tell them how this President kept his promise and ended the war in Iraq, took out Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)  Remind them how this President is fighting to make sure that veterans and military families have the benefits that they have earned.  (Applause.)  
 
Tell them about all the young immigrants who will no longer live in fear of being deported from the only country they have ever called home.  (Applause.)  You tell them how our brave servicemembers will no longer ever again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)   
 
Look, I could go on and on and on.  But here's what I really want you to tell people.  You remind them that our President knows the American Dream because he’s lived it, and he is fighting every day so that every one of us in this country can have that same opportunity no matter who we are or what we look like or where we’re from or who we love.  (Applause.) 
 
Let’s be clear, let us be very clear, while Barack is so proud of all that we have achieved -- and we have achieved this together -- he is nowhere near satisfied.  Of all the people on this planet, Barack knows that too many people are still hurting.  He knows good and well that there is still plenty of work to be done.
 
But as President Clinton said, it’s going to take a lot longer than four years to finish rebuilding an economy from the brink of collapse.  (Applause.)  But here's the thing --  thankfully, in Barack, we have a leader with a deep and unyielding faith in the American people; a leader who understands that this country was built by men and women who wake up every day and work hard for their families, and they do it without complaint and regret. 
 
And as President, that’s what my husband has been fighting for every day.  As President, he has been fighting for us.  And that is why, when the stakes are so high, we can always trust this man.  We can trust that he will always have our backs. 
 
And over these past four years, know this -- together, we have slowly but surely been pulling ourselves out of that hole we started in.  We are steadily moving this country forward and making real and important change. 
 
So now in this time, these last few weeks, we have to ask ourselves:  Are we going to turn around after all of this and go back to the same policies that got us into the hole in the first place?  Really?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are we going to just sit back and watch everything that we have worked for and we have fought for, not just over the last three and a half years but over the last decade -- are we going to watch that just slip away?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Or are we going to keep moving this country forward?  What are we going to do?  Who are we?  (Applause.)  What are we going to do?  We got 20 days.  20 days.  (Applause.) But here's what we have to remember -- in the end, the answers to these questions, it's on us right now.  It's up to us.  Because all of our hard work, all the progress that we have made for so long -- it is all on the line.  You can see it in these two candidates.  It is all at stake this November. 
 
But I want you all to know that your support, the checks that you all have written -- oh, goodness, that has made the difference every step of the way on this journey.  Please know that because of all of you and so many people like you around this country, we have got the best ground game on the planet.  (Applause.) 
 
We've got hundreds of field offices and thousands of staff and volunteers in those key battleground states.  They are working so hard; we are on the airwaves.  We set up phone banks across the country.  We're reaching millions of voters every single day, and you all made that possible.  And I cannot begin to tell you how grateful we are for everything you all have done. 
 
But as my husband has said, this election is going to be even closer than the last one -- and that last one was pretty close, if you recall.  (Laughter.)  So let me put it in perspective, because I’ve been doing this everywhere I go.  Because when I learned these statistics, it really set me back. 
 
Back in 2008 -- let’s take North Carolina -- Barack won that state by just 14,000 votes.  And when you break that 14,000 across the state and throughout precincts, that’s just five votes per precinct.  That was the margin of difference in one state.  Take Ohio -- won that state by about 262,000, but that is still just 24 votes per precinct -- breathtaking. 
 
So make no mistake about it, what we do over these next 20 days could make the difference between waking up on November the 7th and thinking to ourselves, “Could I have done more?”, or feeling that promise of four more years.  That’s the difference. 
 
So we’re going to need you all more than ever before.  We need you to keep on writing those checks.  (Laughter.)  If you haven’t maxed out, max out!  (Laughter.)  If you’ve got friends who haven’t maxed out, get them to max out.  (Applause.)  Get them.  Find them.  We still have time.
 
That’s one of the most important things all of you can do to keep our grassroots operations running strong across this country.  And for those of you who want to get out there and make a difference on the ground -- because we know people are antsy -- some of the best ways to relieve the stress -- (laughter) -- trust me, is to get out on the road, get out there.  Because watching the TV can drive you nuts.  (Laughter.) 
 
So if you feel so moved to get out there, you can sign up at barackobama.com.  And one of the places we love -- many of the places we’d love you to go:  Ohio, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, swing states.  Go out there.  Knock on some doors.  Shake some people up.  And if you can take off a couple of weeks -- we’ve only got a couple of weeks.  Some people have it like that.  Maybe you’re bored.  Maybe you’re tired.  (Laughter.)  Got a little time on your hands.  Join our Vote Corps program to get out the vote in Ohio.  We are really targeting Ohio as one of the key states.
 
And if you’re free those last four or five days before Election Day, we need you to get in your car, drive to Ohio; you can stop in Pennsylvania -- (laughter) -- do a little stuff there.  And if you’re not able to leave New York, one of the things that you can also do is sign up to make phone banks right in your own home.  One of our young friends, a high school -- young person, she’s -- lives in Chicago.  For every debate, she has coordinated a group of high school friends.  They got their little phones.  They made the call, and they were sitting there, making phone calls into battleground states as part of a watch party.  And to do that, all you have to do is go to dashboard.barackobama.com.
 
And we have one of our field organizers, Tyler, who is here.  Tyler, where are you?  Tyler is over there -- handsome young man with the clipboard.  (Applause.)  After I’m done, you find Tyler and he can answer any questions that you have about ways to get started if you are so inspired.
 
And let me just share one story with you before I close.  I was in -- I think it was Ohio.  I’m confused about where I go from day to day.  (Laughter.)  But I think this was in Ohio.  It was in Cleveland, and I met a woman who was 101, and she was sharp, boy.  She was brought -- she came with her son, who was probably 80-something.  (Laughter.)  And she was very sweet, and she made her way to the front, and she’s still moving and talking, so the staff brought her back behind stage so that I could meet her.  And she squeezed my hand and gave me the biggest hug, and she said, I just love you and the President and I’m praying for you and I’m working hard for you -- 101, all right?  (Laughter.) 
 
And she leaned out and she said, come here.  She said, I was alive when Teddy Roosevelt was President.  And she said, let me tell you something -- you tell the President that they gave him a heck of a time, too.  (Laughter and applause.)  They gave him the worst time, because times were hard then -- that’s what she said -- so a lot of people weren’t ready for what he wanted to do. 
 
So she told me to tell the President to go into that debate and give him something.  (Laughter and applause.)  But she also did her part.  She said, I have called several people.  She said, I believe that I’ve got two Republicans in Virginia who committed to me that they will vote for the President.  (Applause.)  And I said, see, this is why we’re here:  101 years old and she was getting out the vote, calling battleground states.  She knew exactly which state.  She said, now, I’m not sure if they were telling me the truth.  (Laughter.)  But she said, they told me they were going to vote for Barack Obama.  So that’s the kind of supporters we have out there all over the country.  It was truly, truly a heartfelt exchange.
 
But as we move into this last phase of this journey, understand that it is going to be hard and there are going to be ups and downs over the next 20 days.  I think I say this everywhere I go.  I said it a year ago; I said it three months ago.  Ups and downs -- this stuff is so fluid.  And fortunately I’ve gotten used to that ride.  (Laughter.) 
 
But no matter what, from now until November the 6th, we need you to keep on working and struggling and pushing forward.  Because as I tell our young people -- and this is beyond this election -- the message that I try to get to our young people, particularly those in college -- just reminding them that that’s how change always happens in this country.  We know from our history that change is hard, just like that 101-year-old supporter knew.  And real change requires patience and tenacity.
 
But what I also tell them is that if we keep showing up -- see, because this is what life is about.  Life is about getting up and showing up, even on your worst days.  (Applause.)  If we keep fighting the good fight and doing what we know in our hearts is the right thing to do -- that’s what we’re teaching our kids to do.  But what I want them and you and all of us to understand is that eventually we get there.  We always do.  Our history has shown us that. 
 
So we cannot let anyone talk down our dreams or our aspirations, especially for our young people.  We cannot let anyone talk down this country or this country’s future.  We have every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead, because here in America we always move forward -- always.  We always make progress.  We never turn back.  We never have.  I’ve never seen us move backwards. 
 
And in the end, that’s what this is about.  That is what elections are always about.  Don’t let anybody tell you any differently.  Elections are always about hope. 
 
The hope that I saw in my father’s beaming face as I walked across that stage to get my college diploma -- the diploma he took out loans to help me get.  The hope that Barack’s grandmother felt as she cast her ballot for the grandson she had loved and raised.  That’s the kind of hope I’m talking about -- the hope of all those men and women in our lives who worked that extra shift, who saved and sacrificed and prayed so that we could have more, so that we could be something better.  The hope that so many of us feel when we look into the eyes of those precious children of ours -- our sons and daughters, our grandchildren.
 
And hopefully, that is why we’re here today -- because we want to give our children -- all of them -- a real foundation for their dreams.  We want to give all of our children opportunities worthy of their promise.  Because the one thing -- I don’t care what party you’re from, what -- who you believe in -- we all want our kids to have those opportunities.  They all deserve them.  We want to give every child that sense of limitless possibility -- the belief that here in America, the greatest country on the planet still today, that there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it.
 
See, so here’s what I tell myself, is that we cannot turn back now.  Not now.  We will not turn back now.  We have come too far.  And there is no way we are going to stop now.  But I do know that we have so much more to do. 
 
So my last question for you all before I leave you is:  Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  Twenty days -- are you ready to do whatever it takes?  Max out.  Roll up your sleeves.  Go to a battleground state.  Pick up the phone.  Talk to people in your lives who are not decided.  Let them know that the future is at stake in this election.  Are you ready for that?  (Applause.)  Because we have a President who is ready to get us there, but we have got to have his back.  I know I’m going to be out there.  I will have his back for the next 20 days and beyond.  We need you. 
 
Thanks so much.  God bless.

END 
6:58 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event -- Chapel Hill, NC

Carmichael Arena
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

2:38 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, hello, Tar Heels!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in North Carolina.  Thank you!  What a thrill!  You guys look great!  Thank you for being here today.  (Applause.) 

I want to start by thanking Lindsey for that very kind introduction, and for everything that she's doing for our campaign.  Let's give Lindsey a round of applause.  (Applause.) 

And I also want to take a moment just to note the passing of William Friday, a man whose visionary leadership of this university system was an inspiration to all of us who believe that education is the key to a brighter future.  (Applause.)  Chancellor Friday was a courageous reformer who transformed North Carolina's public universities into a model for our country.  And we are so grateful for his service to this state.  So we want to give him a round of applause.  (Applause.) 

And we have a few notable people -- many notable people, but a few that I will recognize specifically.  Former Governor Hunt is here today.  (Applause.)  As well as your Chancellor, Chancellor Thorpe, and his wife Patti -- (applause.)  Patti is a great First Lady.  She doesn’t play.  (Laughter.)  She got a lot of stuff done backstage.  (Laughter.)

And of course, I want to give a big shout-out to Delta Rae that performed.  (Applause.)  Yes!  Although, as I tell everybody, I never get to see the performances.  They never let us have fun.  So I know they were awesome, weren’t they?  That's what I heard.  (Applause.)

But most of all, I want to thank all of you, especially our students, for being here today.  It's so good to see you.  (Applause.)  I love to see that you all are so fired up and ready to go!  That's a good thing!  (Applause.)  And if you can't tell, I’m feeling pretty fired up and ready to go myself -- because yesterday I cast my ballot early for Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  I voted for my husband yesterday.  (Applause.)  So that means that right now we are one vote closer to reelecting my husband and moving this country forward for four more years.  (Applause.)

And I also like being here with you guys because I get to do one of my favorite things, and that's talk about the man that I have loved and admired for the 23 years that I have known him.  (Applause.)  Yes, my honey.  I haven’t seen him in a while -- I'm going to see him tonight.  We got plans tonight.  (Applause.) 

Now, as many of you know, my husband, your President, he is handsome.  (Applause.)  And as one senior -- at one of my events yesterday, she pointed out, she said, "No, honey, he's fine."  (Laughter.)  I was like, okay, whatever you want to say.  But he is charming and incredibly smart.

But especially young people, I want you to realize -- ladies -- that is not why I married him.  Good reasons, but that is not why I married him.  What truly made me fall in love with Barack Obama was what we see in him every day -- is his character.  His heart, his decency and honesty.  Truly, it is his compassion and conviction.  (Applause.)   

So to the fellas out there, I want you to pay attention, all right?  Because, see, this is really what women -- we women really want.  We want somebody who's committed.  I loved that Barack was so committed to serving others that he turned down high-paying jobs, and instead started his career fighting to get folks back to work in struggling communities.  I loved that about him.  (Applause.) 

And, gentlemen, here's the big one -- I loved that Barack was so devoted to his family -- especially the women in his life. (Applause.)  I saw the respect he had for his mother.  And I saw how proud he was that she put herself through school while still supporting him and his sister as a single mom.

And I definitely saw the tenderness that he felt for his own grandmother and how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still waking up every morning to catch that bus to her job at the community bank.  And he watched as she was passed over for promotions simply because she was a woman.  But he also saw how she kept getting up every day, doing that same job year after year, without complaint and without regret.

See, with Barack, I found a real connection because in his story I saw so much of my own.  Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I watched my own father make that same uncomplaining journey every day to his job at the city water plant.  I saw how my father carried himself with that same dignity, that same pride you feel when you can support your family; that same hope that his kids would one day have opportunities he never dreamed of.  Now, how many people here have folks like that in their lives?  Yes?  (Applause.)

And after this, I want a lot of our students -- you call home.  You call home. 

But like so many families in this country, our families, they just weren’t asking for much.  They didn’t want much.  They didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success.  They didn’t mind if others had much more than they did -- in fact, they admired it.  And that’s why they pushed us to be the very best that we could be.  But they did believe in that fundamental American promise that even if you don’t start out with much, here in America, if you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.  (Applause.)  That's what they believed. 

And they also believed that when you worked hard and you've done well, and you finally walk through that doorway of opportunity, you don't slam it shut behind you.  (Applause.)    You reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.  (Applause.)  Yes.  That is how Barack and I, and I know how so many of you were raised.  Those are the values that we were taught growing up. 

And more than anything else, for me, that's what this election is all about.  It's a choice about our values and our hopes and our aspirations.  It’s a choice about the America we want to leave for our kids and our grandkids.  (Applause.) 

And what does that America look like?  We believe in an America where every child, no matter where they’re born or how much money their parents have, every child should have good schools that push them and inspire them and prepare you for jobs of the future.  (Applause.) 

We believe in an America where no one goes broke because someone gets sick -- (applause) -- where no one loses their home because someone has lost a job.  We believe in an America where we all understand that none of us gets where we are on our own; that each of us, we’re lifted up by a community of people; where we treat everyone with dignity and respect, from the teachers who inspire us to the janitors who keep our schools clean.  (Applause.) 

And in this America that we’re building, when one of us stumbles, when one of us falls on tough times, we don’t tell them, tough luck, you’re on your own.  Instead, no, we extend a helping hand until they can get back on their feet.  That’s the America we’re talking about.  (Applause.) 

We believe that the truth matters, that you don’t take shortcuts or game the system.  (Applause.)  You don’t play by your own set of rules.  Instead, we reward success that’s earned fair and square. 

And finally, we believe in keeping our priorities straight, because we know good and well that cutting Sesame Street is no way to balance our budget.  (Applause.)  Shortchanging our kids, shortchanging our young people is not how we tackle the deficit. We know that if we truly want to build opportunities for all Americans in this country, yes, we need to cut wasteful spending, but we also need to make smart investments -- in education, in infrastructure -- to build an economy that is built to last. 

That is what my husband stands for.  (Applause.)  That is the country that Barack Obama is working to build.  Those are the values that guide him.  And over the past three and a half years, as First Lady, let me tell you, I have seen up close and personal what being President really looks like and I have seen how important those values are for leading this country.  I’ve seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk, let me tell you, they are always the hard ones -- the decisions that aren’t just about the bottom line, but they’re about building a foundation for the next generation.  And I’ve seen how important it is to have a President who doesn’t just tell us what we want to hear, but who tells us the truth, even when it’s hard -- especially when it’s hard.  (Applause.) 

And I have seen that when it comes time to make those tough calls, and everyone is urging you to do what’s easy, what polls best, what gets good headlines -- as President, you have to be driven by the struggles, hopes, and dreams of all of the people you serve.  That is how you make the right decisions for this country.  That's what it takes to be a leader.  (Applause.)

And since the day he took office, your President, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis, that's what we’ve seen in my husband.  We have seen his values at work.  We have truly seen his vision unfold.  We’ve seen the depths of his character, courage and his conviction.

Let’s just go back to when Barack first took office.  This economy was on the brink of collapse.  Now, some may not remember -- these aren’t my words:  Newspapers were using words like "meltdown," "calamity," declaring "Wall Street Implodes," "Economy in Shock."  See, how did we get here?  For years, folks had been lured into buying homes they couldn’t afford, so their mortgages were underwater.  Banks weren’t lending.  Companies weren’t hiring.  The auto industry was in crisis.  This economy was losing an average of 800,000 jobs a month.  And a lot of folks wondered whether we were headed for another Great Depression.

See, that’s what Barack faced on day one as President.  He inherited an economy in rapid decline.  (Applause.)  But let me tell you, instead of pointing fingers, instead of placing blame, Barack got to work.  See, because he was thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.  And that’s why he cut taxes for small businesses and working families -- because he believes that here in America, teachers and firefighters shouldn’t pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires.  (Applause.)

And that is why, while some folks, if you’ll recall, were willing to let the auto industry go under, with more than a million jobs that would have been lost -- do you hear me -- see, Barack had the backs of American workers.  He fought hard to protect jobs for American families.  (Applause.)  And that is why today, the auto industry is back, and new cars are rolling off the line at companies like GM. 

And yes, while we still have a long way to go to completely rebuild our economy, there are more and more signs every day that we’re headed in the right direction.  The stock market has doubled.  Exports have grown by 45 percent.  (Applause.)  Listen up.  There are a lot of signs.  Manufacturers have added 500,000 jobs.  We’ve had 31 straight months of job growth under this President -- 5.2 million jobs right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  Those are the facts.

So in addition to being a job creator, your President has gotten a few other things done -- because, see, when you’re President you have to multitask.  (Laughter.)  So while he was creating jobs, he was also focused on improving access to health care for millions of Americans.  (Applause.)  And another thing I love about my husband -- Barack didn’t care whether health reform was the easy thing to do politically, because that’s not who he is.  He cared that it was the right thing to do. 

Because he was thinking about all of the folks he was meeting all over this country -- the woman diagnosed with breast cancer who couldn’t find insurance to cover her care; the young people who couldn’t afford insurance after they graduated; the parents who couldn’t get lifesaving treatment for their children because one of them lost a job. 

And today, because of health reform -- because he fought so hard for us -- today, young people like all of you can stay on your parent’s insurance until you’re 26 years old because of that fight.  (Applause.)  Because your President stood up for us, insurance companies now have to cover basic preventative care -- things like contraception, cancer screenings -- with no out-of-pocket cost.  (Applause.)  They won’t be able to discriminate against you because you have a preexisting condition -- let's say, diabetes or asthma.  That won’t keep you off insurance. 

And here’s the one I always quote, which really still gets to me.  Now, because of health care, if you get a serious illness -- let’s say, a life-threatening cancer -- and you need real expensive treatment, no longer can your insurance company tell you, sorry, you’ve hit your lifetime limit and we’re not paying a penny more.  That is now illegal because of health reform.  (Applause.)

Now, when it comes to giving our young people the education you all deserve, Barack knows, like me and like so many of you, there is no way we ever could have attended college without financial aid.  Without financial aid, we wouldn’t be here.  We didn’t have wealthy parents.  We didn’t have grants.  We needed financial aid.  And in fact, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.  So when it comes to student debt, believe me, Barack and I, we’ve been there.  This is not a hypothetical.  And that is why Barack fought so hard to double funding for Pell grants and keep interest rates low.  (Applause.)  Because, fortunately, we have a President who wants all of our young people to be prepared for the good jobs of the future.  All of you deserve that chance. 

And finally, when it comes to understanding the lives of women, when it comes to standing up for our rights and our opportunities, believe me, my husband will always have our backs, ladies -- always.  (Applause.)  And this is because Barack knows from personal experience what it means for a family when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  And believe me, today, as a father, he knows what it means to want our daughters to have the same freedoms and opportunities as our sons.  (Applause.) 

And that’s why the very first bill he signed into law, the very first thing he did as President was to make sure women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  And that is why he will always, always fight to ensure that we as women can make our own decisions about our bodies and our health care.  That’s what my husband stands for.  (Applause.)

So here’s the thing.  We have 21 more days left, and I know you all are going to be out there talking to folks.  So when people ask you what this President has done for our country, when you run across people that are wondering which of these candidates will help keep this country moving forward, here’s a few things you can tell them.  And we don’t have all day, so I’m going to just rattle off a few things.  (Laughter.)
 
You can start by telling them about the millions of jobs this President has created.  Tell them about all of the kids in this country who today can finally afford college.  Tell them about the millions of lives that will be changed because of health reform.  (Applause.)   

Tell them how Barack ended the war in Iraq.  (Applause.)  Remind them how together we took out Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)  Make sure they know this President has been fighting to get veterans and military families the benefits they’ve earned.  (Applause.)  You tell them. 

Tell them about all of the young immigrants in this country who will no longer live in fear of being deported from the only country they’ve ever called home.  (Applause.)  Tell them how our brave servicemembers will never have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)
 
Look, I could go on and on and on.  But here’s what I think is the most important thing to remind people.  You tell them that Barack Obama knows the American Dream because he’s lived it, and he is fighting every day so that every one of us in this country can have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we’re from, or what we look like, or who we love.  (Applause.)
  
But let’s be clear.  While he is very proud of what we have all achieved together -- because he knows he hasn’t done it without you -- my husband is nowhere near satisfied.  Barack, of all people, knows that there are still too many people hurting.  He knows that there’s plenty of work left to be done.  And as President Clinton reminded us, it is going to take a lot longer than four years to rebuild an economy from the brink of collapse. (Applause.)
   
But here’s what I know and what I think about every day.  Thankfully, in Barack, we have a leader with a deep and unyielding faith in the American people; a leader who understands that this country was built by men and women like all of us, like your parents, who wake up every day and work hard for their families without complaint and without regret.  And as President, that is what my husband has been fighting for.  As President, he’s been fighting for you.  (Applause.)  That I know.
 
And slowly but surely, together we have been pulling ourselves out of the hole that we started in, and we are steadily moving this country forward and making real change.  So here’s what we have to ask ourselves:  Are we going to turn around?  Are we going to turn around and go back to the exact same policies that got us into this mess in the first place?

AUDIENCE:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  Are we going to sit back and watch everything that we worked for and fought for just slip away?

AUDIENCE:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  What are we going to do?  Or are we going to work hard for the next 21 days to keep this country moving forward?  (Applause.)  It’s about forward. 

But here’s the thing.  In the end, the answers to these questions, it’s on us now.  It’s up to us.  Because, believe me, all of our hard work, all of the progress that we’ve made, it is all on the line in a very serious way.  Do you understand me?  It is all at stake this November.  And as my husband has said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  That is the only guarantee.  And it could all come down to what happens in a few key states -- like right here in North Carolina.  Right here.  (Applause.)
 
So let’s think about the strategy.  Now, back when -- in 2008, let’s see what happened.  Barack won North Carolina by about 14,000 votes.  And see, we got our guys here -- they know all the statistics.  But when you break that number down across precincts, do you know how many the vote margin is by precinct?  It’s five.  Five votes.  Five votes in every precinct.
 
That’s pretty amazing.  See, because that could mean just one vote in your neighborhood, just a single vote in an apartment building or a college dorm room, somebody who sits next to you in a cafeteria.
 
So here’s the thing especially for our young people:  If there is anyone here who is thinking somehow that their vote doesn’t matter in any election, that their involvement doesn’t count, if you know anybody like that who is thinking that in this complex political process that ordinary folks can’t possibly make a difference -- I just want you to think about and remind them about those five votes right here in North Carolina.
 
And I want you to think about how, with just a few more evenings on a phone bank really, just a few more weekends knocking on doors, just one of you here today, just one person here today could swing an entire precinct for Barack Obama.  And if we win enough precincts, we will win this state.  (Applause.)  And if we win this state, we’ll be well on our way to putting Barack Obama back in the White House for four more years.  (Applause.)
  
It can all happen with you all right here in this auditorium.  So for the next 21 days, truly, we’re going to need you all to work like you’ve never worked before -- 21, that’s nothing.  Sign up with one of our volunteers here today to make phone calls, to knock on doors.  Sign up, but more importantly, talk to everyone you know -- your friends, your neighbors, that cousin you haven’t seen in a while, that classmate you know is not going to wake up on time to vote.  (Laughter.)  You know who I’m talking about.  (Laughter.)  And I hope none of them are here.  (Laughter.)  But I’m talking to you right now.
 
But talk to everyone you know.  Tell them what’s at stake, particularly for our students here.  Because I have met so many young people over the last three and a half years who’ve said to me, my grandparents and parents weren’t going to vote for Barack in 2008, but because I talked to them about what this election means to me and my future, they changed their minds.  That is the power that each of you has.  (Applause.)  You have that power.  

And you can just send people -- tell them that they don’t have to wait until November the 6th to cast their ballots.  Like me, you can vote early here in North Carolina.  And in states all across this country voting has already begun.  And I cast my vote for Barack Obama, yes -- (applause.)  And one of the reasons I voted early is that I wanted to be able to spend Election Day helping to get the vote out.  That’s what I’m going to be doing. 
So I hope that all of you will vote early as well, either by mail or in person in your community.  Here in North Carolina, early voting starts this Thursday, October the 18th.  (Applause.) It goes through the 3rd of November.  And you can go to Vote.BarackObama.com to find your closest early voting site.  And if you know anyone who doesn’t vote early, make sure that they get to the polls and make their voices heard on Election Day. 

Can we do this?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, I think we can.  I think we can do this.  But here’s the thing.  I’m going to be honest with you.  This journey is going to be hard and there will be plenty of ups and downs over this next 21 days, all right, so you have to be prepared for that.  I’ve gotten used to ups and downs.  But here’s what I want you to do.  When you start to get tired -- and I know that you will -- when you start to think about taking a day off, I want you to remember that what we do for the next 21 days will absolutely make the difference between waking up the day after Election Day and wondering, could I have done more -- or feeling the promise of four more years.

So from now until November the 6th, we need you to keep working and struggling and pushing, because that is how change always happens in this country.  All our Tar Heels, all our students here, that’s what I want you to know.  We know from our history that change is hard, and it requires massive amounts of patience and tenacity.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight -- and this goes for anything you all do in life -- anything you do in life -- if you do what in your hearts you know is right, then eventually as a country we get there.  We get where we’re supposed to be.  We always do.

So I don’t want you all to ever let anyone talk down your dreams and aspirations -- never, never let that happen.  Don’t let anyone talk down our country or our future.  (Applause.)  You all have every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead, because here in America, we always move forward.  We always make progress.  We never go backwards.  We never have.

And in the end, that’s what this is about.  That’s what elections are always about.  Don’t let anybody tell you any differently.  Elections are always about hope.  It’s the hope that I saw in my father’s face as he watched me walk across that stage to get my college diploma -- that’s the kind of hope I’m talking about.  The hope that Barack’s grandmother felt as she cast her ballot for the grandson she loved and raised -- that’s the kind of hope. 

The hope of all those men and women in all of our lives who worked that extra shift for us, who saved and sacrificed and prayed so that we could be the very best is why we’re here.  The hope of so many of us when we look into the eyes of our children and our grandchildren -- (applause) -- that’s what I’m talking about.  That is why we’re here. 

See, because deep down, we are fighting so that all of our kids can have a foundation for their dreams.  We are fighting so that we can give all of our children opportunities worthy of their promise -- because we know good and well that every child in this country is worthy.  (Applause.)  We want to give our kids that sense of limitless possibility -- (applause) -- that belief that here, in America, the greatest country on the planet, there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it.  That is the America we’re fighting for. 

So, see, what I tell myself is that we will not turn back now -- not now.  We have come so far.  (Applause.)  But we have so much more work to do.  So here’s my last question:  Are you read for this? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Twenty-one days.  Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and work like you’ve never worked before?  Five votes, five votes -- that’s what we need from you between now and November the 6th.  Get to work. 

Thank you all.  Love you.  God bless.  (Applause.)

END 
3:09 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event -- Delaware, Ohio

Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, Ohio

3:03 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, guys.  Thank you so much.  This is so very cool.  (Applause.)  It is so great to be here. 
 
I want to start by thanking Hayden -- not just for that wonderful introduction, but for all the hard work that she and so many people just like her are putting in on behalf of this campaign.  So let’s give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
And I also want to recognize Dr. Jones for hosting us here today.  (Applause.)  Where’s -- there he is.  (Applause.)  The good doctor, yes.  And Melissa Jones as well.  Thank you.  (Applause. 
 
And I also want to recognize Frances Strickland who was here today.  I’m not sure if she’s still here, but she was here.  She’s working hard, she has been just amazing.  Let’s give her a round of applause as well.  (Applause.)
 
But most of all, I want to thank all of you for being here, especially all of the students from Ohio Wesleyan University.  Yes!  (Applause.)  Well, sounds like you all are pretty fired up and ready to go!  (Applause.)  And I have to tell you that I am pretty fired up and ready to go myself, especially because this morning I cast my vote early for Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  Today!  I voted for my husband!  Yes!  (Applause.)  It felt so good.   Right now, my absentee ballot, it’s on its way to Illinois, my home state -- (applause)  -- which means that we are one vote closer to reelecting my husband and moving this country forward for four more years.  (Applause.)  So forgive me if I’m a little excited today -- for me, it was Election Day.  So I just have to relax. 
 
But I am also very excited to be here in Ohio because -- (applause) -- because I get to do one of the --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  We love you, too.  Love you guys.  You guys are going to make it happen.  (Applause.) 
 
See, when I’m out on the campaign trail, I get to do one of my favorite things in the whole wide world, and that is to talk about the man I’ve loved and admired since we first met 23 years ago.  (Applause.)  Yes, he’s kind of cute.  (Laughter.)  And he’s charming, and he is incredibly smart.  (Applause.)  But let me tell you, that is not why I married him.  No -- (laughter.)  No, no, what truly made me fall in love with my husband was his character.  And I mean that.  It was his decency and honesty.  It’s the same thing we see in him every single day as President, that compassion and conviction. 
 
See, I loved that Barack was so committed to serving others that he turned down high-paying jobs and instead started his career working to get folks back to work in struggling communities.  (Applause.)  Yes, one of my favorite things about that man. 
 
And I loved that Barack was so devoted to his family when we first met, especially the women in his life.  I saw the respect that he had for his mother.  I saw how proud he was that she’d put herself through school while supporting him and his sister as a single mom. 
 
And I saw the tenderness that he felt for his grandmother.  I saw how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still waking up every morning to catch that bus to her job at the community bank, doing everything she could to support he and his family.  And he also watched as she was passed over again and again for promotions simply because she was a woman.  I know there are a lot of women who understand that.  But he also saw how she kept on getting up every day, doing that same job year after year without complaint or regret. 
 
See, with Barack, I found a real connection, because in his life story, I saw so much of my own.  Because growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I watched my father --
 
AUDIENCE:  We love Chicago!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I love Chicago, too.  (Laughter and applause.) It’s where I grew up.  And my father, he would make that same uncomplaining journey every day to his job at the city water plant.  And I saw how my father carried himself with that same dignity, that same pride in providing for his family, that same hope that his kids would one day have opportunities he never dreamed of. 
 
And like so many families in this country, see, our families just weren’t asking for much.  They didn’t want much.  They didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success.  They didn’t mind if others had much more than they did -- in fact, they admired it.  That’s why they pushed us to be the best we could be.  (Applause.)  They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that even if you don’t start out with much, if you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do, in America, you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and, yes, an even better life for your kids and grandkids.  (Applause.)
 
And they also believed that when you’ve worked hard, and you’ve done well, and you finally get the chance to walk through that doorway of opportunity, you don’t slam it shut behind you.  No, you reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.  (Applause.)
 
See, that’s how Barack and I and I know so many of you were raised.  Those are the values that we were taught.  And really, what you see in my passion, right here, today, every day that I’m out here, is because more than anything else, that’s what this election is all about.  It’s a choice about our values, our hopes and our aspirations.  It’s a choice about the America we want to leave for our kids and grandkids -- because let me tell you about that America, the one we believe in.
 
We believe in an America where every child, no matter how much money their parents have or where they’re from, every child in this country should have good schools to attend, the kind that push them and prepare them for college and good jobs of the future.  (Applause.) 
 
We believe in an America where no one goes broke because someone gets sick -- (applause) -- where no one loses their home because someone lost a job.  (Applause.)  We believe in an America where we all understand that none of us gets where we are on our own -- none of us; that there’s always a community of people lifting us up; where we treat everyone -- everyone with dignity and respect, from the teachers who inspire us to the janitors who keep our schools clean.  (Applause.)  See, in this America, when one of us stumbles, when one of us falls on hard times, we don’t tell them, tough luck, you’re on your own.  No, in this America, we extend a helping hand while they get back on their feet again.  That’s what we believe.  (Applause.)
 
We believe that the truth matters.  (Applause.)  And you don’t take shortcuts.  You don’t game the system.  You don’t play by your own set of rules.  Instead, we reward success that’s earned fair and square.
 
And finally, we believe in keeping our priorities straight. See, because we know good and well that cutting Sesame Street is no way to balance our budget.  (Applause.)  We know this.  We know that shortchanging our kids is not how we tackle our deficit.  (Applause.)  If we truly want to build opportunities for all Americans, yes, we need to cut wasteful spending, but we also need to make investments in our future -- in education and infrastructure for an economy that’s build to last.  We know this.  (Applause.)
 
And that is what my husband stands for.  That’s the country that he has been working to build.  Those are his values.  And over the past three and a half years as First Lady, let me tell you, I have seen up close and personal, really, what being President really looks like.  I have seen it.  And I have seen just how critical those values are for leading this country.  Let me tell you, I have seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk are always the hard ones -- always.  The decisions that aren’t just about the bottom line, but they’re about laying a foundation for the next generation. 
 
And let me tell you, I have seen how important it is to have a President who doesn’t just tell us what we want to hear, but who tells us the truth even when it’s hard -- especially when it’s hard.  (Applause.)
 
And I’ve seen that when it comes time to make those tough decisions and everyone is urging you to do what’s easy, what polls best or what gets good headlines -- as President, you have to be driven by the struggles, hopes and dreams of all of the people you serve.  That’s how you make the right decision for this country.  That’s what it takes to be a leader.  (Applause.)
 
And let me tell you, since the day he took office, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis -- I have been there -- that is what we’ve seen in my husband.  We have seen his values at work. We have seen his vision unfold.  We have seen the depths of his character, courage and conviction.
 
I mean, think back to when Barack first took office -- where were we?  Our economy was on the brink of collapse.   Newspapers -- don’t take my word for it -- newspapers, they were using words like "meltdown" and "calamity," declaring, "Wall Street implodes," "Economy in Shock."  And we all know how we got there. For years, folks had been lured into buying homes they couldn’t afford, so their mortgages were underwater.  Banks weren’t lending.  Companies weren’t hiring.  The auto industry was in crisis.  This economy was losing 800,000 jobs a month and a lot of folks wondered whether we were headed for another Great Depression.  Do you hear me?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And this is what Barack faced on day one as President.  He inherited an economy in deep decline.  (Applause.) But instead of pointing fingers, instead of placing blame, your President got to work, because he was thinking about folks like my dad, like his grandmother.  And that’s why he cut taxes for small businesses and working families, because he believes that teachers and firefighters shouldn’t pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires -- not in America.  (Applause.)  Not here.  (Applause.)
 
And that’s also why if you remember while some folks were willing to let the auto industry go under, with more than a million jobs that would have been lost, Barack had the backs of the American worker.  He put his faith in the American people.  He fought hard to protect jobs for American families.  That’s why today the auto industry is back and new cars are rolling off the line at proud American companies like GM.  (Applause.)
 
And, yes, while we still have a long way to go to completely rebuild our economy, there are more and more signs every day that we are headed in the right direction.  The stock market has doubled.  Exports have grown by 45 percent.  Manufacturers have added 500,000 jobs.  We’ve had 31 straight months of private sector job growth -- a total of 5.2 million jobs created under this administration, good jobs right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  Those are the facts.
 
And, yes, while Barack was involved in a lot of job creation, he was able to do a few more things as well -- see, because as President, you have to be able to multitask.  So Barack also focused on improving access to health care for millions of Americans.  (Applause.)
 
See, and this is another thing I love about my husband -- he didn’t care whether health reform was the easy thing to do politically.  That’s not who he is.  He cared that it was the right thing to do.  (Applause.)  See, because he was thinking about all those folks he met across the country -- the woman diagnosed with breast cancer who couldn’t find an insurance company to cover her care; the seniors pinching pennies to save up for the medicine they need; the parents who couldn’t get life-saving treatment for their children because one of them lost a job -- that’s who he was thinking about.
 
And today, because of health reform, our parents and grandparents on Medicare are paying hundreds less for their prescription drugs.  (Applause.)  Today, because of health care, young people like so many of you can stay on your parent's insurance until you’re 26 years old -- because of health insurance.  (Applause.)  Today, insurance companies now have to cover basic preventive care -- things like contraception, cancer screenings with no out of pocket cost.  (Applause.)  They won’t be able to discriminate against you because you have a preexisting condition like diabetes or asthma. 
 
See, and here’s the one that really gets me.  If you get a serious illness -- let’s say some debilitating, life-threatening cancer -- and you really need expensive treatment, no longer can they tell you, sorry, you’ve hit your lifetime limit and we’re not paying a penny more.  That is now illegal because of health reform.  (Applause.)  
 
And when it comes to giving our young people the education you all deserve, Barack knows that like me and like so many of you, we never, never could have attended college without financial aid.  We wouldn’t be here without financial aid.  (Applause.)  In fact, when Barack and I first got married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.  So when it comes to student debt, Barack and I -- we’ve been there.  This is not a hypothetical situation.  That is why Barack doubled funding for Pell grants and fought hard to keep interest rates down -- (applause) -- because we have a President who wants all of our young people to be prepared for good jobs of the future, all of them.
 
And finally, as Hayden mentioned, when it comes to understanding the lives of women, when it comes to standing up for our rights and opportunities, we know that my husband will always have our backs.  (Applause.)  See, because Barack knows from personal experience what it means for a family when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  And today, believe me as a father, he knows what it means to want our daughters to have the same freedoms and opportunities as our sons.
 
And that is why the very first bill he signed into law was to make sure women get equal pay for equal work -- the first thing he did as President.  (Applause.)  And that is why he will always, always fight to ensure that we as women can make our own decisions about our bodies and our health care.  That’s what my husband stands for.  (Applause.)  That you can count on.
 
So when people ask you over the next 22 days as you’re talking and canvassing, they ask you, well, what has this President done for our country -- when you’re talking to folks who are deciding who will keep this country moving forward for four more years, here’s just a few things I want you to tell them.
 
Tell them about the millions of jobs Barack has created.  Tell them about all of the students in this country who can finally afford college.  Tell them about the millions of lives that will be changed because of health reform.  Tell them how Barack ended the war in Iraq.  (Applause.)  Tell them how together we took out Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)  Tell them how your President has been fighting every day to get veterans and military families the benefits they have earned.  (Applause.)
  
Tell them about all the young immigrants who will no longer have to live in fear about being deported from the only country they’ve ever called home.  (Applause.)  Tell them about the brave servicemembers who will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)

I could go on and on and on -- but here’s what I really want you to tell them.  You tell them that Barack Obama knows the American Dream because he’s lived it -- (applause) -- and he is fighting every day so that everyone in this country can have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or what we look like, or where we’re from, or who we love.  (Applause.)
 
But let’s be clear.  While my husband is very proud of what we have achieved -- and we have achieved this together -- he is nowhere near satisfied.  Trust me, Barack more than anyone in this country knows that too many people are still hurting.  He knows that there is plenty of work left to be done, and as President Clinton said, it’s going to take a lot longer than four years to rebuild an economy from the brink of collapse.  (Applause.)
 
But here’s the thing -- see, and this is what keeps me hopeful -- thankfully, in Barack we have a leader with a deep and unyielding faith in the American people; a leader who understands that this country was built by men and women just like you who wake up every day -- just like your parents and grandparents, who wake up and work hard every day to keep this country moving forward.  He is a leader, just like you, who is fighting every day to make sure that this country lives up to the values we were raised with -- values like trust and integrity, honesty and determination.
 
See, and together, slowly but surely, we have been pulling ourselves out of that hole that we started in.  We have steadily been moving this country forward and making real change.  So the question that we have to ask ourselves, after all of this, are we going to turn around and go back to the same policies that got us into this hole in the first place?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are we going to just sit back and watch everything we’ve worked for and fought for to just slip away?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Or are we going to keep working to move this country forward?  (Applause.)  What are we going to do?  What are we going to do?  What are we going to do?  It’s forward.  (Applause.) 
 
But see, in the end, the answer to these questions -- it’s on us now.  Because all of our hard work, all the progress that we’ve made, believe me, it is all on the line.  It’s all at stake this November.  And as my husband said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  That is the only guarantee, and it could all come down to what happens in just a few key battleground states like right here in Ohio.  (Applause.)  Right here. 
 
So let me put it in perspective for you, especially to young people who are -- many of you will be first-time voters.  (Applause.)  Now, back in 2008, let me just explain what happened in Ohio.  We won the state by about 262,000 votes.  Now, that may sound like a lot, but when you break that number down, that’s just 24 votes per precinct -- you hear me -- 24.  Everybody in here knows 24 people, 24 people who may not vote or may not vote for Barack Obama.  We know those folks.  That could mean just a couple of votes in a neighborhood, on a block, just a single vote in an apartment building or in a dorm.
 
So, see, the thing that I want particularly our young people to understand if there is anyone here who might be thinking for a minute that their vote doesn’t matter, if there’s anyone you come across who might think that their involvement doesn’t count, that in this complex, political process, that ordinary folks can’t possibly make a difference, I just want you to keep those 24 votes in your mind.  Can you do that?  Just picture that.  And I want you to think about how, with just a few more evenings on a phone bank or knocking on doors, just one or two of you -- shoot, look at this room!  This auditorium could swing an entire precinct for Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  And if we win enough precincts, we will win this state.  And if we win Ohio, we’ll be well on our way to putting Barack Obama back in the White House for four more years.  Four more years, it could happen right here.  You all have the power -- four more years.
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Four more years!  We can get it done right here. 
 
So here’s the plan -- we’ve got a plan.  (Laughter.)  The press is looking, it’s a secret plan.  (Laughter.)  Don’t tell anybody about the plan.  (Laughter.)  But for the next 22 days, we are going to need you to work like never before.  Sign up with one of our volunteers here today to make calls, knock on doors -- 22 days.  But talk to everyone you know -- your friends, your neighbors, that cousin you haven’t seen in a while, that student sitting in your next class -- you know he’s kind of a knucklehead and may not be -- (laughter) -- you know the one.  (Laughter.)  Just tap him on the shoulder -- be nice.  Don’t call him a knucklehead -- (laughter) -- not to his face.  You just want to encourage him to get to the polls.
 
But tell them what’s at stake -- especially for our young people here.  I have met so many young people who said to me last time in 2008, my parents and grandparents weren’t going to vote for Barack in 2008, but because I talked to them about what this election means for me and my future, they got many of them to change their minds.  So that is the power that you have in your own lives.  (Applause.)  That’s the power that you have.
 
So I want you and everyone here today to send anybody you know to vote.barackobama.com.  And there they can find all the information they need to cast their votes.  And tell them that they don’t have to wait until November the 6th.  See, that’s the thing.  All right, let’s focus, because here in Ohio, and in states all across the country, voting has already begun.  And as I said, this morning I saw just how quick and easy it can be to do your part and to do it early. 
 
And in the next couple of weeks, Barack is going to vote early back at our home town of Chicago in person.  (Applause.)  So he’s going to do a little early voting.  So we really want as many people as possible -- all of you here to vote early as well, either by mail or in person in your community.
 
In fact, right after this event -- don’t leave yet -- we have a bus that is going to take any of you here who wants to go straight to the Board of Elections to cast your ballot for Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  We’ll take you there.  So I want you all, when this is over, find our volunteers.
 
AUDIENCE:  Get on the bus!  Get on the bus!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Get on the bus!  Get on the bus!  Get on the bus!  Yes, get on the bus -- get on that bus and make your voices heard. 
 
And then after you vote, I want you to get everyone you know to vote by mail or vote early in person.  And if you know anyone who doesn’t vote early, make sure they get to the polls and make their voices heard on Election Day.  That is our secret plan.  (Laughter.)  You got it?  (Applause.)  We can do this.
 
But I’m going to be honest with you -- this journey is going to be hard.  Count on that.  And there will plenty of ups and downs over the next 22 days.  There always is.  But here’s the thing.  When you start to get tired -- and you will -- when you start to think about taking a day off, I want you to remember that what we do for the next 22 days will absolutely make the difference between waking up the day after Election Day and asking ourselves, could we have done more, or feeling the promise of four more years.
 
So from now until November the 6th, we need you to keep on working and struggling and pushing forward -- because that’s how change always happens in this country.  And again, I’m especially talking to all the young people here.  You guys, listen up -- because we know from our history that change is hard and it requires patience and tenacity.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight and doing what we know is right in our hearts, then eventually we get there.  We always do. 
 
So don’t let anyone talk down your dreams and aspirations.  You hear me?  Don’t let anyone talk down our country or our future.  You all have every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead for you, because here in America, we always move forward.  We always make progress.  Do you hear me?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And in the end, that’s what this is all about. That’s what elections are always about.  Don’t let anybody tell you any differently.  Elections are always about hope.  Let me tell you, the hope that I saw on my father’s beaming face as I crossed that stage to get my college diploma, it’s that kind of hope.  The hope that Barack’s grandmother felt as she cast her ballot for the grandson she loved and raised, that kind of hope. It’s the hope of all those men and women in our lives who work that extra shift for us, who saved and sacrificed and prayed so that we could be here, and be better.  That’s why you’re here.  The hope that so many of us feel when we look into the eyes of our kids and grandkids -- it’s that kind of hope. 
 
That’s why we’re here today, because we want to give all our kids a real foundation for their dream.  Do you hear me?  All of them.  We want to give our kids opportunities worthy of their promise because all of our kids in this country are worthy.  (Applause.)  We want to give our kids that sense of limitless possibility, that belief that here in America, the greatest country on the planet, there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it.  You all hear me?  So we cannot turn back now.  We will not turn back now.  We have so much more to do.  But we have come so far.
 
So here’s my last question:  Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  Are you fired up?  (Applause.)  You ready to roll up your sleeves?  We can get this done -- 22 days.
 
Thank you all.  God bless.
 
END 
3:34 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady to Overflow Crowd at a Campaign Event

Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

6:14 P.M. MDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  This is so exciting.  You all are amazing.  We're going to get it done here in Colorado, aren't we?  (Applause.)  All right.
 
27 more days.  Lots of hard work, a lot of focus, but with your help, we'll get it done.  Your President wants to make sure that he's fighting every single day for you.  He feels it in his heart, and he is working so hard because he's working for you.  He wants you to be proud of him.  He says that every day.
 
And I will tell them that here in Durango, here in Colorado, that you all are very proud.  So thank you so much.  Have a great day -- what day of the week is it?  (Laughter.)  Is it Wednesday?  Have a great Wednesday.  All right.
 
I'm headed to Denver.  Thanks so much. We love you guys.  Work hard.  (Applause.) 

END                 
6:15 P.M. MDT