I would vote for Michelle Obama as the future president of America

Inspiring is one word that comes to my mind as I pen down my thoughts about the recent Democratic National Convention held in the great city of Philadelphia, PA. At a time when the Democrat Party found itself down in doldrums, the convention introduced to us night after night celebrities and luminaries who effectively built a case for Hillary Clinton to be the next president of United States.

Amidst the gloom, doom and despair painted by the Republicans in their convention just a week prior to the Democratic convention, the Democrats rejected cynicism and fear, talked about hope and bringing people together in love and not hate.

Granted America today presents a sad spectacle of a house divided against itself, there are crises of monstrous proportions paralysing the nation, with catastrophes erupting in every nook and corner of the country and an image problem all over world. Yet, there is still a high probability that we will bounce back if lead by a ‘steady and measured and well-informed’ individual – words that first lady, Michelle Obama, a superstar in her own right, used to describe Hillary Clinton while making a case for her presidency.

Michelle Obama has proven to be a force to be reckoned with – someone who has stood by her husband through thick and thin in his two-term presidency. She’s a no-nonsense, just do it kind of an individual, one who has stayed away from politics yet remained an effective role-player in all of the seven and a half years lugged in a high stakes and high visibility position.

Mrs Obama’s speech on the night of July 25^th was just what the country needed – a timely reminder that we can still rise from the ashes and putting a sick, unstable, bully racist, con artist Trump in the White House would mean nothing but jeopardising the future of our coming generations. Without naming him, Michelle sent out a loud and clear message that Trump lacked the clarity of mind and vision to lead.

The topic of children is one that has been truly close to Mrs Obama’s heart and she did not hold herself back from talking about it in her speech. She repeatedly emphasised that Hillary Clinton was the one who she trusts ‘to lead this country because I’ve seen her lifelong devotion to our nation’s children’.

Michelle impliedly touched on the sensitive issues of gang violence, guns, immigration and the great American dream that, to many, still remains alive and kicking. She reflected on these issues as they impact the kids in small towns and big cities of America and how the filthy rich Republicans don’t give a damn about it, especially Trump whose “middle class pitch is a bunch of malarkey”.

Michelle Obama is a powerhouse who we may well see one day pitching a case for her own presidency to the American public. She, just like Hillary Clinton, is a toughie who doesn’t ever give up and her speech at the convention could build a brief for a successful presidential run in the near future. After all, she is an attorney who knows how to present her case effectively.

The tone and tenor of Michelle’s speech was one that depicts the agony that the country is going through and the pain of failure marked by perpetual race-related instances, the crisis of trust in government and the constant incitement of racism by the Trump camp, bringing out the worst in people. That’s why she said that she wants ‘someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters’ – a reference to Trump’s Twitter-mania that has been instrumental in pulling all the wrong chords, pitting people against people, encouraging revolt and mayhem, and ensuring that media remains fixated on his crazy ways.

Trump is “an immigrant-bashing carnival barker” and I, as an immigrant myself, can attest to the fact that although things, of late, have been unusually stressful (if one cares to follow the media), we can still pull it off if we get another term or two of Democratic rule in the White House.

Michelle’s speech raised the much-needed standard of discourse and engagement that this campaign direly needs. The unleashing of her blistering attacks on Trump (albeit in a diplomatic manner), her reminding people “don’t let anyone ever tell you that this country isn’t great, that somehow we need to make it great again” and her poise, the true grit symbolised how wonderfully well she understands the ins and outs of the issues that this country faces. She, sort of, sounded like her husband when he delivered his 2004 convention speech.


Michelle’s powerful words kicked off a process of unity that we witnessed in the days that followed her speech whereby each subsequent speakers only reiterated, reconfirmed and built on what Michelle stated on the first night of the convention.

Most importantly, the message that Michelle delivered will resonate, throughout the world, that America still does care and even though the soundbytes coming out of the country may feel otherwise, we are still out there trying to make friends while maintaining strong relationships with the existing ones. In essence, we are all fired up and ready to go!