In this video , Michelle Obama talks about her speech on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention and her role in the campaign to elect her husband, Barrack Obama, as president. In her speech, Michelle Obama introduced her family history and highlighted how her and Barack's values are similar to that of the average American. Michelle Obama had faced criticism during the Democratic primary for saying that this was the first time she had been proud of her country, and many political observers saw the speech as an effort to "re-introduce" her family and portray it as mainstream and normal. Columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks briefly discuss Michelle Obama with Jim Lehrer after the interview. Quotes "This is politics. And I've always felt that, when people hear my story and they hear the truth of my story, then they'll understand who I am. You know, I try not the lose sleep over how Barack's opponents have mischaracterized who I am." - Michelle Obama "Hillary Clinton has been nothing but supportive. She has been personally supportive to me. I've talked to her one-on-one. She's given me advice how to maneuver this process with the girls. She called to congratulate me on my speech. She's been on the stump asking her funders to move, really pushing them to move. And she's been in some major swing states campaigning very hard on behalf of Barack. That's a fact." - Michelle Obama "[Barack Obama] is less concerned about trying to tear down his opponent and more concerned about laying out and having a real conversation about the issues that people are facing on the ground." - Michelle Obama Warm Up Questions 1. Who is Michelle Obama? 2. What is Michelle Obama's role in the 2008 presidential campaign? 3. What is the role of the First Lady? What do you know about former First Ladies such as Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan, Jackie Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt? Discussion Questions 1. What do you think about Michelle Obama? Do you agree with David Brooks that she is an "impressive person"? Did she seem like a politician or a regular person? 2. Why do you think Obama talked so much about her family? Why do you think the campaign decided to use her speech to introduce or "re-introduce" her family to the American people? 3. Why do you think her comments about her pride in America got her into trouble? Do you think it's important that the president's wife be proud of America? After seeing the interview and her speech, do you think she is happy to be American? 4. How important is a candidate's spouse to your opinion of the candidate? Should their character and opinions be part of the evaluation process for voters? Additional Resources Transcript Michelle Obama's speech