Obama '85 urges voters to abandon cynicism

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Crisp winter air raced through the front door as dozens of Granite State residents made their way into the basement office of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in this small New Hampshire town.

Polls for the presidential primary were set to open in just 37 hours, and candidates and their spouses were crisscrossing the state to rally supporters and court the undecided.

Michelle Obama '85 was supposed to address a house party hosted by Obama supporters Jim and Theresa Gocha. But their home was too small to accommodate all those who expressed interest in attending, so the party moved to the Plymouth office.

Obama arrived almost an hour late, but the crowd did not seem to mind. She walked in as the sun was setting and spoke for nearly an hour, often eliciting laughs and applause from the audience of about 200.

Cynicism is too common in American society, she said, adding that it's the wrong message to send to future generations. "Our kids need to understand the fullness of this country and the challenges that people face," she said. "We don't want them to live in isolation. And we certainly don't want them to grow up cynical — not as we have become. Cynicism is the thing that defeats change."

Obama added that her own life experiences taught her the importance of overcoming fear and cynicism. "At every step in my life I was told why I shouldn't be here," she said. "I was told I wasn't supposed to go to Princeton because my test scores weren't high enough. I graduated with departmental honors. I did all right. ... Every time I pushed past fear and doubt, what was clear is that I was always more ready than I could ever have imagined, and that those fear and doubts were always a lie."

One of a handful of African Americans in her graduating class at the University, Obama ran a daycare program at the Third World Center — now the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding — to fulfill her work-study requirement during her time as a University student. She later attended Harvard Law School and was subsequently hired as a corporate attorney at Sidley & Austin, where she later met Barack when he came to the firm as a summer intern and she was assigned to mentor him. In an interview with The Daily Princetonian two years ago, Obama said her husband "some day" might "take on a more influential role in politics," but added that "for now, our future is our kids."

In her speech in Plymouth on Sunday, however, she took aim at critics who say her husband is too inexperienced and disagreed with Democrats who say they would love to see an Obama presidency, but not until 2012 or 2016. "We don't have four or eight years to keep getting it wrong," she said.

Obama added that her husband's upbringing in Indonesia and Hawaii would give him valuable perspective as president. "Barack got to live in the world in a way that many Americans don't," she said. "When you live in countries that are dealing with global poverty, you get to see that and understand what that feels like."

Obama concluded by addressing change, the campaign's major theme. "Change is painful, and it requires a lot of work and sacrifice," she said. "And we have to be willing to change, too. Are you ready to change? Are you ready to sacrifice compromise? And set aside your fears and cynicism and embrace hope?"

After the event, Obama spent about half an hour greeting supporters, answering questions and taking pictures. Party co-host Jim Gocha pronounced it a huge success.

Gocha also predicted an Obama victory in New Hampshire and said the Illinois senator's rhetoric about ending the divisive politics of the past is hitting a nerve.

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"I think this message is resonating a lot because we are in a place in our country where we need some hope," he said. "We need a positive message. We need something other than the same old story told the same old way. Our world needs some new. We can't do things the same way."