Michelle

So here's how I almost got pummeled by the secret service:

Michelle Obama came to town. Many of the preparations were the same as our preparations in Terre Haute. We gave out tickets the day before, we publicized the event over the radio, we had the influx of advance staff, the volunteer recruitment, the awkward conversations as people tried to figure out who could get them an introduction (not me!). But whatever fanfare we did, it was less than her husband received. After all, the nature of her trip spoke for itself... she was due to speak at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, between her appearance on the Colbert Report and her husband's debate against Hillary. This was no keynote, but an attempt to appease a battleground in preparation for the post-Pennsylvania Indiana mayhem next week.

My role in this was equally lackluster. I was the (glorified) pizza delivery guy. Actually, they called me the "runner" which meant I ran things to and from the event (things like hamburgers). In this occupation, I am given the responsibility of running Michelle's lunch out to her private jet... only there's a catch. The lunch order is for 10:30, and Michelle is due to leave at 11. Surely, this shouldn't be a problem, as the airport is only 10 minutes away from the venue, and the food is on the way.

However, this is southern Indiana, and fast food isn't exactly fast. So I wait impatiently staring at my watch as the hamburgers are slowly served up, then I sprint to the car, slipping the keys into the ignition as I jump into the driver's seat. Pulling onto the highway, I receive a phone call telling me the motorcade is pulling out. The race is on!

Speeding past the Whirlpool factory surrounded by cornfields, my eyes are glued to my rearview mirror. I know full well that my head start is severely undermined by the Secret Service's refusal to stop for red lights.

However, I arrive at the airport without any sign of the secret service. I park the car, and relay the food onto the private jet, with engines blaring as I run. With my last handful of stuff, running across the tarmac, I hear a short siren and am immediately overrun by a convoy of police cars and inconspicuous rental cars. Apparently, a young man running to their private jet with two full plastic bags doesn't sit well, as the last black suburban swerves off to the side and three men in suits jump out.

Luckily, I'm not a terrorist. So they let me live. Actually, Michelle's assistant recognizes me from an earlier meeting, and intervenes to save the day.

On a side note, the peak of this day was most definitely not racing the secret service, but hearing an extrodinarily articulate speech about what is at stake in this election. I'm still trying to decipher the impact of Michelle's words, as there is nothing substantiatively, or even thematically, different from her husband's speeches. But Michelle touched on an element of personal perspective that is missing in many of Barack's speeches. Barack speaks largely in terms of how to fix American infrastructure through community involvement. Michelle relates this to the personal struggle outlined in Dreams from my Father, the struggle to work hard for personal achievements amidst a system that rewards this type of hard work less and less. And many of these achievements are not monetary, but value based... interaction with neighbors, education, humanitarian ideals, and cultural preservation to name a few. These value-based achievements are being undermined just as much, and Michelle illustrates that through her own struggle.

In short, Barack takes a set of believe universal ideals, and applies them to the political sphere... community involvement, integrity, and respect for diverse opinions to name a few; Michelle takes personal struggles and desires and applies them to these ideals... desire to provide for one's family, to be an upright member of society, to work for achievement. Together, they make for a truly powerful message.