Michelle Obama's passionate speech moves Democrats

  • 26/07/2016
(Reuters)
(Reuters)

US First Lady Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) has been praised as one for the ages, endorsing candidate Hillary Clinton as the country's best option.

Ms Obama's powerful speech appears to have reunited the party and earned a standing ovation.

"I want a president who will teach our children that everyone in this country matters," she said.

Children, and the future of the nation, featured heavily in Ms Obama's speech.

It was less than a decade ago that Ms Obama presented her first speech at the DNC and on Monday night (local time) she addressed the fears and difficulties she and her husband faced while raising their two daughters in the spotlight.

Being the president of the US, Ms Obama says, is about just one thing.

"It is about leaving something better for our kids," she says.

"That is how we have always moved this country forward - by all of us coming together on behalf of our children."

That's what the US needs to remember when it comes time to vote, Ms Obama stresses.

"Make no mistake about it - this November, when we get to the polls, that is what we are deciding. Not Democrat or Republican, not left or right. In this election, and every election, it is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives."

While Ms Obama didn't target Republican candidate Donald Trump by name in her speech, that didn't mean she avoided mentioning him completely.

Instead, she shredded his campaign slogan promising to "make America great again".

"Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country is not great. That somehow we need to make it great again. Because this, right now, is the greatest country on Earth."

She also argued that Ms Clinton has a history of staying strong under pressure, and that that's the sort of person their nation needs as a leader.

"Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can't make snap decisions," Ms Obama said.

"You can't have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well-informed."

Ms Obama received a standing ovation for her speech.

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