Michelle Obama Takes to Macalester in the Final Days Leading up to the Election

October 20, 2008
Sarah Levy

More than 4,000 people waited in line for hours Monday despite rain and cold to see Michelle Obama speak at Macalester.

Waiting to go into the Snelling Street side entrance of the Leonard Center, the line of people, sporting rain coats and umbrellas, reached all the way down Macalester Street to the parking lot by the Wallace Fine Arts building, before it began to move.

Ross Donihue ’11 said his Geographic Information Systems teacher cancelled class for the event. Others, such as Olivia Nichols, a senior at Henry Sibley High School, cut class to see the possible future first lady speak.

“I’ll definitely be affected by Michelle,” Nichols said, about missing her psychology class to be at the event. “I’ll be more motivated to start [campaign] phone calls.”

Nichols’ father, Michael Nichols, said he too was excited to be there.

“I think Michelle is very inspirational, especially to young women,” he said.

Not everyone felt the same, however. Some Macalester students stayed away from the event, such as Paul McGuire ‘12 who scoffed at what he said he considered absurd and unnecessary hubbub and “Obama-Mania”.

Dara Hoppe ’11, a sociology major, went for the mere spectacle. Hoppe said she enjoys critically analyzing what politicians are doing to get votes.

“I guess it’s the point to say those buzz-word phrases to get people riled up,” she said. “It’s exciting to feel you’re a part of the giant excitement.”

Upon entering the Leonard Center, attendees were immersed in a world of political pump-up music and Obama cheerleaders staggered about to act as a pathway into the gym. Beyond the chants of “Ready to go! Fired up!” thousands of people stood so close they were touching their neighbors, waiting for the event to start.

Following several speakers including Mayor Chris Coleman and 16-year-old Natalie Miller of Northfield, MN, Obama was welcomed onstage to deafening applause.

After she skimmed over some of the campaign highlights, Obama asked the crowd, “Don’t we deserve leaders who get it?” She continued, “The thing I’ve been doing is I’ve been traveling around this country for the last 18, 19 months telling people that Barack Obama gets it.”

Obama stressed that people need to get involved in the campaign if they haven’t already, or kick it up several notches if they have.

“Barack has gotten us 85% of the way there,” she said. “The rest of it’s on us.”

Following the event, Grace Erny ’12 noted how Obama’s speech brushed over many of the issues without addressing any of the actual policies. She said this made sense, however, considering events like this are not centered on policy and educating people on the issues, but are more about getting people excited and mobilizing them.

“While it was obvious that she was intelligent and poised, it would have been more interesting if she hadn’t had to so strongly campaign,” said Erny. “I would like to see what she would have said if she hadn’t had such a strong agenda.”

Elizabeth Anna Hall of Minneapolis said she was glad to be at the event, but it didn’t change her thinking.
“She grabbed hold of the crowd’s emotions in a really positive way,” Hall said. Originally a Kucinich supporter, Hall said that some of Obama’s positions aren’t as far left as she would like, but she is still planning on voting for him.

Tom Froyum, a St. Paul fire inspector, said his purpose on Monday was to keep the peace and make sure the crowd didn’t get too big, but that he was especially glad to be stationed at this event.

“Sure I’m excited—I’m unofficially excited,” he said regarding the content of his particular job assignment.

Surrounded by smiling people donning Obama t-shirts and having their pictures taken in front of an enormous American flag, Erny said that the event didn’t make her think about anything in a new way, at least not in the way it was intended to.

“It made me think about the way that propaganda works, but not about the issues of the campaign,” she said.

Many local politicians and political candidates were there on Monday, including senate candidate Al Franken and the mayors of St. Paul and Minneaoplis.

Also present were national news media, many of which filmed the event from a stage in the middle of the crowd.



The last time Michelle Obama was in Minnesota, her husband was accepting the nomination for the party. This Monday she returned to speak at Macalester in the final days leading up to the election.
A few of the numbers she brought up include:
• Number of votes John Kerry won Minnesota by in 2004: 98,000
• Number of unregistered youths in Minnesota in 2008: 140,000
• Number of days until the election: 15
• Least number of days you must wait in Minnesota between registering