Why the Michelle Obama DNC Speech Was a Complete Failure

Impact

Last night Michelle Obama, the first lady, made a stirring speech. The Obama family certainly has a knack for inspiring crowds with their oratorical skills.

Frankly, Michelle's delivery on the Democratic Convention floor impressed me, just like her husband did four years ago. But, we all know now that the ability to read and emote on a podium does not necessarily mean a person can effectively govern the greatest country on earth.

I am not sure what Michelle's handlers or her husband wanted her to accomplish last night. Bringing the crowd to their feet while talking about Obama family values was probably one objective. But, no one ever said Barack was not a great husband and a great father. Nor has any one criticized him for not feeling the pain of the needy, based upon his early years. The wife hit the ball out of the park, yet questions still remain about Barack's ability to govern, to work with the opposition, to create jobs and to develop a good relationship with the other 1% of his constituency.

Michelle avoided politics and had not one negative comment about her husband's adversary. It was an easy speech with no risk. Apple pie, motherhood, a strong marriage ... everybody likes these things. And, although Barack's opponents criticize him for many things, none of these are on the list.

It would have been "uncool" (and we know Barack wants to be "cool") for Michelle to refute the litany of complaints directed at him by many Americans. Frankly, she could not talk about unemployment because it is bad, long lasting and predicted to worsen. She could not discuss the many broken promises by her husband (even though it appears he never breaks any promises to her or their children). She dare not bring up his inability to be flexible in his governing style. And finally, she did not even attempt to mitigate the fact that Barack has accomplished so little in four years.

Regarding the last point, I look forward to the Democrat spin over the next few days about Barack's "accomplishments." They total just a few: equal pay for women, Bin Laden (although the president had nothing to do with the planning, the execution or the years of intelligence that was collected before he sanctioned the assassination), Obamacare (which Democrats never discuss publicly and which almost no one yet benefits from) and a couple of other things.

No, Michelle avoided these subjects because she would have lost credibility attempting to convert a cow pod to a chocolate chip cookie. In this regard, was her speech a precursor to a political career? I wonder. After all, many future national candidates debut at political conventions, and it is stylish for the wives of successful politicians to run for office.