First lady Michelle Obama introduced President Obama at two huge rallies held on Saturday at Virginia Commonwealth University and Ohio State University. Trekking to both Richmond, Va. and Columbus, Ohio respectively to address massive crowds, America’s first couple visited large auditoriums in each city, kicking into campaign mode with their distinctive flair. President Obama took a paired-down approach to dressing in a simple rolled-up dress shirt. The first lady wore a bright blue dress accented with “a turquoise Erickson Beamon starburst pin,” according to the Mrs. O fashion blog.
This is the same pin Michelle wore to speak for the first time at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, in an interesting sartorial parallel. Did she wear it for good luck?
The Washington Post reports that repeating the brooch, “could have marked the latest effort by the Obama campaign to display its attention to detail,” a theme that was also highlighted in the 2008 campaign.
Whatever the reason, Michelle looked dazzling as she introduced the president to the waiting throngs in a blue frock that matched the “Obama/Biden” signs waved by attendees. She shared the Democrats’ message of hope by discussing the values of the candidates.
“We’re here because of the values we believe in,” Michelle said at a Ready to Go rally in Ohio. “We’re here because of the vision for this country that we all share. We’re here because we want all our children to have a good education, right? Schools that push them, and inspire them, prepare them for good jobs. We want our parents and our grandparents to retire with dignity, because we believe that after a lifetime of hard work, they should enjoy their golden years. We want to restore that basic middle class security for our families, because we believe folks shouldn’t go bankrupt because they get sick. They shouldn’t lose their homes because someone loses a job. We believe that responsibility should be rewarded and hard work should pay off.”
WATCH ‘THE LAST WORD’ COVERAGE OF MICHELLE OBAMA ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:
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The first lady went on to say that these are “basic American values” that many have been raised with, including herself. Michelle spoke of how her father, a blue collar worker for the city of Chicago, and her mother, through hard work and sacrifice, nurtured her and her brother using those values.
President Obama, “said the election offered voters a stark choice between an America ‘where everyone gets a fair shot’ and the Republican vision offered by Mr. Romney, which he said was built on a credo of layoffs, outsourcing, tax avoidance and union busting,” according to The New York Times.
Michelle Obama’s vivid look certainly captured the optimism of the president’s message.
Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb