First lady Michelle Obama just wrapped up a full-throated defense of her husband's performance as president, exhorting a crowd of more than 3,000 young people at the University of Pennsylvania to vote tomorrow and drag their friends along as well. Speaking after Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, the Democratic nominees for governor and the U.S. Senate, Obama tried to rekindle the emotional response that drove legions of young voters to support her husband two years ago.
Obama noted that her husband said while running for president that change takes time. She asked for the students to give him more of that. "I know that a lot of folks are still hurting," she said as the crowd braved dropping temperatures. "I know for a lot of folks change has not come fast enough."
Obama described tomorrow's general election as not one day on the political calendar but a continuation of what was started in 2008.
"This election is about all we have left to do in the months and years ahead. We have a lot of work to do. And my husband cannot do that alone," Obama said, her voice rising. "In the end our campaign was never about putting one man in the White House. It was about building a movement for change, millions of voices strong."