If you haven't heard about the "Donald Drama" that has occurred within the past few weeks, I have no idea where you've been or what TV/social media outlet you've been on to be able to escape this trauma.
For the majority who have heard, I am sure you have an opinion on his words and actions and on Clinton's campaign responses. I'm not here to make the fire larger or to start a political fight on my Facebook page when this article eventually comes out. I am here to focus on one of my favorite faces in politics and her powerful way of addressing the situation: Michelle Obama. Her speech this week once again allowed America to see her poise and power and make us teary-eyed that she'll be leaving The White House with her husband in just a few short weeks. Whether or not you are a Trump, Clinton or Obama supporter, you really cannot disregard the grace, beauty, and control she possesses when she speaks. She commands attention without being domineering and she gets her point across. Also, shoutout to her speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz, who actually initially wrote for Hillary Clinton. These two women have formed an extremely personal relationship over the years, allowing Hurwitz to know exactly what to help The First Lady say and how to say it. Together, they make a really powerful team.
These are some great lines from the speech that addressed Donald Trump last week, and if you haven't seen the speech or feel like listening to it, these points should sum it up pretty well (but if you do want to be an informed citizen you can click here if you want to check out the speech for yourself and if you want to learn more on Hurwitz and Obama, click here and here).
Also... don't forget to go out and vote :)
1. "The measure of any society is how it treats its women and girls."
2. "Language* that has been painful for so many of us, not just as women, but as parents trying to protect our children and raise them to be caring, respectful adults and as citizens who think that our nation's leaders should meet basic standards of human decency."
3. "It* has shaken me to my core in a way that I couldn't have predicted. So while I'd love nothing more than to pretend like this isn't happening and to come out here and do my normal campaign speech, it would be dishonest and disingenuous to me to just move on to the next thing like this was all just a bad dream."
4. "The belief that you can do anything you want to a woman? It is cruel. It is frightening. And the truth is, it hurts."
5. "It reminds us of stories we've heard from our mothers and grandmothers about how back in their day, the boss could say and do whatever he pleased to the women in the office. And even though they worked so hard, jumped over every hurdle to prove themselves, it was never enough. We thought all of that was ancient history, didn't we."
6. "Maybe because we think admitting how much it hurts makes us as women look weak. Maybe we're afraid to be that vulnerable. Maybe we've grown accustomed to swallowing these emotions and staying quiet because we've seen that people often won't take our word over his. Or maybe we don't want to believe that there are still people out there who think so little of us as women."
7. "Too many people are treating this... as if this is normal. Just politics as usual.... This is NOT politics as usual. This is disgraceful, it is intolerable."
8. "This isn't about politics. This is about basic human decency. It's about right and wrong."
9. "What do you think this is doing to our children? What messages are little girls hearing... what lessons are they learning about their value as professionals, as human beings, about their dreams... and how is this affecting men and boys in this country? Because I can tell you that the men in my life do not talk about women like this."
10. "To dismiss this as everyday locker room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere."
11. "This little six-year old said... 'You cannot be president if you call someone a piggy.'"
12. "Men who are truly role models don't need to put down women to make themselves feel powerful... People who are truly powerful bring others together, and that is what we need in our next president."
13. "Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life."
14. "She is a loving, loyal wife. She's a devoted daughter who cared for her mother until her final days. And if any of us had raised a daughter like Hillary Clinton, we would be so proud."
15. "If we just stand by and allow her opponent to be elected, then what are we teaching our children about the values they should hold? About the kind of life they should lead... in our hearts we all know that if we let Hillary's opponent win this election, then we are sending a clear message to our kids that everything they're seeing and hearing is perfectly okay. We are validating it. We are endorsing it."
16. "If we have a president who routinely degrades women, who brags about sexually assaulting women, then how can we maintain our moral authority in the world? How can we continue to be a beacon of freedom and justice and human dignity?"
17. "Today, we as women have all we need to determine the outcome of this election. We have knowledge. We have a voice. We have a vote."
18. "We cannot allow ourselves to be so disgusted that we just shut off the TV and walk away... we need to recover from our shock... and do what women have always done in this country. We need you to roll up your sleeves. We need to get to work. Because remember this: when they go low, we go high."
19. "On November the eighth, we have the power to show our children that America's greatness comes from recognizing the innate dignity and worth of all our people... we can show our children that this country is big enough to have a place for us all... and that each of us is a precious part of this great American story and we are always stronger together... we can show our children that here in America, we reject hatred and fear and in difficult times we don't discard our highest ideals- no, we rise up to meet them."
*refers to Donald Trump's tape in which he describes sexually assaulting women