US: Former First Lady Michelle Obama stepped into the tumult of November’s midterm elections with a spirited call for citizens to vote, no matter how busy, discouraged or tuned-out they might feel.
“Our vote matters. It always does,” she said. “But only if we use that vote.”
Headlining her first rally for When We All Vote, the nonprofit initiative she launched in July, Obama spoke of her own disappointment with the political moment and criticised efforts to suppress voting by making it more difficult to register or cast ballots.
Obama’s event was her first major foray in a busy season that marks her return to the public eye, 21 months after she left the White House. On November 13, she launches her memoir, Becoming in Chicago and starts a national tour of appearances in arenas.
She plans to travel to Miami for a similar rally, capping a week of events by artists, athletes and celebrities recruited to her new cause.
They include NBA star Chris Paul and actor Tom Hanks, as well singer Faith Hill, who will headline a rally in Nashville. The long-term, nonpartisan goal, Ms Obama says, is to change culture of voting.
More than 2,000 people crammed into the gymnasium of Chaparral High School in Las Vegas where Obama, along with several high-profile singers and actors, spoke on Sunday evening and reminded Nevada residents why their votes matter.
“When you don’t vote, that’s exactly what you’re doing -- you’re letting other people make decisions for you,” Obama said. “We get the leaders we vote for. We get the policies we vote for. And when we don’t vote, that’s when we wind up with government of, by and for other people.
“While some folks are frustrated and tuned out and staying home on Election Day, trust me, other folks are showing up. Democracy continues with or without you,” she added.
Obama also voiced her personal frustrations with the current political climate and called out “the nastiness of our politics.”
“Believe me, I am frustrated, too,” she said. “I am sick of all the chaos and the nastiness of our politics. It’s exhausting and, frankly, it’s depressing. I understand wanting to shut it all out.”
The event marked the beginning of When We All Vote’s “Week of Action,” a multi-day effort to boost voter registration in major cities ahead of Election Day in November. Obama, the organization’s co-chair, is scheduled to headline a second rally in Miami on Friday.
The organization is nonpartisan, according to its website, and Obama signaled that she wanted everyone to vote, regardless of political affiliation.
“They’re finding all kinds of ways to keep you at home, hoping that when you hear about all those things, you’ll just give up,” she said. “Don’t let anybody intimidate you from being a part of this process.” - ABC NEWS
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