Michelle Obama Speech to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte NC.

Michelle's valentine to men


There's no point trying to find something wrong with Michelle Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention. It was perfection.

From her stage presence to her delivery — from the punctuating smile to the strategic repetition of the words 'you see' — it was brilliant. The first lady ruled the first night of the convention, and that's saying something given the lineup of oratorical stars she followed, notably the Castro twins, Julian and Joaquin, respectively mayor of San Antonio and Texas congressional candidate.

No matter what one's politics, only the mingy-minded could fail to be proud of America's first lady Tuesday night. In this spirit, I submit my favorite lines of the speech, which have received scant attention. It was perhaps the most important statement of any thus far uttered in either convention and has been sorely lacking from the American conversation.

Herewith: 'He was so proud to be sending his kids to college, and he made sure we never missed a registration deadline because his check was late. You see, for my dad, that's what it meant to be a man. … That was the measure of his success in life — being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to support his family.'

She was talking about her .