Michelle Obama knows she draws a crowd, but at a rally in Michigan over the weekend where she stumped for and then introduced Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, she dressed for success while making it clear that Harris was the main event.
On Saturday evening, Obama spoke ahead of Harris at a Kalamazoo, Michigan rally, dressed unlike we’ve seen her in recent years. This is the first time Obama has joined the campaign trail as a speaker since her speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, and this was not the same joyful warrior, clad in an armor-like navy blue Monse ensemble, that we saw in Chicago. Nor was this the jewel-toned, J.Crew-wearing Obama of her White House years, exuding capability and playfulness at the same time, accessibility and practicality all at once, a working mom in an extraordinary job. Nor was Saturday’s Obama the same one we saw on her book tour in 2018, unmissable in canary-yellow Balenciaga and glittering thigh-high boots.
The former first lady took the stage wearing tortoiseshell-printed pantsuit separates by RTW brand Theory over a black silk top, paired with black pumps. She wore her braided hair pulled back into a long, thick plait, and kept her makeup minimal. Her deep blue manicure and bejeweled hoop earrings were her only concession to whimsy of any type, perhaps a nod to the Democratic Party’s signature color, perhaps just plain color theory rationality to add some interest among all those neutrals.
It’s no mistake that we haven’t seen Obama stumping for Harris for nearly two months: She’s known to be something of a reluctant campaigner, despite her obvious talents as a speaker and popularity with the public. When Obama steps out, then, we know that she means it, and her frank remarks in Michigan, reflective of the fear and disbelief that many feel living through the third Donald Trump candidacy in as many elections, showed that.
“Why on earth is this race even close?” Obama asked the assembled crowd. “I lay awake at night wondering what in the world is going on.”
She implored the masses, over and over again, to “do something,” and highlighted the double standard to which Harris is held.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, voters have every right to ask hard questions of any candidate seeking office,” she said. “But can someone tell me why we are, once again, holding Kamala to a higher standard than her opponent?” Harris, she said, is asked to “prove time and time again that she belongs.”
“But for Trump, we expect nothing at all, no understanding of policy, no ability to put together a coherent argument, no honesty, no decency, no morals. Instead, too many people are willing to write off his childish, mean-spirited antics by saying, ‘Trump is just being Trump.’ Rather than question his horrible behavior, some folks think he’s funny.”
Obama said flat-out that she “hates politics” in her speech. This is work for her, and necessary work at that. She’s doing it because she has to, a duty in service of this country’s democracy, not because she wants to.
