推介文章：Michelle Obama Holds Roundtable in Fishers, Indiana

Change We Can Believe In:
Michelle Obama Holds Roundtable in Fishers, Indiana
By Rick Scalf, Online Organizer - Sep 10th, 2008 at 5:26 pm EDT

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Over 200 people crowded into the Fishers Conference Center today to join Michelle Obama for the economic roundtable she was holding with Indiana's working women.

Mrs. Obama began the event by thanking her co-hosts, Indiana's former First Lady, Judy O'Bannon and the state's first female Lieutenant Governor, Kathy Davis, and by discussing why the issues at hand were so important to her:

Like many of you, and like women I've met all across the country, I juggle several different roles in my life. I'm a wife, a working woman, a daughter, a sister and a friend.

But most importantly, I'm a mom. My girls are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. No matter where I am--at work, on the campaign trail, you name it--they're always on my mind.

So for me, policies that support working women and working families aren't just political issues. They're personal. They're the causes I carry in my heart every single day.

...Now, I know that if you ask every person here, we'd all agree that caring for our families is the greatest joy of our lives. We wouldn't trade it for anything. I know that's how we all feel. Being a parent is the best job in the world.

But as Barack and I have traveled this country over the past year and a half, we've heard stories every day of parents working as hard as they can to do it all, without enough support.

...That's what this election is about for Barack and for me: the families who are doing everything that we ask of them and then they are doing more on top of that. And all they're asking for in return is a government that understands what's happening to their families. They're not asking for the government to solve all their problems. They're just asking for a government that wants to find some real ways to help.

Read the full transcript of Mrs. Obama's remarks here.
After completing her remarks, Mrs. Obama turned the stage over to the women who had been invited to share their stories.

Rae, a retired teacher with two daughters, spoke of one of her children's struggles with health problems. In pursuit of her masters degree, Rae's daughter wanted to take a year off to teach, but couldn't, because she's having trouble finding a specialist her insurance would cover.

Heather, a stay at home mother of three, spoke about the difficulties facing her family. Heather's husband lost a good paying job when his Ford motor company plant closed. He found a lower paying job at another plant and worked his way up to head of his department. Now that plant is in danger of closing as well.

We don't want to be rich. We just want our kids to go to good schools. We just want the security.
The entire room grew quiet as Gayna, a single mother of a four year old daughter, spoke about the affects of the shocking new that she would be losing the job she's held for the last 14 years.

You look inside and ask yourself, am I now the face of the American struggle? ... Just one hardship can put you over the edge.

You say, what am I gonna do, and who's gonna help me? And when I say help, I don't need a rescue, but I do need [the government] to come in and help move the road blocks that they set up in front of me.
After the event, the positive response was strong.

Stephanie was on the fence about the upcoming election, but not anymore:

[I was]impressed.She's a good speaker, and I like what Obama's trying to get through for the people. I'm one for the government trying to help out the people. That's a big issue for me...I think I'll be voting for Obama.
Abbie was impressed with the way the discussion stuck with real issues:

I live in Hamilton County and it's great to see this kind of support so close. It was great to hear everyone's stories. That's what's so important for real people. ...

I think sometimes we overlook that and and focus on the divisive issues that aren't the things that affect everyday people. The things we heard today, everyone can relate to.