On Thursday, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to a large crowd in Phoenix Arizona about the importance of this election and her support for Hillary Clinton.

Michelle Obama:

And let me just say that since [my speech last week], my office has been flooded with thousands of letters and emails from folks all across the country. Women of all ages finding the courage to stand up and tell their stories, clearing the cloud of shame that existed for far too long. Parents declaring that our daughters — and our sons — deserve better. (Applause.) Speaking out for the values of decency and respect that we all hold dear. Men of all backgrounds and walks of life agreeing that decent men do not demean women — (applause) — and we shouldn’t tolerate this behavior from any man, let alone a man who wants to be the President. (Applause.)

And let me just tell you, I have been so moved and so humbled by these responses — by the powerful affirmation of our shared values. But what I have not been is surprised. Let me tell you, because this kind of courage and decency and compassion — this is who we are. This is the America that I know.

Who we are:

Well, Barack and I — and our friend, Hillary — (applause) — we have a very different perspective on this country, one that has everything to do with where we come from and how we were raised. You see, we all grew up in working families. As you know, Barack was raised by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills, and by grandparents who stepped up to help. My dad was a shift worker at the city water plant, and let me tell you, he and my mom scrimped and saved every penny to send me and my brother to college. (Applause.) Hillary’s mother was an orphan, abandoned by her parents. Hillary’s father — small business owner — stayed up nights, poring over his books, working hard to keep their family afloat.

See and when you grow up like us — doing your best to keep it all together — you come in contact with all kinds of people. And yes, you witness a lot of struggles and hardships. But let me tell you, you also see so many triumph, so much beauty so much joy. That’s my life. (Applause.)

So you learn empathy. You learn compassion. You learn that folks may not look or think like you, but when it comes to what really matters in life — our values and our dreams — we’re not all that different. (Applause.) […]

You learn that when folks are down on their luck, it’s not because they deserve it. It’s not because they’re unworthy –because you’ve seen firsthand that sometimes bad things happen to good people and when times are tough, hope is all you have.

So the hope that sustains us isn’t some naïve idea that if you sit around and do nothing, everything will be okay. No, no, our hope is grounded in hard work and hard-earned faith. It is grounded in belief that there is something greater than us that reminds us that we are all precious and worthy, no matter where we come from or what we’ve been through. (Applause.) That’s what Barack and I believe. That’s what Hillary believes too. (Applause.)

Who Hillary Clinton’s opponent is:

Now sadly, for some reason, Hillary’s opponent comes from a different place. I don’t know, perhaps living life high up in a tower, in a world of exclusive clubs, measuring success by wins and losses and the number of zeroes in your bank account — perhaps you just develop a different set of values. Maybe with so little exposure to people who are different than you are — becomes easy to take advantage of those who are down on their luck, folks who play by the rules — pay what they owe — because to you — (applause) — to you those folks just aren’t very smart and seem somehow less deserving.

And if you think this way, then it’s easy to see this country as “us” versus “them.” And it’s easy to dehumanize “them” — to treat “them” with contempt — because you don’t know them. You can’t even see them.

Full White House transcript below.

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On Wednesday afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to students at La Salle University in Philadelphia Pennsylvania about the importance of voting and, specifically, why they need to vote for Hillary Clinton.

Michelle Obama:

As someone who has seen the presidency up close and personal, let me share with you what I’ve learned about this job — lessons that seem even more relevant, even more critically important after watching Monday’s debate. First and foremost, this job is hard. It is the highest-stakes, most 24/7 job you can possibly imagine. The issues that cross a President’s desk are never easy. And solutions to persistent, systemic challenges are never black and white. […]

When it comes to the qualifications we should demand in a President, to start with, we need someone who will take the job seriously, someone who will study and prepare so that they understand the issues better than anyone else on their team.

And we need someone with superb judgment in their own right. Because a President can hire the best advisors on Earth, but I guarantee you that five advisors will give five different opinions, and it is the President — and the President alone — who always has to make the final call. We also need someone who is steady and measured. Because when making life-or-death, war-or-peace decisions, a President just can’t pop off or lash out irrationally. No, we need an adult in the White House, I guarantee you.

And finally, we need someone who is compassionate. Someone who will be a role model for our kids. Someone who’s not just in this for themselves but for the good of this entire country — all of us. See, at the end of the day, as I’ve said before, the presidency doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are. And the same is true of a presidential campaign.

On inspiration:

When I hear folks saying that they don’t feel inspired in this election, I have to disagree. See, because for eight years, I have seen what it takes to actually do this job. And here’s what I know for sure: Right now, we have an opportunity to elect one of the most qualified people who has ever endeavored to become President. Hillary has been a lawyer, a law professor, First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the United States, a U.S. Senator, Secretary of State. That’s why I’m inspired by Hillary.

I’m inspired by her persistence, her consistency; by her heart and by her guts. And I’m inspired by her lifelong record of public service. No one in our lifetime has ever had as much experience and exposure to the presidency — not Barack, not Bill, nobody — and, yes, she happens to be a woman. (Applause.)

So, trust me, Pennsylvania, experience matters. Preparation matters. Temperament matters. And Hillary Clinton has it all. She’s the real deal.

Michelle Obama tells young people how important voting is and concludes:

So let me tell you, especially our young people, don’t let anyone ever take away your hope. Don’t let them do it. That’s what makes America great. And we deserve a President who can see those truths in us. A President who believes that each of us is part of the American story and we’re always stronger together. A President who can bring out the best in us — our kindness, our decency, our courage, our determination, so that we can keep perfecting our union and passing those blessings of liberty down to our children.

Hillary Clinton will be that President. And from now until November, I am going to work as hard as I can to get her and Tim Kaine elected. We need you to do the same thing. We need you to do everything you can to close the door on this election and make it happen so we can keep moving this country forward.

Full transcript below.

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