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Michelle Obama Rallies At UNC Chapel Hill

First Lady Michelle Obama
Alletta Cooper

Michelle Obama made a campaign stop in Chapel Hill before joining her husband at last night’s presidential debate.  Even though President Obama’s approval numbers have fluctuated over the year – Mrs. Obama’s popularity has remained strong during the tight re-election campaign.  And yesterday’s rally is part of an effort to fire up volunteers to get voters to the polls early. 

One would think the Obama’s had a second home in North Carolina going by all the visits the First Lady has made in recent months.  People love Michelle Obama and her signature BIG hugs.

Susan Varner:  "Oh we got to hug her."

Inge:  "No way!"

Susan Varner:  "Oh yes, we got to hug her."

Susan Varner and Kathryn Griffith traveled from Raleigh to see Mrs. Obama.  And Griffith said it was worth it.  This was her first political rally.

Kathryn Griffith: " She was phenomenal. She’s just done so much for this country.  She’s been such a role model for children and for women and done so much for military families, it’s just phenomenal."

Susan Varner:  "I just love everything that she’s done and he’s done.  We got to keep him in another four more years to keep us going."

That’s just the message Michelle Obama tried to convey when she addressed the crowd at UNC’s Carmichael Arena.  She said her husband is a man who has worked tirelessly to turn the economy around during the last four years.   But she says it hasn’t been easy.

Michelle Obama:  "And a lot of folks wondered whether we were headed for another great depression.  See that’s what Barack faced on day one as president.  He inherited an economy in rapid decline."

Mrs. Obama said the president’s policies have and will continue to re-build the country.

Michelle Obama:  "And that’s why he has cut taxes for small businesses and working families because he believes here in American teachers and firefighters shouldn’t pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires."

Eric Fanning of Carrboro has worked most of his adult life in retail management and customer service.   He says he’s for the candidate who supports the middle class.

Eric Fanning: " I don’t really consider myself necessarily a "loyal Democrat" anymore than just a progressive free-thinking individual.   And so, whoever best represents the chance for the working people and the people who’ve had it a little rougher in life to actually have a fair shot is usually who will pretty much get my vote."

The First Lady timed her trip to the kick-off early voting in North Carolina, which starts tomorrow. She’s voted already.

Marianna Hernandez:  "Are you guys fired up?  Ready to go? Fire up!"

UNC senior Marianna Hernandez is a team leader with Tar Heels for Obama. She encouraged her fellow students to pull out their cell phones and text their support, and donate 10-dollars.

Marianna Hernandez:  "We’ve got to dig deep and push ourselves for one more shift than we thought we had time for, one more hour on our feet or one more new friend to bring into our organization as we head into early vote.   That will be the difference between winning or losing, it’s that simple."

In 2008 President Obama won North Carolina by 14-thousand votes.

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.
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