VIDEO: Michelle Obama’s “roundtable” meeting in Charlotte

Today, the woman who Barry Oh! angrily declared off limits for criticism a couple of months ago was in Charlotte for a women’s “roundtable” that was similar to the “townhall meeting” she did back in the spring in the neighboring small town of Harrisburg. Local ABC news affiliate WSOCtv reports:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michelle Obama spent the day talking about family values and the economy with women in North Carolina.

Obama spoke at the McGlohon Theatre in Charlotte on Thursday morning. She also spoke in Greensboro later in the day on behalf of her husband, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The Charlotte event, which wrapped up around 11:30 a.m., was an hour-long roundtable discussion in which participants shared their economic struggles and Obama shared her husband’s policy proposals. Although she spoke with a variety of women on a wide range of issues, there was a special emphasis on working mothers.

She said her husband is the only candidate to deal with women’s issues. She particularly focused on equal pay, health care, affordable college and recruiting new teachers. She also said he will cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans.

“Look for a Washington that doesn’t just talk about family values, but actually creates policies that value families” Obama said.

Jake Tapper reported on more words of wisdom that were spoken by Mrs. Chosen one:

This is just one of those elections where folks just need to be informed,” she continued. “I can take off my wife hat and just put on my citizen hat and just say we have an obligation now to pay attention. Because we may decide to do something that is different from Barack Obama. But we should decide that based on our self-interest and what we think is best. And the only way that will happen is if people are paying attention and neighbors are talking to neighbors, and family members are talking to family members.

“People shouldn’t make a decision this time based on ‘I like that guy’ or you know, ‘she’s cute’ you know, this isn’t…”

The crowd laughed and applauded.

“And I’m talking about me,” Michelle Obama continued. “But that shouldn’t be anyone’s reason for making a judgment this time around.”

Polls indicate that voters who are determining their choice based on issues are planning on voting for Obama, while those voting based on character are opting for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Mrs. Obama also said that “folks up here aren’t asking for yachts and cruises and, you know, they’re not working on the third house…they’re talking about trying to keep –”

The crowd interrupted with applause.

“For the record, I didn’t mean that,” she said, the audience laughing. “All I’m saying: there’s nothing wrong with having a lot of houses, but some people are just trying to keep the one.”

I can see she’s got her husband’s knack for falsely claiming “but that’s not what I was talking about/meant” tactic down pat. It’s pretty obvious who she was talking about with the “she’s cute” and “three houses” cracks, respectively. It’s insulting to the intelligence of people who actually take the time to think for her to say that’s not what she meant.

Here are video snippets, courtesy of local Charlotte station WCNC:

I have no problems with forums and townhall meetings, but I do have an issue when they are used to constantly complain about how awful things supposedly are and how only government can fix them. This is how it is at the majority of stump speeches and townhall meetings that the Obamas take part in go – oh, and the usually throw in the obligatory “but I love my country” somewhere in there, too, but it doesn’t sound very sincere. Liberals tend to only fully love their country when they can get it on the fast track to socialism and selective isolationism. When it’s in the hands of the opposition, though, they stop flying flags, whine about capitalism and the free market, and b*tch about how the United States isn’t “doing more” on an international scale to help countries they think we should give aid/assistance to. It never freaking ends.

What’s so mindblogging about this is how divided this country is right now on the candidates. Do nearly half of the American people really think Barack Obama is ready to lead? WTH is wrong with people?

Update – midnight: One thing I meant to add to this post is that I think it’s high time this state gets a couple of visits from McCain-Palin. I got a little excited last week when I read about a double digit lead McCain had opened over Obama in this state but the trends aren’t bearing that out. The poll numbers are tight in some, no contest in others. I would hate for this state to be all over the news media the day after the election as one of the red states that “flipped” for Obama. If that happened, this red stater would be flipping – flipping out, that is. McCain-Palin will do well not to take it for granted that this state will stay red.

This has been a wacky election year, and just the year to have something unexpected like that happen.