First lady’s pep talk to Dems: Staying home from polls ‘worst possible thing to do’

First lady to Dems: Don’t stay home from polls

WASHINGTON — Michelle Obama has a simple message for Democrats as the midterm elections grow near: Don’t stay home.

The first lady delivered a political pep talk to Obama supporters around the country on Wednesday via conference call and the Internet, telling them that “the worst possible thing to do” would be to sit out the elections this November.

The first lady acknowledged to Organizing for America volunteers that many people are frustrated with the pace of change and still are hurting economically.

But she added that the country is “just beginning to see the results of our work, so don’t stay home. Don’t let frustration keep you from voting.”

The conference call was an opportunity for Mrs. Obama to test out themes she’ll take on the road next week when she hits the campaign trail for Democratic candidates around the country.

The first lady, who has largely steered clear of politics over the past two years, declared herself “fired up and ready to go.”

She acknowledged that Democrats, who are expected to lose significant ground in Congress this November, have a lot of work to do but said there’s still time to shift the momentum.

“Twenty-seven days is a lot of time to get a whole bunch of people very excited and focused on what’s been accomplished and what work we have to do,” she said.

Mrs. Obama told the Democratic faithful that their support had helped President Barack Obama push through changes such as health care reform and new regulations for Wall Street.

“The president needs you once again,” she said. “The president needs allies like all of you who will stand up with him in Washington as he stands up for the nation.”

She urged supporters to “dig deep” and do “whatever it takes to support Democrats who will work to keep our country moving forward.”