Michelle Obama says it "will be on us" if Hillary Clinton loses
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Laying out her case for Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama warned on Thursday that it “will be on us” if the Democratic nominee loses the election on November 8.
“Hillary has done her job,” Obama said, speaking at a joint campaign rally with Clinton at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. “Now we need to do our job and get her elected President of the United States. Because, here’s where I want to get real. If Hillary doesn’t win this election, that will be on us. It will be because we did not stand for her. It will be because we did not vote for her.”
It may have sounded like she was stating the obvious but, in front of one of Clinton’s largest crowds to date, Obama was fighting back against Donald Trump’s claims that the election is “rigged” in Clinton’s favor.
“That’s the strategy,” she said. “They are trying to get you to stay home. They are trying to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter, that the outcome has already been determined and you shouldn’t even bother making your voice heard.”
The first lady has emerged as a powerful advocate for Clinton, ever since her remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia over the summer. In recent weeks, she has made powerful, and personal, arguments for Clinton -- and against Trump.
“Voters decide who wins and loses, period,” Obama said bluntly. “End of story.”
She argued that American voters have never had a choice of a more “qualified and prepared candidate for President” than Clinton.
“She has been a lawyer, a law professor, first lady of Arkansas, first lady of the United States, a United States senator, Secretary of State,” she said, trailing off as the crowd cheered. “That’s right. Hillary doesn’t play.”
She added: “She is absolutely ready to be commander-in-chief on day one and, yes, she happens to be a woman.”
As Obama spoke, Clinton sat behind her on stage. Clinton officials refer to Obama as a “rock star” and the candidate herself, in a radio interview on Wednesday, agreed that the First Lady has become her “closer” as Election Day grows near.
Their trip to North Carolina on Thursday coincided with the expansion of early voting statewide. Since early voting started in the state a week ago, there was one place to vote early in Forsyth County. But on Thursday, 16 additional early voting sites opened.
Obama closed her remarks with a timely adaptation of her now-famous line from her convention speech.
“Make no mistake about it, casting our vote is the ultimate way we go high when they go low,” she said. “Voting is our high. That’s how we go high. We vote. How do we go high? We vote!”
CBS News Digital Journalist Sean Gallitz contributed to this report.