Michelle Obama Calls On Latinos to Campaign For Barack Obama

Sep. 5, 2012— -- First Lady Michelle Obama called on members of the Hispanic Caucus to campaign for her husband in key battleground states such as Florida and Virginia. 

She also thanked the caucus for fighting for the DREAM Act, "so that all of our children have opportunities worthy of their dreams and their promise," prompting applause during remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte on Wednesday morning.

Obama mentioned her Tuesday night convention speech, which won overwhelming approval from the Democrats in attendance, saying, "The evening really reflected Barack's broad, inclusive vision for this country as a place where every single one of us has something very unique and very special to contribute, and we should all have a fair chance to make it in this country if we're willing to work for it…" 

Obama acknowledged the challenges her husband faces in his bid for reelection, however. The president and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney are neck-and-neck in the polls, and mobilizing voters has been more of a challenge for the campaign than it was in 2008.

"[Y]ou all know that this election is about those battleground states," Obama said as she called on the audience to donate and encourage people to vote. 

She also noted that President Obama won Florida by 236,000 votes in 2008, or 36 votes per precinct. Latinos stand to play a huge role in swing states come November, and the First Lady's speech to the Hispanic Caucus indicates that the Obama campaign knows it needs the support of Latinos to win.

While most Latinos -- around two-thirds -- who vote are expected to cast ballots for Obama, it is unclear how many will actually turn up at the polls. 

The First Lady engaged the audience in a question-and-answer session much like Julián Castro's speech Tuesday night, asking "Do we want to give the message that a few individuals have a far bigger say in our democracy than everybody else?" 

"No!" replied the audience. 

Throughout her brief remarks, Obama touted the president's commitment to helping Americans climb the "ladder" to the middle class, a standard part of his stump speech on the campaign trail. 

"We can get this done," she concluded. "¡Sí, Se Puede! "