Michelle Obama Quotes

Unlike the Contract with America, which was created by Washington pollsters and insiders, Families First was developed from the grassroots up. Congressional Democrats from across the country spent months meeting with people back home, asking them what issues were important to them, and what Congress could do to make their lives a little easier.

It's about being a voice in the community. There's so many ways to be a voice, and that's what I'm figuring out.

I use Facebook on a daily basis to share information about my work in Congress and across our great district. I put information about constituent meetings, video of various Congressional hearings, and share local news stories from around our region.

The next phase and this is part of what I'm interested in doing after I get out of the presidency is to make sure that I'm working with that next generation so that they understand you can't just rely on inspiration. There's a little perspiration involved in bringing about change too. That you have to be organized, that you have to vote even when it's not exciting.

Our Revolution has been the keeper of the flame doing the vital work of building a grassroots movement that leverages the people's agenda.

If I get asked to talk to a group of CEOs or a group of high school students, I pick high school students.

Let all of us turn from bullets to ballots, from guns to shovels.

Most of my time at the White House, I wrote very unfunny speeches, but every year, I would work on the correspondents' dinner, which was a reminder of this other kind of writing that I loved to do.

Listening to the people, being a minister that goes to the cities, to the squares, to the stations, to the hospitals, for me is a duty and a pleasure.

I don't necessarily see myself as an activist, running down the street and knocking at every door.

The work that Rock The Vote does is incredible. So it's cool to collab with such an iconic organization.

The most powerful thing we can do is get involved locally. Help our local community and become community activists in our own smaller circle.

I'm someone who believes that all political campaigns need to be grassroots-driven. Commercials can only get you so far. Mail can only get you far. You need to have people on the ground talking about you and why they care.

You've got a bunch of kids out here that might not want to be athletes, but they want to learn how to make a difference in their community, and I'm trying to as best I can show an example of that.

I want to be high-profile with the average Angeleno. I want to be out there holding office hours on a curb in Boyle Heights.

When I was in high school, people would ask me what I wanted to do, and I would always say I wanted to 'lead marches and give speeches.'

We have to pick up people's issues within and outside Parliament and give a voice to their pain and problems and come across as a party which understands this.

The thing I enjoy most about campaigning is getting to have so many conversations with members. The downside is it takes away from the work of the union. I think that the work of the members is the most important thing.

The rise of civic society is not a negation of politics, but marks an opportunity for the involvement of the people.

What I like to do is have an opportunity to talk with people in neighborhoods and answer their questions one-on-one. I think it's one of the places I have greatest strength.

What I was excited about was the opportunity for punters to be part of politics. The whole idea was to allow the voices of people outside this weirdo palace of Westminster to be heard. I thought the whole social media thing might be really positive.

We need to make sure that the ANC branches are strong, that they can lead the communities we live in.

You're never too young or too old to be a mentor.

I started in politics as a fresh graduate wanting to make a difference, by bringing more political awareness and interest to young people.

Every time Emma Gonzalez speaks, I listen.