American history is full of rags-to-riches stories, but society chooses favorites. Vice President JD Vance climbed from poverty and now salutes the nation, a history we've all come to know and respect.

My Salem teammate, Grateful Calvin, writing at Twitchy, shares a premise from Megyn Kelly that compares Vance and Michelle Obama.

America, we regret to announce that, once again, we have disappointed Michelle Obama. 

Like the black, female version of David French, the former First Lady can't seem to go a single day without expressing her deep dismay at how America has let her down. And it must be so difficult for her to do so because, also according to Obama, black women in America are not allowed to express their pain and suffering. 

Yes, she really said that. 

...

Yesterday, Megyn Kelly decided that the best way to highlight what a horrible person Obama is would be to compare and contrast her remarks with those of another American who finds himself in the position of serving the American people in one of the highest offices in the nation. 

Former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, was raised comfortably and later exited the White House into luxury and gripes about endless burdens.

See if you can tell the difference between how @VP @JDVance talked about what life is like for him and his family in his sit-down with @MegynKelly this week... and how former First Lady Michelle Obama described her time in the White House... pic.twitter.com/zV1TnaM1ao

— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) February 9, 2026

The love this mother expresses to her children is chilling, isn't it?

One voice clearly rings with thanks, while the other drips with complaints.

Let's dig a little deeper to see if we can spot the chasm.

Suffering from the Summit

Michelle Obama swapped the White House for ocean views in Hawaii and a massive spread on Martha's Vineyard, her net worth skyrocketing beyond most dreams.

Yet, listening through her speeches, we're presented with a life depicted as one long slog through racism and exhaustion, in which she endures shards of broken glass ceilings that cut deep, even after eight years in power.

She says women shatter barriers, but slivers sting the hardest when aimed to wound. Because of her skin color, people refuse to see her true self. The courage this woman displays as she and Barack have bravely shared all their college work, highlighting their ... wait. Wut?

Oh, that's right. Both of them famously "forgot" to release the same documentation that all previous presidential candidates had released.

Michelle's days are defined by restraint and emotional labor.

Opulence? Mere backdrop to the real drama of grievance, as she carries the weight of rewriting daily narratives for black Americans.

Comfort will never erase the toll.

Picture the queen of the hill hollering about altitude sickness while sipping champagne. Her admirers lap it up, hailing her moans as profound wisdom, while critics vanish in the glow of her polish.

Wealth buys forgiveness only if the blame squarely falls on the flawed nation. Crowds love the victim act, mistaking endless gripes for depth, while she preaches endurance from penthouses, leaving fans to beg for more.

The irony piles higher than her property taxes.

Gratitude Forged in Poverty

JD Vance scraped through the chaos of childhood in Appalachia, with addiction and instability hounding him. There were no silver spoons available; he forged ahead with grit, military service, and education.

Success arrived, but Vance never twisted it into a weapon against the country. As vice president, he declares America flawed yet worth every defense, crediting the land for the opportunities it offers nowhere else.

Patriotism flows without excuses; shared history binds the nation, he insists, not just abstract ideas. People fight for home, not notions, while heritage shapes qualities that make America strong.

He refuses to apologize for loving the setup that lifted him.

Praise and Punishment

Reactions expose the hypocrisy; Michelle Obama collects halos and ovations, while JD Vance dodges bards and suspicion. She poses as a saintly guide, walking people through America's sins. He gets tagged as crude or threatening.

Both draw on raw experience, yet only her tale shines with enlightenment: Grievance sells tickets, gratitude sparks backlash, complaining about luxury signals status, while thankfulness smells naive—or worse.

Vance shatters the mold by embracing our nation without qualifiers.

Two Visions, One Country

While one lens views America as a curse borne amid riches, the other sees a wonder that demands protection despite its warts. Applause chases the sob story, while ridicule dogs the salute. Culture craves complaint over character, while humility bows to hubris. Struggle earns scorn, while success breeds entitlement.

Flip the switch, and gratitude turns radical while resentment masquerades as insight.

Final Thoughts

People see the gap between the phony gripes and genuine thanks. One demands the country's apology, while the other pledges devotion for doors opened; only loyalty breeds strength, not sneers.

Vance continues to build bridges, while Obama burns them from her ivory tower.

It's well past time to ditch the drama queens and start backing the builders. Unfortunately, as long as her sycophants worship every syllable uttered by Obama, we'll never have an opportunity to move on.

God forbid she thanks the nation that voted her husband into office; instead, her entitlement at least equals that of Hillary Clinton.

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