First lady: Charlotte speech will focus on president’s values

First lady Michelle Obama said Tuesday that her prime-time address to the Democratic National Convention would remind the country of "who Barack is, the values that guide him, and [that] those are the values that need to guide this country for the next four years and beyond."

The first lady provided the preview of her remarks during an interview with syndicated radio host Yolanda Adams.

Obama said her remarks would focus on her husband's character amid the adversities he faced during his presidency.

"Barack, I have watched him deal with things I could have never imagined that he would be dealing with, and he has done it with grace and poise and intelligence and maturity," Obama said. "He has put this country on the right path, but he has done it still by being the Barack I have always known, somebody who believes in honesty, somebody who believes the truth matters, and you don't take shortcuts."

Obama will give her speech during the 10 p.m. EDT hour carried by broadcast networks Tuesday night, the first of three days for Democrats in Charlotte, N.C.

The first lady went on to say of her husband that "with every policy that he's put forth, he tells us who he is."

"Somebody who believes in honesty. Somebody who believes that the truth matters. He was raised to know that we didn’t get here — none of us — on our own," Obama said. "That our success is the product of many people who have invested in us — the teacher who taught us and the janitor who cleaned the floors of our school."

Obama's speech comes one week after Ann Romney delivered highly praised remarks at the Republican National Convention, speaking to her husband's devotion to family and faith. But Michelle Obama seemed to indicate she could place a greater emphasis on the policy differences between the presidential contenders.

"We are very proud of the record this president has. He has made some phenomenal changes, especially if you look at where this country was four years ago," Obama said

She also urged supporters to use online tools to ensure they were registered to vote.

"As Barack has said, they're going to be closer than the last one ... so it's going to be even more important that people are registered to vote," Obama said. "We have got to get our base out for this one, and send a message about the direction we want our country to go in."