CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NBC Charlotte was there for a Charlotte town hall meeting with President Obama, who focused on women in the economy.
The president spoke to a small crowd at ImaginOn in Uptown.
There were only about 100 hand-picked audience members but they all had one common goal.
“I believe that when women succeed here in America, then the whole country succeeds. I’m a firm believer in that,” President Obama said.
His remarks, mostly geared toward women, were greeted with a warm reception, from local bloggers to city council members.
“Everybody knows if you can engage women in something it will make a difference,” Councilwoman Vi Lyles said.
A big talking point was the wage gap in America and the fact that women still earn just 78 cents to every dollar earned by men.
“I know there are workers here in Charlotte that are organizing for higher wages. It’s time that we stood alongside them and made it happen. America deserves a raise,” President Obama said.
He also talked about his plan to help working families afford childcare, something that resonated with the audience and with moderator and BlogHer founder Lisa Stone.
“Candidly, women are beginning to feel alienated and as though the system is highly unjust for working families,” she said.
All of these points tied in with tax day and the president’s own tax proposals.
“I want to cut taxes for more than 5 million middle class families who need help paying for childcare. I want to cut taxes for more than 8 million students and families who need help paying for college,” the president told the audience Wednesday afternoon.
Each point, directed toward women, holds a much broader meaning.
“My takeaway is if you take care of women, women will take care of their families and that will make a difference,” Lyles said.
The president did take a couple opportunities to throw some political jabs, saying that Republicans have made it difficult to raise the minimum wage. But despite that, several audience members told NBC Charlotte they left feeling inspired, and empowered as women.
The Republican National Committee issued a statement in response to the president’s comments.
“When it comes to helping women in today’s economy, President Obama is all rhetoric and no results. During his presidency, weak job growth and lower paying jobs have left more women in poverty.”
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