MANCHESTER — Grassroots campaigning was the key to President Barack Obama's victory four years ago, and is key to how the President hopes to win re-election this year, First Lady Michelle Obama told a crowd at Southern New Hampshire University on Thursday.

“Being involved in campaigning is not easy. You've got lives to live, jobs to do and classes to attend,” she told the crowd of nearly 1,600 at the school's athletic fieldhouse. “We're not doing this just because we want to win an election, which we do and we will. We're here and we're doing this because of the values we believe in. We're doing this because of the vision for this country that we all share.”

Obama repeated many of the campaign's talking points during her 26-minute speech, including highlighting her husband's passage of the Affordable Care Act, the removal of troops from the war in Iraq, the campaign's claim of more than two years of consecutive private-sector job growth — at one point she told the crowd to tell doubters “how many jobs he's created” — and the President's call to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

“We're doing this because we believe everyone in this country should have a fair shot,” she said. “We believe that everyone should do their fair share, which means teachers and firefighters shouldn't pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires. We believe that you shouldn't go bankrupt because someone in your family got sick.”

Staff and volunteers from the Obama campaign handed out cups of water and paper fans to members of the audience as the interior of the field house, which is not air conditioned, got hotter and hotter in the time leading up to Obama's speech, despite large fans the university brought into the gym.

“It's hot in here,” Obama said. “If anybody needs to sit down, (then) sit down. I will not be offended.”

The speech was part of the First Lady's “It Takes One” program, in which the campaign asks each volunteer to recruit at least one new supporter or register one new voter. She asked that supporters tell potential swing voters in New Hampshire that Obama, a Democrat who is running for re-election against Republican Mitt Romney, has accomplished much in his four years in office.

“In the end, it's all going to come down to those last few thousand votes, particularly here in New Hampshire,” she said. “So when you're out there wondering whether what you're doing is mattering, I want you to think that that one new voter that you registered in your precinct, that one neighbor that you helped get to the polls on November the 6th, I want you to think that could be the one that makes the difference.”

After the speech, Tonisha Farrell of Manchester was beaming after shaking the First Lady's hand.

“I am ecstatic,” she said. “I am stoked. She is amazing. She's my idol.”

Barinder Ahluwalia of Manchester said she thought Obama's speech was well done, but that it hasn't convinced her yet.

“I'm not sure right now” who to vote for, she said. “I'm one of those iffies.”

tbuckland@unionleader.com