102-Year-Old Black Florida Voter Gets Standing Ovation At SOTU

President Obama uses determined woman’s example in talk about voting rights

Did you catch the most moving and heartwarming moment of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday night? The commander-in-chief gave a shout out to 102-year-old Miami resident Desiline Victor, who stood in line for six hours to cast a ballot for him on Election Day. She was sitting in the First Lady Michelle Obama’s viewing box and received a standing ovation from nearly everyone in the congressional chamber. The president tells her story best:

"When she arrived at her polling place, she was told the wait to vote might be six hours.  And as time ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet, but whether folks like her would get to have their say.  Hour after hour, a throng of people stayed in line in support of her.  Because Desiline is 102 years old.  And they erupted in cheers when she finally put on a sticker that read 'I Voted.'"

Obama used Victor’s example to talk about improving and expanding access to polling places across the country. “When any Americans – no matter where they live or what their party – are denied that right simply because they can’t wait for five, six, seven hours just to cast their ballot, we are betraying our ideals,” Obama said, announcing plans to assemble a non-partisan group to tackle the issue. He says the group will include top lawyers from his and Gov. Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaigns. Sound like a step in the right direction! (AP)