PHILADELPHIA — When Bill Clinton introduced “the finest surrogate, supporter any candidate for president ever had,” everyone on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall knew the person he was talking about.

Michelle Obama has been in many ways the star of Hillary Clinton’s campaign — it was her speech at the Democratic convention that people were still talking about days and weeks later.

On Monday night, at the campaign’s final rally before Election Day, Mrs. Obama’s job was, again, to convince the voters who have come to love and trust her that they should also love and trust Hillary Clinton — or, at least, that they should vote for her.

As part of her pitch, she described the kind of leader the country needs: someone “who takes this job seriously” and is “ready to be commander in chief on day one.” Someone “who sees the dignity and humanity in all of us and who will encourage us to see the better angels in one another.” Someone “who sees us not as rich or poor but as hard-working folks doing the best we can with what we got.” Someone “who sees us not as Democrats and Republicans but as neighbors and friends who all love this country, who sees us not just as black or white, immigrant or native-born, but as brothers and sisters who are all infinitely worthy, all an important part of this great American story.”