 "US wants Michelle Obama as president. What makes her so popular?")
The United States presidential election is around the corner and as expected, it’s going to be a rematch between incumbent Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump.
But what happens if the current president drops out of the race at the last minute? Is there any other candidate? A recent survey reveals that former First Lady Michelle Obama has emerged as the top contender to replace Biden as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the upcoming presidential elections.
How is it that Michelle continues to remain popular with the US audience despite leaving the White House in 2017? And more importantly will she ever run for president?
Mrs O, the top choice
On Monday, a Rasmussen Reports survey revealed that about 48 per cent of Democratic voters polled had expressed their choice of the party “finding another candidate to replace Joe Biden before the election in November”, while 38 per cent disapproved of this idea.
And in case such a situation when Biden drops out does arrive, then Michelle Obama came out as the top choice to replace the 80-year-old. The former US first lady received about 20 per cent of votes, while current Vice President Kamala Harris received about 15 per cent of the votes.
Other contenders that emerged were Hillary Clinton, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
There has been speculation circulating that Michelle Obama was all poised to enter the 2024 presidential Election arena and potentially face off against former US President Donald Trump. This was even further amplified when the New York Post in January carried an op-ed which said that around the month of May, Biden would announce he’s not running. And by the time August rolled through and the Democratic National Convention would be held, Michelle Obama would be nominated.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe New York Post report further added that Michelle’s team has already sent a survey to heavy-duty donors asking how they’d feel about her as the candidate.
Michelle Obama’s soaring popularity
This isn’t the first time that Michelle Obama’s name has popped up during US presidential polls. In fact, in 2020, CBS reported, “The internet really wants Michelle Obama to run for president.” Moreover, each time the Democrats face a popularity crisis, the fantasy of Michelle Obama in the Oval emerges.
But why does America continue to hope to see Michelle back in the White House? There are a number of reasons for that. Since her time as First Lady, she has become popular with the masses. In fact, she ranks 372nd on YouGov’s list of most popular people of all time, and enjoys a 60 per cent favourability rating.
In 2020, Gallup named her as the most admired woman. And if one takes a look at all of US First Ladies, Michelle, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush have the highest acceptance ever.
In her time as First Lady, Michelle advocated for military families and encouraged healthy eating to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity. She also built a vegetable garden on the White House lawn, then reinforced it with steel and cement a month ahead of the 2016 election to deter any future presidents from making alterations.
And after the Obamas left the White House, Michelle has become an even bigger force on her own. Her memoir, Becoming, became a literary phenomenon, dominating bestseller lists and filling stadiums during a promotional tour.
She’s also stepped up her public engagements, speaking from the heart and raising awareness about different topics. She also been outspoken about the country’s legacy of racism and her own experiences of discrimination, endearing herself to many across the country. Michelle, along with Barack have also signed up to produce Netflix shows , and signing book deals worth millions of dollars — an indication that she is still regarded as relevant and important.
Elaine Swann, author of the etiquette guidebook Let Crazy Be Crazy, told the Washington Post that it’s Michelle’s candour that makes her popular with the public. Who can forget that viral moment happened from 2017 when Michelle and Barack welcomed the Trumps to the White House on Inauguration Day. She was caught on camera looking confused as she tried to find a place for a surprise Tiffany box gifted from the incoming first lady.
“This realness is what fuels her popularity,” said Swann, “What drew us to her is her honesty and her authenticity.”
Since stepping away from being First Lady, she’s also addressed two Democratic National Conventions, which shows she continues to hold sway over voters. In 2016, she gave a rousing 15-minute speech that drew cheers and left some delegates openly weeping.
She had then famously said: “The story of generations of people who have felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation but who kept on striving and doing what needed to be done so that today I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves and I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.”
And she continued: “And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters, and all our sons and daughters, now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.”
In 2020, she once again showed why she’s America’s more masterful orators at the Democratic National Convention. As NBC News wrote later, “Her tone was compassionate yet firm, rooted in a love for America so great (something her detractors systemically accused her of not possessing) that despite all the ugliness, she was still holding on to the nation’s potential, not its current disintegration. She’s the friend who despite having witnessed the worst in you refuses to let go of what you could become.”
Staying out of the race
Despite her popularity and conjecture over her 2024 bid, it’s unlikely that Michelle Obama will, in fact, run for president. When asked about running for office in the past, she has unequivocally said that it’s not for her .
In fact, when American talk show host Oprah Winfrey had asked her whether she would ever run for president, she responded: “I’ve never expressed any interest in politics. Ever. I mean, I agreed to support my husband. He wanted to do it, and he was great at it. But at no point have I ever said, ‘I think I want to run.’ Ever.
She added, “Politics is hard. And the people who get into it — it’s just like marriage, it’s just like kids — you’ve got to want it. It’s got to be in your soul, because it is so important. It is not in my soul. Service is in my soul. Helping people is in my soul. Working with kids? I will spend my lifetime trying to make kids feel seen and find their light. That I will do. I don’t have to hold office to do that. In fact, I think I’m actually more effective outside of politics, because sadly, politics has become so divided. The minute you declare a party, you’ve alienated the other half of the country. Now, maybe some people who don’t agree with me politically can still gain some tools that can help them. Maybe I can help a kid who’s a Republican, because maybe they’ll listen to me.”
As Slate wrote, maybe it’s time to stop fantasising about Michelle Obama as the next president. But for now, it seems people aren’t listening.
With inputs from agencies
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