Unwilling favorite: Michelle has repeatedly stated she doesn’t want to run, yet Americans continue to support the idea of her as president. Credit: Mark Reinstein / Shutterstock
In light of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal for re-election in the 2024 election, many have speculated who would best replace him for the Democratic candidature; among the contenders is former First Lady Michelle Obama.
While Michelle has stated over the years that she has no intention of running for office, she frequented campaign events to support Biden’s campaign, and while the events were held to support the incumbent’s campaign and not any political aspiration of her own, many Americans still see her as a highly capable potential candidate.
Polling conducted by Ipsos on July 1–2 has shown that among Americans, between Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama, Michelle is the clear favourite with an eight per cent lead, even beating former President Trump at 50 per cent to Trump’s 39 per cent.
Despite not having campaigned for herself at all, this polling data shows a clear faith in the former first lady, and amidst a crisis of leadership in the Democratic Party, polling currently indicates that she is the only potential candidate who stands ahead of Trump in a head-to-head race.
Disinterest in holding office
Despite her repeated statements that she has no desire to be president, even stating in a 2022 BBC interview that she “detests” being asked about holding the presidency, those who have supported the idea of her running for office includes the current president’s wife, Jill Biden, in an April 2020 interview with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota.
“You know, I’d love it if Michelle would agree to it. [being nominated as Joe Biden’s VP] But I—you know, I think she’s had it with politics. I don’t know. She’s so good at everything she does. That would—that would be wonderful,” said Jill Biden.
Michelle Obama’s office and the Biden campaign were allegedly upset with Jill Biden’s remarks about the possibility of Michelle running, as months later Kamala Harris was announced as VP, and they did not want to have to deal with the inevitable comparisons people would make between the two.
Anticipation for the DNC
Since President Biden announced he would not be running for re-election, the rumour mill regarding Mrs. Obama’s candidature has begun to spin once again, and while Biden has officially backed Kamala Harris, the Democratic National Convention—the event where the Democratic Party announces their official nominee to run for president—is not until August 19. While Biden has vouched for Harris, the decision of who will be nominated ultimately comes down to the leaders of the Democratic Party, so nothing is set in stone.
Additionally, while Michelle Obama has repeatedly said she will not run and Biden has also repeatedly said he would not drop out of the race, the question now is whether there is enough will within the Democratic Party to encourage Michelle to run much in the same way there was sufficient will to encourage Biden to step down.