Opinion
Rumors have been circulating in recent months that Democrats plan to nominate former First Lady Michelle Obama to replace Joe Biden in this year’s presidential election due to her staggering popularity among the American people. Now, Obama has finally broken her silence to address these rumors and reveal whether she is considering running for president.
Obama breaks his silence
The Daily Mail reported that Obama, 60, has outright denied he plans to run for president.
“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed repeatedly over the years, she will not run for president,” Crystal Carson, communications director for Obama’s office, told NBC News.
“Ms. Obama supports the re-election campaigns of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris,” he added.
Democrats want Obama to run
This came after a recent Rasmussen Reports poll showed that 48% of Democratic voters surveyed said they approved of the party “finding another candidate to replace Joe Biden before the November election,” while 38% disapproved . However, 33% of Democrats believe such an electoral shake-up is unlikely to occur.
As for who would replace Biden, Obama emerged victorious with 20% support, earning him the top spot on a list of other potential nominees that included Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “None of the above” and “not sure” were also options listed on the survey.
Harris came in second behind Obama with 15% saying they would choose her, and Clinton came in third with 12% support. Newsom, who some say is running a “shadow campaign” for president in case Biden decides to retire, came in fourth with 11% of Democrats polled choosing him, while Whitmer came in fifth with just 9%. supporting.
Related: Michelle Obama is the leading choice to replace Biden as nearly half of Democrats want to drop him from the ticket
Obama is ‘terrified’ of the presidential election
Already in January, Obama revealed his fears regarding this year’s presidential elections.
“What will happen in the next elections? I’m terrified of what might happen, because our leaders matter,” Obama said, according to CNN. “Who we select, who speaks for us, who holds that bully pulpit, influences us in ways that sometimes I think people give for granted.”
“The fact that people think that the government – ‘huh, does it actually do anything?’ – And I think ‘Oh my God, the government does everything for us and we can’t take this democracy for granted,'” she continued. “And sometimes I worry that this is the case. These are the things that keep me awake.
Last year, Obama explained why he has no intention of running for president.
“Politics is tough,” he told Oprah Winfrey in a Netflix special. “And the people who come into it… you have to want it. It has to be in your soul, because it is so important. It’s not in my soul.”
Related: Michelle and Barack Obama admit they’re ‘terrified’ that Trump will win in 2024
Obama furious with Jill Biden
In a separate 2022 interview, Obama said he “hates” questions about whether or not he will run for president. Other reports, however, said Obama was upset when Jill Biden passed her over as her husband’s vice president during the 2020 campaign.
When asked if Obama was an option to be Joe Biden’s vice president, Jill responded, “You know, I’d love it if Michelle was up for it. But I… you know, I think she’s had enough of politics. I do not know. She is so good at everything she does. It would… it would be wonderful.”
Two sources said that Obama was furious with this answer and that he wanted Jill to have a different one on hand that wouldn’t completely shut the door if she was asked this question again.
It’s a mystery to many of us why Obama continues to be as popular as she is. Thankfully he has no plans to run for president, and we can only hope he doesn’t reconsider at any point in the future.
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