Michelle Obama, the former First Lady, has stated that she does not have any intentions of running for president in 2024. However, despite her decision, there is a significant number of voters who are eager for her to enter the race for the White House. A recent survey conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies exclusively for Newsweek reveals that 46 percent of eligible voters would support Michelle Obama if she were to run for president.
Interestingly, 75 percent of those who voted for Joe Biden in the previous election expressed their support for Michelle Obama, while 21 percent of those who supported Donald Trump also showed their backing. It is important to note that this poll was conducted before Biden secured the 2024 Democratic nomination. Currently, there are concerns about Biden’s reelection prospects, as he is trailing behind Trump in national polling and his approval rating has significantly declined to 37 percent.
In fact, the survey conducted for Newsweek found that 45 percent of respondents supported Biden ending his reelection campaign. On a different note, an op-ed published by the Washington Post over the weekend suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris, who is perceived as unsuccessful and unpopular, should step aside for the benefit of the country and allow Biden to choose a new vice president ahead of the 2024 election.
Kathleen Parker, a columnist for The Washington Post, highlighted her previous endorsement of naming a woman as a running mate back in 2008 when Sarah Palin was chosen as the GOP nominee’s running mate. She initially acknowledged Joe Biden’s commitment to the same idea when he entered the 2020 race.
Parker proceeded to commend Harris for her previous achievements and noted that as an African American with Asian heritage, she seemed to fulfill various criteria that the Democratic Party considers important for an ‘ideal’ candidate, especially after her own unsuccessful presidential campaign.
“Harris ended her campaign in December 2019, citing a lack of financial resources. Next thing we knew, she was moving into the Naval Observatory. She was a colossal failure as border czar, a position she held briefly, and otherwise seemed to have gone undercover,” Parker wrote.
“Whatever the reasons, it has seemed that Harris’s role was to be quiet, lest she embarrass her boss with her sometimes inane, rambling remarks and a laugh that erupts from nowhere about nothing obvious to others. I do, however, relish the thought of her face-to-face with Vladimir Putin and suddenly cackling at a linchpin moment during nuclear arms discussions,” the columnist continued.
The Kamala dilemma can be simplified as follows: Her selection was based on her race and gender, which was perceived as a way to ensure job security, as stated by Parker. However, now that she has become a liability to the Democratic ticket, Biden is faced with a difficult situation, according to her analysis: He cannot simply dismiss her, as it may risk alienating his base.
Despite Parker’s description of Biden’s State of the Union address as relatively successful, there are ongoing concerns regarding his diminishing mental abilities and growing physical fragility.
“Every honest person knows he’s not in top form. A recent New York Times poll found that 73 percent of registered voters believe Biden is too old to be the nation’s top executive. This includes 61 percent of those who voted for him in 2020,” she wrote.
Parker pondered over Harris’ poor polling figures, highlighting a recent analysis by FiveThirtyEight which revealed her approval rating to be approximately 37 percent, a disappointing result for someone in the position of either Vice President or President.
“Harris could provide her own reasons for moving on. Perhaps she and Biden could a cut a deal for her to become the next attorney general — if he’s reelected. Biden then could tap someone else with executive experience who could reassure voters that the next vice president would be ready to take the reins should events require it. Democrats and Republicans alike would be relieved,” Parker said.
She concluded: “Please, Madame Vice President, do it for your country.”