OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Barack Obama gave a telling response when he was asked over the weekend whether his wife and former first lady Michelle Obama was contemplating a White House run.
Or rather, it was his non-response that drew the attention.
As he was leaving the the Funke restaurant in Beverly Hills, a reporter shouted a question asking if Michelle would jump in the race amid rumors that President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities are fading fast as his approval ratings tank.
Barack didn’t answer.
Barack Obama was asked “Is Michelle running for president?”
No comment from him. pic.twitter.com/0FzKyUfker
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 1, 2023
Several people have speculated that Michelle will run, though she herself has repeatedly denied any interest.
“They are the left-wing of the Democrat Party, and when the media turns on the presumed Democrat nominee, I think that is the cutting edge of the Democrat intelligence saying we may have to cut bait and find someone new,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said during his “Verdict” podcast recently.
“In August of 2024, the Democrat kingmakers jettison Joe Biden and parachute in Michelle Obama,” he predicted, the date being a reference to the Democratic National Convention, where a nominee will be named.
Also, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin noted on the X platform: “Don’t be surprised. But I still say it’ll be Michelle O’ #2024Election. Biden’s out.”
Palin’s tweet was in response to a viral post in which political author Greg Rubini theorized that California Gov. Gavin Newsom would be the eventual Democrat nominee.
“Kamala will be forced to resign as VP, and sent to the senate to replace Dianne Feinstein. Then, Gavin Newsom will be subbed in as VP. THEN they will REMOVE Joe Biden from office,” the post summarizes Rubini saying.
“Then, Newsom will run against Trump!” the post adds.
Notably, Newsom is set to debate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for his party’s presidential nomination, on Nov. 30. DeSantis is polling a distant second behind former President Donald Trump, but some political observers believe that Newsom may be using the national forum — Fox News is moderating — as a warm-up for a potential candidacy instead of Biden.
Obama insider and author and biographer Joel Gilbert claimed last month that Michelle is considering a run. Also, former GOP operative Roger Stone and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have both predicted a Michelle bid.
Meanwhile, some Democrats are pushing for the former first lady to step into the void and run for the party’s presidential nomination next year if Biden and Harris don’t, claiming she has what it takes to win, according to Fox News.
Although Democratic leaders are publicly endorsing Biden as their nominee for the 2024 presidential election, there are ongoing discussions among Democrats about who would be the best leader to defeat Trump in a potential face-off.
Douglas MacKinnon, a former White House and Pentagon official, suggested that if neither Biden nor Harris were chosen, Democrats could turn to a past superstar to create a stronger ticket, the outlet reported.
One of the names that came up as a potential contender during the previous Democratic presidential primary was the former first lady.
However, despite her “it” factor and being 59 years old, she has consistently denied any interest in running for office. Nonetheless, some Democrats may still consider urging her to enter the race.
A Politico article published recently suggests that some “high-level Democrats” harbor doubts about Biden and may only be supporting him out of fear of what the party’s ticket would look like without him.
“High-level Democrats are rallying to President Biden’s reelection, not because they think it’s in the best interest of the country to have an 82-year-old start a second term but because they fear the potential alternative: the nomination of Kamala Harris and election of Donald Trump,” the report read.
