# Michelle **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 19, 2020, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166 "2020-02-19T11:48:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/21 "2020-02-19T16:56:34Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > That’s what Biden would be. Biden’s lack of support is a repudiation of B. Obama. :rolleyes: Holy fuck; that’s stupid. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/22 "2020-02-19T17:01:57Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > :rolleyes: > > Holy fuck; that’s stupid. You may get a reprimand for that one but I concur. Biden’s problems are Biden’s problems. (well, that and loads of trump dirt piled at his doorstep.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/23 "2020-02-19T17:04:06Z")
Read her (very interesting) memoir _Becoming_. It’s extremely clear that she has no interest - zero - nada - zilch - in \*ever \*running for public office herself. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/24 "2020-02-19T17:37:26Z")
Like, the entire Internet in 2008: Ugh, I dunno about Obama. Too young. Too inexperienced. Too … _unelectable_, if you know what I mean. Maybe he’s just an empty suit, all rhetoric and no substance. We should have gone with Hillary. You can’t get more experienced and substantial than Hillary. Plus, y’know, historic but not _too_ historic. Why didn’t we nominate Hillary? Like, the entire Internet in 2016: Ugh, Hillary is awful. No charisma, and so _entitled_. She just thinks it’s her turn, and her only qualification is having been First Lady. And she’s so polarizing, and I don’t like her voice. You know who would have made a really great candidate? Joe Biden. Everyone loves Uncle Joe. He would have been a unifier, not a divider. And I just feel like it would take a white guy to beat Trump. Why didn’t Biden run? Or why didn’t we at least go with Bernie instead? Like, the entire Internet in 2020: Ugh, Biden and / or Bernie is awful. Too old. Been in the government too long without accomplishing much of anything. Too much of a white dude. And there’s this key block of voters who absolutely hates him. You know who would have made a really great candidate? Michelle Obama. Everyone loves Michelle! Why won’t Michelle run? … OK, so based on this history, I’m going to make a bold prediction that Michelle Obama will, in fact, run for President in 2024, and by then the Internet won’t like her one bit 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/25 "2020-02-20T13:53:29Z")
Allow me to clarify. Or try and stop me, whateverness. I started out from the premise that Michelle is totally telling me the truth, she does not want to run. That is not the crux of the biscuit, so far as I am concerned. I am much more interested in the reaction of my pals and gals if the prospect were on offer. I think it would make a big splash, I detect a major yearning for the sort of progressive centrism the Obama’s represent in the public mind. An _optimistic_ progressive centrism. Suppose I’m right about that, suppose that such a prospect were greeted with massive enthusiasm. It would tell us what our people want, more than “Bernie!” or “Pete!” or even, God help us all, “Bloomie!”. Its not the candidate, its the _agenda_! If the people lead, the leaders will follow, not the other way round. She won’t run? OK, cool with that, she has her reasons. But I want our current crop of squabbllng candidates to see that, and trim their sails accordingly. Leadership? I say its spinach, and I say to hell with it! Take health care reform. What we got are dueling proposals, none of which will be enacted because no matter who wins, the process of negotiation and compromise will render this fierce debate moot. The _direction_ is important, the details remain to be worked out. Forward, to the extent it is practical and feasible. Once we get there, we can go forward from there if need be. Here anybody say anything so sensible? Or do we hear “Your plan won’t work, your economic modeling is Cheese Whiz!” or “Your plan won’t work, it will cripple Labor”. If Mayor Pete totally crushes, it don’t mean diddly squat beyond Mayor Pete’s plan for designing the elephant will be the beginning position for negotiation and compromise toward what likely will resemble a camel. Competition among candidates is the process that gave the Pubbies Trump. It is the power of an enthusiastic minority to warp the results. If Bernie has a solid lock on thirty percent of the Democrats, that’s very powerful. Its _still_ only thirty percent! But if Michelle was offered, even briefly, as a candidate and the popularity of that prospect were as compelling as I think it would be, that would be a clear message. More “us”, less “me!”. A whole lot less, thank you very much. “What! This isn’t a serious proposal at all, its just about getting people’s attention, getting them to think!” Yes. Uh-huh. That a problem? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/26 "2020-02-20T14:06:45Z")
So the plan is to march her around a bit to remind everyone of her awesomeness and that will make all the other candidates shape up or ship out? Your worshipful tone is kinda fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/27 "2020-02-20T14:54:31Z")
Off topic: By amazing coincidence, last night I introduced my nine-year-old son to the Frank Zappa song, “Stink-foot,” alluded to in elucidator’s last post. (His third-grade classmates have discovered a middle-aged YouTube musician named Parry Gripp, whose song titles reminded me of Zappa’s — e.g., “Baby Monkey Riding Backwards on a Pig.”) Okay…carry on! ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/28 "2020-02-20T15:13:47Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > That’s what Biden would be. Biden’s lack of support is a repudiation of B. Obama. Some months ago Biden had high support. Is it your claim that support _for Obama_ fell during the past months? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/29 "2020-02-20T15:20:43Z")
Being married to a president is not a qualification to be president. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/30 "2020-02-20T15:26:37Z")
OP - this is up there with trying to get Oprah to run. Not gonna happen. Should not happen. Being beloved by the public in no way confers the ability to govern. > [@septimus](#): > > ?? Confused much? > The idea would be essentially to give, in effect, one of the best and most respected Americans of this century — Barack H. Obama — a third term. A work-around for the two-term limit. > > Before crying that that would be “fudging the rules,” relax and take a long deep breath. Then tell us: Has the Party of Greed and Hatred been fudging any rules? This statement is, as mentioned, sexist. Do you also think that Hillary’s candidacy was a back door for Bill’s third term? ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/31 "2020-02-20T16:36:32Z")
There is some fear in right-wing circles that if there’s a contested convention Michelle Obama is going to be brought in and that she’ll trounce Trump. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/32 "2020-02-20T16:55:03Z")
Heavens! Well, we sure wouldn’t want a wild-ass rumor like that to upset our tighty-righty citizens! Really, no one seems to know how these crazy internet rumors get started! Admittedly, I think she would have quite a good chance… ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/33 "2020-02-20T17:07:34Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > 35 years old > Natural born citizen > > I think she passes. Not so fast. Has she been a resident of the United States for 14 years? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/34 "2020-02-20T17:42:10Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > This statement is, as mentioned, sexist. Do you also think that Hillary’s candidacy was a back door for Bill’s third term? Nonsense. Insufferable nonsense. Michelle has shown zero desire to run and zero claim to the ability. Is voting Biden to get Obama back sexist? Were people who voted Trump because they liked Jared Kushner sexist? As for Hillary, some claimed decades ago that she was smarter than Bill, and essential to his Presidency. Are those people sexist? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/35 "2020-02-20T17:49:09Z")
That response makes zero sense. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/36 "2020-02-20T18:33:48Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > There is some fear in right-wing circles that if there’s a contested convention Michelle Obama is going to be brought in and that she’ll trounce Trump. We are equally terrified that Brer Fox is going to throw us into that briar patch. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/37 "2020-02-20T18:37:16Z")
I don’t think someone can possibly campaign well without a burning \*\*\*desire \*\*\*to be a candidate in the first place. Without that inner wellspring of motivation you’ll never make it through an election, especially not one as grueling as the U.S. presidency race. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/38 "2020-02-21T02:56:17Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Is voting Biden to get Obama back sexist? So every time a former vice president runs, it’s merely to get a former president back? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/39 "2020-02-21T03:28:41Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t think someone can possibly campaign well without a burning desire to be a candidate in the first place. Without that inner wellspring of motivation you’ll never make it through an election, especially not one as grueling as the U.S. presidency race. Political campaigns are not invariably aimed at achieving an immediate goal, like a political office. Jesse Jackson surely realized he had virtually no chance of being elected President, his goal was to demonstrate and solidify the political power of African Americans. As did many others, for the purpose of showing the possible political effect of solidarity in a community. It is an entirely legitimate and worthy goal. It is the politics of egalitarian democracy. Now, this might be a bit stranger than that, to clamor for a nomination that the subject sincerely refuses to accept. And the power that it demonstrates is the collective power of the coalition that propelled Barry O. to the Presidency…twice! Things then were ugly enough, a President who had misled our country into a futile and destructive war. But a coalition of disparate factions setting aside their (often) conflicting agenda to achieve a common good…I put it to you that such is the very essence of our American experiment, a conspiracy of the better angels of our nature. It _has_ been done, therefore it _can_ be done, because…we done it. If a massive groundswell of support for Michelle might achieve similar effect, to remind us that our squabbling candidates are not the thing itself. _We_ are that thing! Power to the people! (What a nifty slogan, I should write that one down…) And if that reminder should have effect, to bring us together to seize the day…and Michelle does not run nor ever intended to do so…she will have done our country a noble service, a service quite beyond the grubby machinery of vote getting. She can remind us why. Remind us who we were, and who we can be, once again. And if there is one thing out country needs more than anything else, it is that faith in ourselves. A faith based in fact, as well as hope. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166/40 "2020-02-21T03:38:19Z")
I thought he meant the woman from the 1965 Paul McCartney song. I really hate that song, but I’d vote for her over Trump, sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle/848166.md?page=3)