A raft of leading female politicians have had their names called up in Biden’s Veep stakes, of which a few have already been trotted out in a parade of media interviews to publicly audition for the role. But there’s only one name the public is lusting after, desperate to see on the Democratic ticket alongside Joe Biden and that is Michelle Obama.
During a CNN-Univision hosted campaign debate back in March, former vice president Joe Biden promised to select a woman as his running mate in the 2020 US Elections. A decision that was welcomed with open arms by a fractured Democratic party and equally by Biden supporters and the general wider public, which is only too conscious of the glaring absence in America’s political history of strong female leaders at the top of the country’s power-pyramid.
Women have twice received a major-party nod for vice president of the United States (Democrat Geraldine Ferraro 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin 2008) but never has a woman ascended to fulfill the role. Walter Mondale in 1984 lost the presidential elections to Ronald Reagan and John McCain lost the 2008 presidential elections to Barak Obama.
Biden’s choice, therefore, has the potential to be historic, if Democrats are successful and win the November elections. There are those political pundits that would argue his choice of vice president and winning the keys to the White House aren’t mutually exclusive.
Conventional wisdom points to top candidates such as California senator Kamala Harris, who is the favourite with most bookmakers to get the nod. But others in the running include Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacy Abrams, amongst several others.
When the premium on the second-in-command job couldn’t be any greater than it is, it’s not surprising that Michelle Obama, easily one of the most recognizable women in the public eye, would be the preferred choice of Democratic voters.
The former first lady is a lawyer, writer and wife of the 44th President of the United States of America, who was widely popular during his two terms in office and continues to garner respect amongst his peers.
As election D-day nears, countless opinion polls are being conducted by various sources in an attempt to measure the mood of the political landscape. Stanford’s Hoover Institution along with the Bill Lane Center for the American West and YouGov conducted an opinion poll in California which revealed that 31% of registered voters favoured Michelle Obama. Considerably more than those that favoured VP hopefuls such as California senator Kamala Harris (19%), Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar (18%) and former Georgia House Representative Stacey Adams (13%).
Not only is Michelle Obama flush off a book tour, in which her memoir Becoming sold over 11 million copies, but the former first lady has given no indication whatsoever of having any interest to run for office. But that hasn’t quelled the intrigue and speculation.
Presumptive Democrat nominee Joe Biden admittedly would love to have Michelle Obama on his ticket, saying as much in an interview to KDKA’s Jon Delano in April. Biden heaped praise on Michelle Obama, extolling her virtues to no end all the while saying she would be a “brilliant” VP selection. However, he also did add that she might not be interested in the nomination.
“I would take her in a heartbeat,” Biden claimed. “She’s brilliant. She knows the way around. She is really a fine woman. The Obama’s are great friends.” At the time he also said, “I don’t think she has any desire to live near the White House again.” [Source: KDKA2 CBS Pittsburgh]
A former Obama White House advisor speaking to The Hill practically said as much, thereby quashing any hope of a Biden-Obama reunion in the White House.
OWH advisor Valerie Jarrett said, “The reason why I’m being so unequivocal is that there just simply has never been a time when she’s expressed an interest in running for office.” She also added in the same interview that “She’s not demurring here. She’s not being hard to get. She doesn’t want the job.”
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