If First Lady Michelle Obama decided to run, say, for a seat in the United States Senate, a recent poll suggests that Republicans would be hard-pressed to find a candidate who could defeat her. Thankfully, however, that will probably never happen:
First lady Michelle Obama said she did not want to run for elected office because she felt she lacked the patience needed to accomplish change in Washington.The first lady was asked, in an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters released late Wednesday, why she had ruled out launching a bid for office herself.
"I have learned from my husband, watching him, that it does require a great deal of patience to really feel the full impact of the work that you do on the ground," the first lady said. "It doesn't happen right away."
Although the first lady has not shown an interest in one day running for office, others have suggested she should run. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said in an interview with Newsweek that Michelle Obama running for office would be a "breath of fresh air in D.C."
"She's honest and straightforward, which is not what you see in Washington much. She is exactly what we need around here," Clyburn said.
Not only is Michelle Obama leading incumbent Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) by double digits in a hypothetical head-to-heat contest, her job approval rating is off-the-charts:
President Barack Obama's Cabinet - currently undergoing a mid-presidency shuffle - receives mixed reviews in a CNN/ORC International poll released Wednesday.But the president's wife, first lady Michelle Obama, still gets high marks as she prepares for another four years in the White House alongside the president.
Seventy-three percent of Americans approved of the way Michelle Obama was handling her job as first lady, compared to 20% who disapproved. Among the causes the first lady has championed since 2008 is the "Let's Move!" program, designed to combat childhood obesity by encouraging healthier eating habits and exercise.
She's also taken on unemployment among America's military veterans through the "Joining Forces" program, which matches servicemen and women with job search resources.
Even one of the president’s top advisors, David Axelrod, finds it hard to believe that the first lady would someday seek high federal office:
"She'll find ways to make contributions I'm sure, but the last thing I think she would do is run for public office."
My hunch is that Axelrod is telling the truth, of course, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.