Michelle Obama could sweep 2020 election, says expert Allan Lichtman who predicted Donald Trump's win in 2016
Former FLOTUS Michelle Obama has been akin to a shadow contender in the run up to the 2020 presidential elections. Even though the 55-year-old has said time and again that she is not interested in joining the fray, her supporters and admirers have refused to believe it and still harbor the hope that she will join and revive the Democrats’ chances against President Donald Trump this year. Experts and pollsters, too, have predicted that Michelle will be a runaway hit if she joins the race.
It's been almost three years since Michelle left the White House with husband Barack, the 44th president, but she still enjoys a great deal of respect in public life. A Gallup poll revealed that Michelle was the most admired woman in the country in 2019 -- a year that saw the former first lady succeeding on many fronts. Besides ending up as the most admired woman of the year, she was also conferred the 2019 People of the Year Award. In the men’s section, Barack and Trump were tied as the most admired men.
Allan Lichtman is a man to be taken seriously
Poll expert Allan Lichtman cautioned Republicans that Michelle would be a better candidate than any of the current Democratic candidates to win the November 3 election, which is expected to be one of the most close-run ones in modern American history. Lichtman’s words carry weight as he has correctly predicted the winner of the popular vote in every presidential election since 1984 and also made the forecast that Trump would win in 2016.
According a report in Daily Caller, he said: “She comes out extraordinarily well with the Democratic rank and file. She has the charismatic potential. She has the pizzazz the [current] candidates don’t have.”
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the frontrunners, is believed to have the pizzazz but he is considered more like Trump, Lichtman said, adding that he appeals to only a segment of the electorate.
On Michelle joining the race for the White House, Lichtman conceded that there are rules that would prevent her from getting nominated at the convention, but added that the rules can be changed. “I think it’s a long shot, but I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility,” he said.
Thousands of fans urged Michelle to consider participating in the November election after she dropped a Christmas update on Instagram that was appreciated by many. Many feel she will eventually fight for the Democrats against Trump. While one fan wrote “Please come back”, another said: “We cried when you left the White House”.
The fact that Barack has not endorsed any of the Democratic presidential candidates so far has also fuelled the speculation that Michelle could change her mind and contest the election.