Michelle Obama would be the Democratic frontrunner for 2020 battle if she joins race, says poll
Former first lady Michelle Obama, one of the most popular figures in the US, has said time and again that she is not interested to run for the presidency. The 55-year-old philanthropist had supported Hillary Clinton for the presidency in 2016 and her “When they go low, we go high” speech is still admired highly even though Donald Trump went on to win the election. The Democrats consider Michelle’s entry into politics as a dream although she has not shown any inclination.
But a recent poll in New Hampshire, the state which will hold the first primary in the race for the White House next year, has suggested that if Michelle changed her decision, she would end up being a front-runner in the crowded Democratic race.
On Monday, October 14, the poll undertaken by the Boston Herald-Franklin Pierce University was published and it showed a three-way tie for the top position in the north-eastern state. Elizabeth Warren had 25 percent support and Joe Biden 24 percent while Bernie Sanders was at third with 22 percent. The poll added that if the wife of former president Barack Obama hypothetically jumped into the fray, she would grab 26 percent support of the likely Democratic voters. In that case, both Warren and Biden’s support will drop top 20 percent while Sanders will be at 15 percent.
Michelle says sitting at Oval Office desk not for her
Michelle though thinks there are several other ways to contribute towards making the world a better place than sitting at the Oval Office. Speaking to Amtrack’s magazine The National in August, she said: “There are so many ways to improve this country and build a better world, and I keep doing plenty of them, from working with young people to helping families lead healthier lives. But sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office will never be one of them. It’s just not for me.”
The poll, which was conducted between October 9-13, also had some observations on the Republican camp. It said while President Trump is still strong, he has lost quite a few points in the last one month. “However, the percentage of Republican voters who would vote for Trump if the primary were held today was 88 percent a month ago, and 71 percent today, a 17-point decline,” pollster R Kelly Myers wrote in his summary of the poll findings.
The Democratic primary in New Hampshire will be held on February 11. In 2016, while Sanders won it for the Democrats in the Granite State, Trump was the winner of the Republican primary.