Note that this was “her office” that was shutting down “speculation” and that the announcement came from a “spokesperson,” not Ms. Obama.
Not to be too much of a homeboy, I suspect the outlet you are currently reading was closer to the truth.
Recall that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley not that long ago announced she would never run against former President Donald Trump should he run. She also later rescinded her pledge to support the nominee, saying it was just necessary campaign blather. The world of politics isn’t pretty.
In the wake of President Trump’s near-unanimous Super Tuesday victories and his continued ability to fend off the unprecedented lawfare against him, at least so far, things are not likely happy at Camp Obama, whether on Maui, Martha’s Vineyard, or Washington’s swank Kalorama neighborhood.
Conventional wisdom, for some anyway, was that Ms. Obama wouldn’t give up her cushy lifestyle for the nonstop tension of running for the presidency and the presidency itself.
But America stands on the brink of a massive exchange of power that undermines everything the Obamas and the Democratic Party in their version stand for.
One of the big “takeaways,” pardon the cliché, from Super Tuesday is the notable lack of enthusiasm for President Joe Biden. It wasn’t just the Democrats that voted “none of the above” in their primary in several states, but the low numbers of their party who turned out to vote generally.
Some of this may be because of crossovers who chose, in opposition to President Trump, to vote for Ms. Haley in open primaries, but only some.
The auguries for President Biden are poor and getting worse.
Logical replacements are few, although it seems Vice President Kamala Harris is being groomed of late, injected in meetings to help solve the Middle East crisis, something for which, to be kind, she seems ill-suited and has had to have her statements corrected.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is suspect as the leader of a state in notorious disarray, economic and otherwise, whose population has been fleeing under his management.
So, again, logically, eyes still turn to Ms. Obama for the Democrat’s salvation. Where else?
If Ms. Obama were to run, there is reason to believe that one thing that does her no good at this point is “speculation.” It invites criticism and inspection at far too early a date.
If she were to announce, later would be better, even as late as after the Democratic Convention, as bizarre as the possibility would seem. Political parties have the ability to write—or, in many instances, rewrite—their own rules.
Further, candidates withdraw, for medical or other reasons. Many things can happen—especially now.
Ms. Obama still stands in the wings.
Nevertheless, the woman has weaknesses. No one, and quite possibly Ms. Obama herself, knows how she would perform under the immense scrutiny of a political campaign. Does she have a thick enough skin to endure what will be coming at her, even with the full-throated chorus of hosannas she will undoubtedly get from the legacy media?
And how should we deal with the obvious criticism that this would be a third—or is it fourth—Barack Obama term?
Would the electorate itself have had enough?
It would be interesting to hear the conversations going on inside the Kalorama bedroom.
My best guess is that, as of now, the Obamas are hedging their bets. No one likes to lose, especially people who have a lot to lose, and they are watching carefully to see which way the wind is blowing, only to make their move if they believe Ms. Obama stands a good chance of winning.
Squashing the “speculation” for now will do.
His supporters should keep that in mind. President Trump—whose victory speech on Super Tuesday night was measured and smart, and didn’t “spike the football”—certainly does.
