10 reasons FLOTUS should run
In an interview with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres earlier this month, first lady Michelle Obama told her friend that she had no interest in politics once Barack Obama’s second term was up.
“Do you want to be in politics?” DeGeneres asked.
“No, no. Absolutely not,” Obama said shaking her head. “It’s important work, but you have to have the personality and a passion for the politics. I just want to help folks . . . Politics is one important form to do it, and I’m glad that people are willing to roll up their sleeves, but I leave it to those folks and I’ll find other ways to give back.”
I’ve never heard anyone ask Michelle Obama directly if she would consider making a presidential run, but if she punched her name on the Democratic ticket, I think she would be more than qualified.
Besides, I think it’s time for a woman to lead the country.
Before you start to roll your eyes, here is my Top 10 list as to why Michelle Obama would be perfect for the top seat in the White House.
No. 10. There is no controversy over her citizenship.
In 2014, 41% of Republicans still believed that President Barack Obama is not an American citizen. FLOTUS wouldn’t have this problem. She was born on Chicago’s south side and lived in a one-bedroom apartment. She even shared a room with her older brother, Craig, that was divided by a bed sheet. Families don’t get closer than that.
No. 9. Her approval rating is higher than her husband’s.
While President Obama’s job approval numbers have ticked up to about 48%, Michelle Obama’s approval rating has always been higher than her husband. In March her number was 66%.
No. 8. She’s willing to address the issues of race and class.
No two issues may be bigger in this country, but unfortunately, these are the issues Americans have the most difficulty discussing. In her commencement address at Tuskegee University, Michelle Obama delivered a powerful and thought-provoking speech on race and class and she told some harsh truths.
Looks matter in politics. Ronald Reagan used his Hollywood looks to his advantage and John F. Kennedy was movie star handsome. Time magazine named Michelle Obama one of the 100 most beautiful women in the world, and she’s a style icon. Vanity Fair listed her among “10 of the World’s Best Dressed People,”meaning that you will never catch her in a stuffy pantsuit. No offense, Hillary.
No. 7. She looks good.
There would be a smooth transition. She won’t have to adjust to the White House staff, and after eight years she knows how poli-
No. 6. No adjustment period. James E. Causey is a Journal Sentinel editorial columnist and blogger. Email jcausey@journalsentinel.com. Facebook: fb.me/james.causey.12 Twitter: twitter.com/jecausey
tics work and she has met many foreign leaders several times over. As an officeholder, she would have already benefited from a readymade platform on issues that she has worked on in the White House, from childhood obesity to increased support for military families.
No. 5. We can end the talk of repealing Obamacare.
GOP candidate Ben Carson, who is black, called Obamacare the “worst thing to happen in this nation since slavery.” More than 10 million people have signed up for the Affordable Care Act. With Michelle Obama in office, I’m sure it can grow even more.
No. 4. She’s been called the best politician in the White House.
According to Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree, who mentored both Barack and Michelle when they were students there, President Obama is the “second-best politician living in the White House.” She graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. The June 2015 issue of Forbes magazine named her the 10th most powerful woman in the world. Hillary Clinton was No. 2 on the list. Additionally, both millennial men and women (the group politicians swoon over) ranked Michelle Obama as their top role model.
No. 3. She’s hip and personable. Whether it’s busting out with the latest dance move with Ellen DeGeneres, outdancing Jimmy Fallon, hanging out with Jay Z and Beyonce, posting a workout video on Twitter to welcome the POTUS to Twitter or pushing to raise a healthier generation of kids with her Let’s Move!” campaign, the first lady leads by example and she’s down to earth. You get the feeling when she’s talking about the middle-class, she knows us.
No. 2. She’s already withstood a fair amount of attacks.
The racist attacks toward Michelle Obama are all over social media. There are the derogatory cracks on her looks, which depict her and her husband as apes. Talk-show host Rodner Figueroa likened Obama to a cast member of “Planet of the Apes” and the late comedian Joan Rivers often called Michelle Obama a man. She’s also overcome the label “angry black woman.”
Even Wisconsin Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner criticized Obama by saying she “lectures us on eating right while she has a larger posterior herself.” The overweight politician quickly issued an apology.
Despite it all, the first lady has continued to carry herself with class and distinction.
Obama
No. 1. She’s traveled to more countries than Gov. Scott Walker. Although he hasn’t officially announced that he’s running for president, Walker told “Face the Nation” this month that he would be the most qualified person to lead the country’s foreign policy because he had visited six countries while serving as governor.
If visiting a country makes you an expert, I’m sure Michelle Obama has Walker beat 10 to 1, and if she decided to throw her name in the race should could very well be the next president of the United States.