Hours after Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 US presidential and endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris, the name of former First Lady Michelle Obama started trending on the internet as the go-to Democrat to fight Republican rival Donald Trump.
Why Michelle Obama?
In a sudden decision on Sunday, Biden (81) endorsed Harris, who is of Indian and African origin, as the Democratic Party’s new nominee. If surveys are to be believed US voters prefer Michelle Obama as their presidential candidate, according to a recent poll by The Center Square Voters’ Voice. Since November, she has consistently topped polls asking voters to choose their preferred candidate.
In the survey conducted with Noble Predictive Insights, 24% of Democrat-leaning likely voters would choose Michelle over Kamala who ranked seventh in that poll with 7%. After Biden announced his decision to quit the race to the White House, former President Barack Obama praised Biden but stopped short of endorsing Harris.
‘Focus on Michelle Obama’
Meanwhile, the internet started buzzing with claims that Michelle Obama was the “only person who can beat Trump” following Biden’s bid to drop out. One of the users on X wrote, “I’ve been hearing this several times now. People in Chicago are not happy. Is it smart to be in the Windy City during the Democratic Convention?”
Another said, “Please focus on Michelle Obama. Kamala will get thrown under the bus. She is the sacrificial lamb. At the convention, it will be Michelle. Please focus on her statements/behavior for examination. We will not have enough time once she’s selected.” “Only one Democrat ‘definitively’ beats Trump in a new poll — but she’s not interested.”
Former GOP contender Vivek Ramaswamy, who previously predicted Biden wouldn’t secure the Democratic nomination, said, “Last year, I predicted Joe Biden wouldn’t be the nominee.” “Now, I’m predicting Kamala Harris won’t be either. I wouldn’t rule out Michelle Obama becoming the nominee.
VIVEK: MICHELLE OBAMA, NOT KAMALA HARRIS, WILL BE NOMINEE“Look, I say this as somebody who a year ago predicted Joe was not going to be the nominee.
I’m going to predict that Kamala Harris is not going to be the nominee any either.
I would not write off the possibility… pic.twitter.com/DsCL7z1ZGL
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 22, 2024
What Next For Democrats?
The Democratic Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward with the nomination of the new presidential candidate for the November general elections, its National Committee chair Jaime Harrison said after incumbent President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign.
The Democratic National Committee convention is scheduled to start in Chicago on August 19, wherein nearly 4,000 delegates from across the country will gather to elect their candidate for the November general elections. Biden had overwhelmingly won the party’s primary and has more than 3,800 delegates in his kitty. While Biden’s endorsement has made the task of Harris to gain party nomination a bit easier, it is not sealed till the time the delegates vote in her support.
Nomination Process
In a statement assuring the party support base of a transparent and fair process for nomination, DNC chair Harrison said, “The work that we must do now, while unprecedented, is clear. In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.” “This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people,” he said.
“Democrats are prepared and united in our resolve to win in November. As we move forward to formally select our party’s nominee, our values as Democrats remain the same — lowering costs, restoring freedom, protecting the rights of all people, and saving our democracy from the threat of dictatorship. We have and will continue to make this case to the American people,” he said.
Harrison said the American people owe President Biden an enormous debt of gratitude for the unparalleled progress he has delivered over the last four years. “We will honour that legacy and the decision that he has made today through a firm commitment to nominating and electing a Democratic president this November who will carry that torch into the next four years,” he added.
(With agency inputs)
