Former First Lady Delivers Blunt Assessment on Female Leadership
Michelle Obama has declared that the United States is still not prepared to elect a woman as president, pointing to what she perceives as a deep-seated bias among American voters, particularly men. The former First Lady made these candid remarks during a live discussion about her new book, 'The Look', with actress Tracee Ellis Ross at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on November 5.
She expressed her firm belief that she would be unable to overcome this prejudice even if she were to launch a White House bid. 'That’s why I’m like, "Don't even look at me about running, because you all are lying,"' she told the audience. 'You're not ready for a woman. You are not. So don't waste my time.'
Pointing to the 2024 Election as Proof
Mrs Obama directly referenced the outcome of the previous presidential election, stating 'as we saw in this past election, sadly we ain't ready'. She was alluding to Donald Trump's decisive victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris the prior November.
This result stood in contrast to Trump's 2016 win against Hillary Clinton. In that election, he secured the presidency through the Electoral College while losing the popular vote. However, in the 2024 contest against Harris, Trump garnered nearly 2.3 million more votes than his Democratic opponent, a fact that underscores the scale of the defeat.
The 61-year-old addressed the audience with visible disappointment, commenting on the prevailing attitudes she believes hinder progress. 'We got a lot of growing up to do, and there are still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it,' she stated.
A Long-Standing Reluctance to Enter the Political Arena
Despite persistent calls from liberals for her to run for over a decade, Michelle Obama has consistently and unequivocally rejected the idea of a presidential campaign. Her reasons have evolved over time. In March 2016, she cited her then-teenage daughters as a primary reason for not pursuing office.
Her stance has remained remarkably consistent. During an appearance on the TODAY Show in October 2018, she told anchor Savannah Guthrie that she has never harboured political ambitions. 'Nothing has changed in me. I want to serve… There are so many ways to make an impact. Politics is not my thing. It’s as simple as that,' she explained.
Her husband, former President Barack Obama, corroborated this position in an October 2016 radio interview. He stated that his wife 'will never run for office', praising her as brilliant but noting she lacks the patience or inclination for candidacy.
Public polling appears to support Michelle Obama's sobering analysis. Ahead of the 2024 election, a poll from American University revealed that four in 10 Americans know someone who would not vote for a woman to become president. The study also identified a 'youth paradox', where younger voters, despite general support for women in office, were actually the least open to electing a female president.
