Currently anticipating a major-league whomping in midterm elections, some Democrats would like to see Michelle Obama engage in more hands-on campaigning this fall, Politico writes. The reasoning: She could help turn out key demographic groups and remind voters of her husband’s personal appeal without reminding them of the many things he’s associated with that they hate. Her popularity, unlike his, is still high:
… The DCCC, which polled its base in 67 competitive districts, found that she had an overall favorability of 77 percent: 89 percent among African-Americans, 79 percent with white women over 30, 79 percent with voters age 18 to 29.
“Demographically, she connects with the very voters that we need — women, African-Americans, young people, Hispanics. They feel a connection to her,” said DCCC Executive Director Kelly Ward. “So when she can ask them personally, ‘I need you to go do this, my husband is fighting for the issues that you care about and he needs your help,’ that’s a really compelling ask and a really compelling person to be making that ask.”
The problem: FLOTUS, Politico says, does not like campaigning for particular candidates or doing fundraising. (One imagines that her general aversion to partisan activity is part of the reason why she remains popular.) And Politico did not turn up any evidence that the dire outlook for November has of yet done anything to sway her aversion to stump-speeching and glad-handing.
Here’s another question, too: If Michelle is really so popular and Barack is so lame, why shouldn’t Democrats just go all the way and make her the actual president?
It could work. It could work.* (*Legally, it could not work.)
