As the Republican primary field continues to narrow, questions about whether Democrats will stick with a Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket continue to swirl.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s name has once again been raised as a possibility after a veteran gossip columnist suggested the Obamas have been actively shopping the idea of a run around to donors.
On Tuesday’s show, Megyn was joined by National Review’s Rich Lowry and Charles C.W. Cooke to discuss the speculation and what they think would need to occur in order for it to happen.
Another President Obama?
Longtime New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams published a scoop on Monday night that the Obamas have “polled donors” to gauge their appetite for a third Obama term – this time with Michelle at the helm. “Mrs. Obama’s team has already sent a survey to heavy-duty donors asking how they’d feel about her as the candidate,” Adams wrote.
According to the report, the plan would be for President Biden to step aside some time between May and the Democratic National Convention in August, so that he does not have to govern for too long as a lame duck. The party would then be free to nominate Michelle at the event.
The speculation comes on the heels of the former first lady’s interview with podcaster Jay Shetty earlier this month during which she said she is “terrified about what could possibly happen” this election cycle. At the time, Megyn pointed out the significance of the sit down. “She has nothing to promote – she has no book, she has no event – so that means she called them and said, ‘I have something to say,’” she noted. “And she very clearly had something to say.”
Potential ‘Game Changer’
While Megyn said that Obama entering the race would be “a total game changer,” Cooke and Lowry were skeptical that Democrats would make the switch. For starters, they questioned why she would want the job. “I would be shocked if she wants to do it,” Lowry said. “She’s been there. She’s a world celebrity. Why would she want to go through this?”
And then there is the fact that President Biden doesn’t seem to have any interest in stepping down. “I just don’t believe the switcheroo scenario… [unless] something terrible happens to Biden,” he noted. “There is no way he is going to give it up voluntarily… And if he doesn’t want to go, there is no way they will leverage him out.”
Cooke agreed and pointed to the fact that Biden – despite being viewed by the majority of the electorate as too old to be president – seems to be the only candidate Democrats can agree on. “Michelle Obama is going to be appealing to some parts of the Democratic coalition but not to others – so is Kamala Harris, so is Pete Buttigieg, so is anyone you can think of,” he explained. “Joe Biden is actually their best candidate, paradoxically. That’s how much of a mess the party is in.”
Ultimately, “Joe Biden is their best shot,” Cooke concluded. “That’s why he is there and that’s why he is probably going to stay there.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Lowry and Cooke by tuning in to episode 708 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.