Michelle Obama as Democratic candidate for president? This is the list of possible nominees to replace Biden
Chatter about replacing Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate reached a fevered pitch after his debate performance. But who can the party tap?
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle on Thursday. Both presumptive nominees for their parties, the official nomination will take place that the national conventions in July and August, received poor reviews for their performances.
However, despite numerous known lies spouted by Trump he was seen as the winner of the debate sponsored by CNN. That was due to Biden speaking in a near whisper, rambling at times and using nonsensical phrases.
Even though the current president’s performance progressed through the 90-minute debate, that wasn’t enough to stop alarm bells from going off among Democratic movers and shakers. A question which has been floating around is now front and center; Can Joe Biden be replaced as the Democratic presidential candidate? And if so, who?
Could Michelle Obama be the Democratic candidate for president? List of possible nominees to replace Biden
Firstly, the primary presidential elections for the parties have ended. Both Trump and Biden have secured the vast majority of the delegates who will vote to nominate their respective party’s nomination. That means, that without either of the presumptive nominees stepping aside before the convention and releasing their delegates, it is nearly impossible that they will not be the presidential nominees.
However, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas thinks that the Democrats have an ace up their sleeve. He said after the debate on his podcast ‘Verdict’ that because of Biden’s “disastrous” performance, he believes “the odds have now skyrocketed.”
“I believe the odds are north of 80% that the Democrat Party will remove Joe Biden from ticket and replace him…. with Michelle Obama,” he said.
This isn’t the first time he has put forth this idea on his podcast. In September last year he considered the scenario of the former First Lady parachuting in at the August convention as “perhaps the most likely and most dangerous” and viewed it as a “serious danger.”
He isn’t the first though to think that she could easily win the presidency were she to run in 2024. Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith said on Kevin Garnett’s podcast, KG Certified, that she would win “hands down.”
But he acknowledged a fact that Michelle Obama has made clear many times in the past. “Now, that obviously is not gonna happen. She doesn’t seem to have an interest,” he added. As a matter of fact she has said on several occasions that she has no intention to run for president.
Hypothetically speaking though, who could replace President Biden at the top of the ticket? Some have pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris. There are worries however, that she is even more unpopular than Biden.
Other names that have been mentioned as potential replacements for Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee include governors Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and JB Pritzker of Illinois among others.
As well some high profile US senators who have previously tossed their hats into the 2020 primary race including Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker as well as Sherrod Brown.