Michelle Obama: The Hopeful Democrat Nominee for 2024

Today's issue of identity politics may have come from Greek mythology.

Prometheus was the Titan god of fire. He is believed to have been the most intellectual of the gods leading him to become an expert craftsman and the creator of mortals. His name comes from the Ancient Greek text meaning "forethought". Various versions of mythology say he created humanity from clay.

Zeus, the head of the Titan gods, hid fire from the Earth's mortals. Prometheus stole the fire from Zeus and returned it to Earth. Zeus punished Prometheus through eternal suffering. Prometheus was nailed to a mountain in the Caucasus and an eagle was sent to eat his liver. His liver would regenerate itself daily, being eaten again and again by the eagle.

To punish humanity for having access to fire, Zeus ordered the blacksmith god Hephaestus to create the first woman, Pandora. Zeus then gave Pandora a box (or a jar, depending on what interpretation you are reading) which she was instructed to never open. He knew the temptation would get the best of her. She eventually opened the box, releasing evil, plagues, and disease among humanity. Pandora was Greek mythology's version of Eve. The only thing that stayed in the box was hope.

The Obamas, specifically Barack, opened Pandora's Box and unleashed the plague of identity politics onto the world. Diversity, inclusion, equity, racial idolatry, and the limerance of sexual orientation replaced meritocracy, tolerance, and a biblical worldview. Most of the country voted for Obama because of his skin color. Any opponent or skeptic of Obama was framed as a "racist" or a "bigot".

The one thing the Obamas did not release from their Pandora's Box was hope. Instead, they mass-produced and sold it to America like Sam Bankman-Fried sold crypto. During the Democrat primaries in 2008, Michelle Obama said, "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback." Today, Barack's Hope poster remains an iconic artistic staple.

Hope will be the selling point for Michelle Obama's run for The White House.

Michelle Obama running for The Oval Office is not the most original political take. A Hill-HarrisX poll from 2021 showed Obama as one of the Democrat favorites. Podcast extraordinaire Joe Rogan offered his support for Michelle, "I really believe if Michelle Obama runs, she wins." Michelle Obama herself said she won't run, but color me skeptical. The thirst for power is insatiable.

Reading the trail of breadcrumbs, Michelle makes for the perfect Democrat candidate.

Full disclosure, a small part of me wants her to become the Dem's nominee. In a “fair” election, she would get shellacked by Trump or DeSantis.

While the media continues to hone in on the GOP civil war, Democrats are approaching a crossroads in their party. Biden is quietly being shown the door. He served his purpose from his party's standpoint: he kept Trump out of office. The party wants (or should want) to move in a different direction. Notice how many Democrats stood up for Biden amid the classified documents hunting expedition. Hardly any. Not even Barack. With Republicans in control of the House, investigations into the Biden family are on the horizon. Biden is a sinking ship. He will not run for reelection.

The potential field vying for the nominee is mildly interesting but not particularly noteworthy. Gavin Newsome (CA) is very polished and well-connected, but his authoritarian policies during the pandemic will haunt him nationally. J.B. Pritzker (IL), who survived the Rod Blagojevich scandal to later become Governor, has the money to fund a run for President. Josh Shapiro (PA), another Jewish Governor, has some populist appeal. Even the right-wing newspaper Washington Examiner wrote a glowing piece about him. And VP Kamala Harris is...there.

Harris is the thorn in the side of Democrats. Despite relative anonymity, she has become just as nationally unpopular as Biden. Liberal journalist Matthew Yglesias wrote on his Substack the consensus in Washington is that Harris is politically inept. Her skin color is the only reason she was latched onto Biden's ticket. Without the black vote, the Democrat party would evaporate into the ether. They cannot push Kamala aside and nominate a ticket with two white people. Black people would not turn out, essentially handing the Republicans the 2024 election. Let me be clear, blacks would not vote Republican. They would sit the election out. Michelle Obama would allow the Dems to pivot off Biden and Harris while keeping the black vote intact.

Who would be Michelle's running mate? Someone who fits neatly into the DIE guidelines. Maybe Pete Buttigieg. Or Stacey Abrams. Possibly AOC or Gretchen Whitmer. Liz Cheney, if they really want to stick it to Republicans.

The former First Lady would be a fresh face on the political scene who could rally support from all factions of the party: from the yas queens of the far left, to the working-class blacks, to the moderate suburban white liberals afraid of being called a racist for not voting for a black person.

Some will ask about Michelle Obama's political resume or her policy stances. Neither of them matters.

The Democrat's election apparatus has become as fine-tuned of a machine that has ever existed in American politics. Candidate quality, political achievements, campaign promises, oratory skills, health. They are all moot points if the DC machine gets behind a candidate. As long as enough votes can be harvested and enough money can be raised to churn out TV and social media ads, a candidate like Joe Biden, who ran a campaign with a lid on it, can win an election. Likewise, a candidate like John Fetterman, who should be at home recovering from his stroke, can win a senator seat in a crucial swing state.

As long as Michelle is draped in designer clothes and hits the main Democrat talking points (racism, sexism, white supremacy, LGBT inclusion, etc.), she would easily sweep the Democrat primaries.

Obama's main sales pitch would have to be hope. It is an age-old tactic. Bush's slogan in 2004 read, "A Safer World and a More Hopeful America". Rand Paul in 2016: "Defeat the Washington Machine. Unleash the American Dream." Ross Perot in 1992: "I'm Ross, and you're the Boss!" Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" uniquely sold hope.

Hope is the emotional dope to keep people weak and high on utopian ideas. When people merely sit idly by and hope for a desired outcome, like ending racism or a $25 minimum wage, they risk surrendering their personal agency and responsibility. By hitching their wagon to hope, people send the message to themselves and others that they are powerless.

In the Bible, Job is on an emotional rollercoaster because of his fleeting feelings of hope. His faith in God wavers back and forth. He questions God's plan in Job 16:11, "God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." He realizes the flaws in his thinking in Job 27:8, "For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?"

Too much misguided hope will have people abandoning their faith in God and putting it in the hands of false idols. That's what happened in 2008. Barack Obama became black America's and all of America's lord and savior. 

Let's hope I am completely wrong and another Obama White House is not even a remote possibility. Michelle would be in front of the cameras while Barack puffs a cigarette, running the country from his basement.

 
Vincent Williams

Founder and Chief Editor of Critic at Extra Large, an American, former radio personality, former Music Director, Hip-Hop enthusiast and lover of all things mint.

https://twitter.com/VinWilliams28
Previous
Previous

Kevin Durant Is The r/Antiwork Superstar of the NBA

Next
Next

China's Spy Balloon Was A Metaphoric and Symbolic Show of Chinese Strength