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Michelle Obama has publicly rejected any possibility of her being a presidential candidate, saying that the U.S. is not yet ready to pick a female leader. The former First Lady, stating this at a women’s issues panel discussion, thus indicated the current state of women’s rights in the country quite unequivocally.
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The remarks came from a video segment of a debate atmosphere where Obama was asked if the First Lady was a kind of model for the ideal wife and femininity. She immediately denied this idea. ‘Yeah, I don’t agree with that,’ Obama said. ‘It’s completely outdated, it’s a definition that has no current status in how women actually show up in the world today.’ In talking about the transfer of these notions to the women’s chances of being presidents, Obama didn’t use the softest of words. ‘Well as we saw in this past election, sadly we ain’t ready,’ she proclaimed. ‘That’s why I’m like don’t even look at me about running because y’all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You ain’t. So don’t waste my time.’
Obama claimed that lots of men are unable to see women as their leaders and that this was the case during the last election. Nonetheless, she was quite annoyed with the continuing problem of the ‘snatching back’ of women’s onward march to power. The comments, to consider, are Obama’s most direct and revealing about her political future and her views on gender issues in American leadership.
The netizens’ feedback on Obama’s statement was quite diverse and indicated a considerable division of opinions among the audience. The majority of the commenters who sided with the reasoning behind the gender issue pointed at other determinants as being accountable. A user remarked, ‘It has nothing to do with her being a female. We haven’t had any female candidates worth voting for.’ Another argument stated that ‘Oh, I think it depends on who that woman is! They don’t want no stupid woman!’
A significant portion of the reactions took a completely different direction, questioning Obama’s gender identity and making use of references to the ‘Michael’ or ‘Big Mike’ conspiracy theories as a backdrop. ‘Well he’s not even female soooo what’s his point?’ one user wondered. Another, rather blunt, said, ‘That’s a man his name is mike.’ This motif was heavily present in the debate and a lot of users were making similar insinuations.
Some users gave other possibilities for Obama’s choice. ‘That’s a funny way to say you think you can’t win,’ one person said, suggesting that the gender argument might be hiding political calculations. Another was more direct: ‘She’s not running because she knows she doesn’t have a chance in hell of winning.’
The conversation also drew parallels to other politicians. ‘Melania Trump is a perfect example of the first lady,’ one individual opined, while dismissing the other former First Ladies as being so different. A comment such as, ‘We are ready for a woman like Tulsi just not a self loathing ingrate like Michelle,’ came from another user, thus highlighting the partisan divide in the debate.
Several reactions were of the nature that condemned both the message and the manner of Obama. ‘The arrogance of this racist person is disgusting,’ one commenter expressed. Another person asked why Obama would even discourse on the subject of female presidential candidates if she was not planning to run?
The magnitude of the internet response is an indicator that Obama’s words have struck chords on the side of the already existing cultural and political wars. Her position regarding the question of the country being ready to have a female president has coincided with the ongoing discussions about gender equality in politics, especially after Hillary Clinton’s defeat in 2016 and the elections that followed. The different interpretations of her reasons—from pure analysis of gender relations to political strategy, and even personal attacks—signal the divided and sharply treated nature of contemporary political discourse.
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Michelle Obama’s candid remarks concerning gender and the presidency have undoubtedly put their finger on a sore point across the political spectrum. Whether of a candid nature as a reflection of the American society or as a proactive political admittance, her comments have sparked a fierce debate about the impostors women face in politics and the many factors at work in the presidential ambitions. The strong reaction indicates that even though some progress has been made, there is still a considerable gap between the perception of women’s leadership roles and the road to the White House. She recently shared a heartwarming story of global impact during the Barack Obama era. Michelle Obama also announced a major Chicago initiative for girls’ education. Michelle Obama and Kenan Thompson discussed SNL legacy and fatherhood on a new podcast.