Now that prominent Democrats are among those publicly voicing concerns about President Joe Biden's advanced age and mental acuity, speculation is growing about who might enter the fray in an effort to salvage the party's 2024 electoral chances, and according to some, former first lady Michelle Obama may be just the solution the left needs, as Breitbart reports.
Though the subject of Biden's cognitive decline had long been considered taboo among liberal elites, notable figures such as Washington Post columnist David Ignatius have finally stepped forward to state what so many have apparently been thinking.
As The Hill explained, Ignatius – a longtime Biden supporter – recently penned a column in which he called upon the president as well as Vice President Kamala Harris to step aside in favor of a candidate with a stronger likelihood of winning in the next cycle.
Speaking of Biden's record, Ignatius said, “In sum, he has been a successful and effective president. But I don't think Biden and Vice President Harris should run for reelection. It's painful to say that, given my admiration for much of what they have accomplished. But if he and Harris campaign together in 2024, I think Biden risks undoing his greatest achievement – which was stopping [former President Donald] Trump."
Perhaps in reaction to Ignatius' apparent defection from the Biden camp, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) entered the discussion surrounding the issue during the Monday installment of his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, and revealed he name of the person he believes Democrats want to see at the top of their ticket.
Beginning by weighing in on the mounting challenges facing Biden and their apparent recognition by Democrat Party elites, Cruz said, “They're looking at polling numbers that show two-thirds of Americans think he's too old to be president.”
“They're getting nervous about all of the evidence of Biden corruption – you've got Hunter being indicted, you've got all the connections to Joe, and then what we've seen in recent weeks is the media turning on them,” in a possible reference to Ignatius' declaration.
The senator went on, “And remember the role of the media. Sadly, they're no longer journalists; they no longer report news. They are the left wing of the Democrat Party, and when the media turns on the presumed Democrat nominee, I think that is the cutting edge of the Democrat intelligentsia saying we may have to cut bait and find someone new.”
Cruz added his belief that if, by the time the Democrats' nominating convention takes place, it has become even more obvious that Biden's “mental diminishment” has worsened, party leaders will move forward to anoint a replacement.
“The Democrat kingmakers [will] then jettison Joe Biden and parachute in Michelle Obama,” the lawmaker opined.
Continuing with his hypothesis, Cruz said, “This is the Obamas saving the day” and added that former President Barack Obama is effectively “already running the Biden administration,” making his wife's prospective ascension to the Oval Office all the more natural.
Cruz is by no means the only high-profile commentator to suggest that Michelle Obama may be the Democrats' saving grace in 2024, with longtime insiders Douglas Schoen and Andrew Stein stating that Mrs. Obama was the strongest candidate – “by far” – to take up the liberal mantle.
Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA agreed with their assessment of the former first lady's potential as a candidate, observing that she “polls well and can replace Kamala [Harris] without anyone calling it racist.”
Conservative radio personality Dan Bongino has also offered his two cents on the topic, saying, “[t]hey're sending out smoke signals basically to the Obama family. They know Sleepy Joe is in big trouble." Whether the former first lady is remotely interested in undertaking the challenge of a campaign and then the presidency itself, should she prevail, only time will tell.
