Rumors have been rife for some time regarding the possibility that the Democratic Party would turn to former First Lady Michelle Obama to save itself from President Joe Biden's declining prospects, but according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey, such a move may not be the panacea many believe.
Unfortunately for liberals, Rasmussen notes that, at least as things currently stand, Former President Donald Trump is not only leading Biden in a head-to-head matchup, but he also tops two notable names often floated as potential substitutes for the presumptive Democratic nominee.
The news for Democrats in Rasmussen's recent survey of 912 likely voters brought little in the way of hope for Biden or for those some suggest are viable candidates to take his place for the November contest.
In the poll, which was conducted between March 5-7, Trump topped Biden by a margin of 49% to 41%, representing a two-point increase in the former president's lead over just the last month, as the Washington Examiner notes.
If those numbers were not enough to give Democrats real pause about his continued candidacy, the news only got worse from there.
In a hypothetical matchup with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, tapped by some as the future of the Democratic Party on the national scene, Trump leads by a staggering 17 points.
When it comes to a possible contest with Mrs. Obama, Trump's lead shrinks somewhat, but still stands at a commanding seven points, according to Rasmusen.
The scuttlebutt about a possible Michelle Obama candidacy has been building for quite some time, with Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz having long voiced his belief that she was waiting in the wings to swoop in and salvage the Democrats' chances in the current cycle.
Following a recent podcast interview in which the former first lady discussed her fears for the country's future in the event the next election did not go well and touted her in-depth knowledge of the president's role, Cruz was even more convinced about what might lie ahead.
Cruz said that her tone on the podcast “does feel a little bit of a pitch of, 'hey guys, I'm here. I'm ready. I can step in, and I'm willing to do it.'”
Based on results from a straw poll taken at last month's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), more than a few Republicans appeared to agree, with 47% of survey participants declaring their belief that Mrs. Obama would ultimately be the Democratic nominee, as Newsweek noted.
However, already well known for having previously hinted at her personal disinterest in ever seeking elected office, Mrs. Obama has once again attempted to quash discussion of her as a stand-in for Biden in the coming contest.
As The Hill noted earlier this month, Crystal Carson, director of communications in the former first lady's office, stated emphatically, “As...Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” and the spokesperson added that her boss “supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' re-election campaign.
If the Rasmussen numbers are correct, that position appears to be a wise one, assuming Mrs. Obama would prefer to avoid a potentially humiliating defeat on the national stage at the hands of someone for whom she clearly holds nothing but contempt.
