Michelle Obama is out rallying for Kamala Harris, but it seems her pitch is striking a nerve in all the wrong ways. Her comments are coming off more like a guilt trip to voters than a genuine endorsement. Obama’s argument? Well, it’s not Harris who might have weaknesses as a candidate; it’s apparently the American people who have shortcomings, specifically on account of their “racism” and “sexism” if they’re not sold on Harris.
In a speech in Michigan, Michelle Obama asked a supposedly burning question: Why is this race even close? She claimed she lies awake at night wondering why Americans seem reluctant to get behind Harris, and to her, the answer is simple: It’s the voters’ bias holding Harris back. Forget actual policies, track records, or the vice president’s performance—Obama’s decided that the real issue is America’s inability to “be ready” for a leader like Harris.
🚨Michele Obama suggests Americans who don’t vote to elect Kamala Harris are sexist and racist:
“I lay awake at night wondering what in the world is going on. The qustion for me isn’t whether Kamala is ready for this moment…the real question is, as a country, are we ready for… pic.twitter.com/4Muun9vhZ2
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) October 26, 2024
Cue the eye rolls. Critics, like Brit Hume from Fox News, didn’t take kindly to what they see as yet another lecture from Michelle Obama. He threw some dry commentary into the mix, saying, “Poor Michelle. America is always disappointing her.” Not far behind, radio host Guy Benson chimed in, accusing Obama of using the same old “tiresome schtick” to excuse the fact that Harris hasn’t managed to win over voters without pointing fingers.
Obama didn’t hold back when it came to former President Trump either. She practically accused his supporters of turning a blind eye to a laundry list of “sins.” She claims it’s infuriating that Americans aren’t picking apart Trump’s faults with the same tenacity they reserve for Harris’s every stumble. But this criticism dropped on the very same day Trump’s no-holds-barred, three-hour interview with Joe Rogan was released. Harris, on the other hand, passed on that same interview opportunity. Talk about different approaches to transparency.
.@MichelleObama: I hope that you will forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to Donald Trump’s erratic behavior. His obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a known slumlord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse. All of this while we pick… pic.twitter.com/a2RrXJbWN9
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 26, 2024
Obama’s speech prompted quite a reaction. Megyn Kelly shot back, taking issue with the idea that voters expect Harris to “dazzle” them. Kelly argued that what people really want from the vice president is a clear answer or two on policy—anything that might resemble thoughtful, authentic insight. For Kelly and many others, it’s not that voters are demanding miracles from Harris; they’re just waiting for her to string together a few sentences on the issues at hand.
This latest chapter in the Democrats’ campaign strategy doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for a Harris-led ticket. Whether it’s accusations of voter prejudice or making Trump the scapegoat, the focus seems to be anywhere but on Harris herself. And for undecided voters, this tactic might raise more red flags than rallying cries. Instead of hearing about what Harris could do for the country, they’re hearing why they’re somehow “wrong” for hesitating to support her.
Michelle Obama has become Greta Thunberg: a totemic figure who exists only to be Disappointed In You™ https://t.co/pwLcAFhdRz
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 27, 2024
It seems Michelle Obama’s appeal to voters might be less about winning hearts and more about shaming people into submission. But with backlash rolling in from all sides, one thing is clear: this approach might end up doing more harm than good for Harris’s chances. And as much as Obama might insist, the real question on voters’ minds probably isn’t whether they’re “ready” for Harris. It’s whether Harris is truly ready for the job.