Michelle Obama shines star power on Harris campaign
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A mural of Michelle Obama is displayed outside PERILLA fare in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, August 17, 2024. Photo: Joel Angel Juarez for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are set to speak at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, bringing their star power and deep-rooted influence within the party to the gathering's second night.
Why it matters: The former first lady, upon her return to her hometown of Chicago, remains one of the most popular — and powerful — galvanizing voices in the Democratic party, despite her longstanding dislike for highly partisan politics.
- While her husband was a willing surrogate during his former VP Joe Biden's since-retired reelection bid, Michelle Obama was largely absent from Biden's 2024 campaign.
- Her massive popularity has prompted calls for her to run for office herself, but her answer for over a decade has remained the same: No.
Zoom out: The Obamas characterized Harris as "a friend who we've known for more than 20 years" in their statement endorsing her last month.
- In a video the Harris campaign shared capturing the couple's endorsement, Michelle Obama can be heard saying, "I can't have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala, I am proud of you — this is going to be historic."
- Public figures and voters alike have compared Harris' enthusiasm-inspiring burst onto the trail to Obama's hope-centered 2008 campaign.
Flashback: Michelle Obama has spoken at every DNC since 2008, when her husband was nominated.
- In 2020, she received far more engagement online than any other speaker, according to NewsWhip data.
- Stories about her speech received five times more social media interactions than the estimated total for her husband, the next closest figure.
- At the 2016 convention, she coined the now-famous phrase, "When they go low, we go high," when reflecting on raising her then-young daughters in the White House.
By the numbers: As calls mounted for President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race, speculation of his replacement swirled. According to one July poll, Michelle Obama was the only Democrat considered who could beat former President Trump.
- Compared with six other Democrats in a Reuters/Ipsos poll of registered voters fielded at the beginning of July, 50% backed the former first lady compared to 39% for Trump. At the time, Harris narrowly trailed Trump 42% to 43% in a hypothetical matchup, according to the poll.
- Michelle Obama was also the only political figure in that survey to achieve majority favorability.
- YouGov's listing of public figures' popularity ranks the former first lady as the fifth most popular public figure for all American adults, a slot above her husband.
What's next: The couple will likely walk a fine line during their DNC appearances, touting Harris' leadership while paying respects to Biden's tenure.
- The convention's second night of programming, centered around the theme "A Bold Vision for America's Future," will also feature Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, among others.
Go deeper: Obama praises Biden after withdrawal: "A patriot of the highest order"
