Former First Lady Michelle Obama has emerged as a potential dark horse candidate for the Democratic Party in the upcoming US presidential election, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The survey suggests that she is the only candidate with the public support needed to defeat current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
This development comes amid growing concern among Democratic voters over President Joe Biden’s ability to secure a second term in office, particularly after his debate performance, where he appeared frail and struggled to complete sentences. The poll reveals that around 60% of US voters believe that Biden should drop out of the race altogether and that the party should put forward a new candidate, even at this late stage.
Ipsos market research company surveyed a representative sample of 1,070 US adults for Reuters, including 892 registered voters, 348 Democrats, 322 Republicans, and 303 independents. The poll results show that if a vote were to be held now, both Biden and Trump would win an estimated 40% of the votes.
However, most of Biden’s potential replacements do not seem to have the public support needed to beat Trump in November. In hypothetical matchups against Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris trailed by one point, while other candidates, like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, fared even worse.
The only candidate who could potentially defeat Trump is Michelle Obama, the poll suggests. In a hypothetical matchup against Trump, around 50% of registered voters said they would vote for her, compared to just 39% who said they would vote for Trump. Furthermore, Obama appears to have a better public image than other candidates, with an approval rating of 55%, beating all other potential Democratic candidates.
Despite the poll results and growing concerns among Democrats, both President Biden and his team have indicated that they have no plans to drop out of the race. However, media reports suggest that many top Democratic donors want Biden gone from the November 5 ticket, with even some of his public allies, like Barack Obama, reportedly telling people privately that Joe Biden cannot win.