Two months after President Barack Obama said that the possibility of Michelle Obama running for the Oval Office was basically as likely as pigs flying, the First Lady has announced that she will not pursue a bid for the White House.
According to NBC News, the 52-year-old ended speculation during her keynote address at the SXSW Music Conference on Wednesday (March 16) when Queen Latifah blatantly asked if a presidential bid was in her near future. Shortly after reminiscing on her time on Pennsylvania Ave., the First Lady said that her teenage daughters heavily influenced her decision to not run.
“No, no. Not going to do it,” she said. “The daughters of a president. Just think about it. Come on, young people. Not so easy,” said the First Lady adding, “They’ve handled it with grace and with poise.”
Though her time as First Lady is winding down, Mrs. Obama said that she is looking forward to reaching the masses in ways that she couldn’t because of her prestigious title.
“Sometimes there’s much more you can do outside the White House without the constraints, the lights and the cameras, and the partisanship,” she said. “There’s a potential that my voice can be heard by people who can’t hear me now because I’m Michelle Obama, the First Lady. I want to be able to impact as many people as possible in an unbiased way to try to keep reaching people. I think I can do that just as well by not being president of the United States.”
Mrs. Obama’s new announcement should come as no surprise. Back in January, President Obama said that the First Lady will not be hitting the campaign trail.
“There are three things that are certain in life: death, taxes, and Michelle is not running for president,” he said. “That I can tell you.”