>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
“That’s why so many of us can’t swim and we run away from the water. People won’t go to the gym because we’re trying to keep our hair straight for y’all. It is exhausting and it’s so expensive and it takes up so much time,” she continued. Ross nodded along enthusiastically as Obama pushed deeper into her grievances. “Braids are for y’all so we can work harder and focus on the work. So why do we need an act, an act of law to tell white folks to get out of our hair? Don’t tell me how to wear my hair. Don’t wonder about it. Don’t touch it. Just don’t. It just hurts.”
The aggressive tone stunned many viewers. Critics quickly noted that despite Obama’s sweeping accusations toward white Americans, nearly half of white voters supported Barack Obama in the historic 2008 election. CNN and Roper Center exit polls show that 43 percent of white voters backed him in 2008, with support dipping slightly to 39 percent in 2012. Yet Michelle Obama now portrays those same voters as cultural antagonists.
The conversation shifted again when Ross asked the question that has circulated in political rumor mills for years: Would Michelle Obama ever run for president? Her name has been floated repeatedly by Democrats, media personalities and political strategists who view her as a potential 2028 powerhouse candidate.
Obama shut the door firmly — while taking another swipe at the country.
“Well, as we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready. That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not. So don’t waste my time,” she insisted to cheers from the audience. She went even further, blaming Americans — particularly men — for what she sees as deep-rooted sexism. “You know, we got a lot of growing up to do. And there’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it.”
Her remarks ignited fresh debate over whether Michelle Obama’s public appearances are increasingly mirroring the tone of progressive activists rather than that of a former First Lady. Critics argue that her constant framing of the country as racist, sexist or oppressive has become a predictable pattern.
Supporters, meanwhile, applauded her for “speaking truth,” but even some Democratic commentators quietly admitted her comments were “politically clumsy” for someone consistently floated as presidential material.
For now, Michelle Obama claims she is out of the political arena. But judging by the reaction to her book tour remarks, she is still very much in the center of the cultural battlefield — and her latest tirade shows she’s willing to escalate rather than de-escalate America’s racial and political divides.
