The former first lady has said again and again that she has no interest in politics but insiders are predicting that her high approval ratings will cause donors and other politicians to push her to run, The Daily Mail reported.
It follows the huge success of her memoir Becoming, which has topped the bestseller lists since it was published in November. Polls also regularly rate her more popular than Donald Trump.
Her husband Barack’s rise to become America’s first black President began in 2006 with the publication of his book The Audacity Of Hope, followed the next year by his decision to run for the White House.
Pundits say an attempt by Mrs Obama to become America’s first female President could prove more than a match for Mr Trump.
Rumors of another Obama presidential bid intensified when Mike Huckabee, who failed to clinch the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, endorsed a prediction on his website.
The Daily Mail was incorrect.
Here’s what she said.
Now that Michelle Obama has been named “Most Admired Woman” for 2018, it’s time for me to make a prediction for 2019: The former First Lady will toss her hat in the ring for 2020, and she will get her party’s nomination.
Her PR machine, which has quietly percolated ever since Hillary lost, went full-tilt in September with the November 13 release of her book, BECOMING. (One might ask, “BECOMING what?” I say “becoming a presidential nominee.”) Book signings used to be casual events — remember? — where, for just the price of the book, fans could get in line to meet the author, shake hands, snap a photo and take home an autographed copy. According to the New York Times, if you wanted a front-row seat at Barclay’s Center and an opportunity to “meet and greet” Michelle and take a selfie, it would set you back $3,000. If you were in a wheelchir, you could be seated at the back for $400. Nosebleed seats went for $29.50.
This was part of a 10-city tour put together by Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter, which handles about 500 artists, including Beyonce, U2, and Miley Cyrus. Tickets by Ticketmaster. She’s not the first person to kick off a book with the equivalent of a concert tour (Hillary did that, back when she could still draw a fair crowd), but this one appears to have been the biggest and most expensive.
A portion of the take would go to charity, according to Live Nation’s PR director. Ten percent.
It started in Chicago, Michelle’s hometown, at the United Center arena, home to the Chicago Bulls. (Since I try to avoid petty snark, it’s up to those of you who are so inclined to come up with your own play on words.) This place seats 19,000 people. She made other stops at giant venues in such cities as Washington, DC (two shows); Boston; Philadelphia; Detroit; Denver; Dallas; and Brooklyn (two shows).
Michelle and the Crown Publishing Group made a deal with Hearst Magazines to promote her new book with content “sprinkled” through its publications and websites. According to the NYT, it was this deal that got her the December cover of ELLE magazine. When we see those glossy magazine covers and features on Michelle, and bits of content “sprinkled” here and there throughout media, we can safely assume that they aren’t so much “news” as they are part of a business deal to promote her.
Those who know how PR works will realize that all of this high-powered effort is synergistic –- it works together. Michelle is everywhere, so she becomes more and more of a celebrity, which causes the demand for tickets and sells the book, which makes her more of a celebrity, which means more articles and magazine covers, and on and on. The timing of every picture, every mention, is strategically planned. It may look audience-driven, but it’s not. Her growing popularity is being engineered every bit as much as that of a pop star like Katy Perry.
According to the NYT, the Obamas also entered into a multiyear production deal with Netflix in May of 2018 to create television and film through their new production company, Higher Ground. The financial terms have not been disclosed, but typically such deals are worth tens of millions of dollars over several years. Magazines, news outlets, film, TV, live appearances — all are busy shaping the culture and promoting Michelle Obama.