South Caroline Rep. James “Jim” Clyburn gave it to us straight when asked about Michelle Obama’s take on one of America’s most brutal truths. During the Sunday (Dec. 7) airing of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the 84-year-old Clyburn didn’t hesitate, saying, “Michelle Obama is absolutely correct,” regarding the Oval Office.
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Despite relentless calls for her to run, Obama has repeatedly signaled that the nation should get somebody else to do it, because she is not interested.
In case you missed it, last month, the former first lady shut down rumors that she was a possible contender for the 2028 presidential election. During a conversation with Tracee Ellis Ross at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), she spoke directly to the whole nation: “You’re not ready for a woman.”
This week, Clyburn told Meet the Press’ Welker, “If you look at the history, we have demonstrated that we are not ready.” Representing South Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District since 1993, he pointed to the unsuccessful presidential bids of Kamala Harris in 2024 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 as examples. Both were highly qualified, but for America, neither was enough. Shocker.
And according to a recent Politico poll, neither Obama nor Clyburn is wrong: Americans remain wary of electing a female president.
Clyburn remained optimistic about a woman President in our future, stating, “I think that we are getting there.” He also recently predicted that a “Blue wave” may be on the horizon, but warned that the nation cannot afford to “turn the clock back” on progress. In his interview with Welker, he didn’t sugarcoat that recent elections have moved us in the wrong direction.
“Just because it doesn’t seem that we’re ready, doesn’t mean that we should stop the pursuit,” Clyburn continued.
Calling on a favorite proverb of his father, Clyburn offered encouraging insight: “The darkest point of the night is that moment just before dawn.” He added, “We may be in a dark moment as it relates to women serving as president, but we may be in the moment just before dawn when a woman will serve.”
As the father of three daughters, Clyburn called on women to keep pushing for the presidency. His message to women was simple: “They’ve got to run.”
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