{"id":2546541,"date":"2026-01-21T14:31:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T19:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michelle-obama-says-bias-is-holding-women-back-from-presidency\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T14:32:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T19:32:49","slug":"michelle-obama-says-bias-is-holding-women-back-from-presidency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michelle-obama-says-bias-is-holding-women-back-from-presidency\/","title":{"rendered":"Michelle Obama says bias is holding women back from presidency"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmichelle-obama-says-bias-is-holding-women-back-from-presidency%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2546541&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former first lady michelle Obama said the reason the United States has not yet elected a woman president is deep-rooted sexism, not a lack of qualified candidates. on the Call Her Daddy podcast she reiterated that past nominees like Hillary clinton and Kamala Harris were qualified but faced a &#8220;falling shortness&#8221; tied to ingrained social attitudes and gut feelings about female leaders. Obama urged peopel to &#8220;stop pretending&#8221; about the causes of those electoral losses, noting that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >change takes time<\/a> and that cultural remnants of inequality are still embedded. She pointed out progress-14 states currently have female governors-but said men who openly refuse to vote for a woman show the need for honest conversations. Her earlier remarks that the country isn&#8217;t ready for her to run were also a way to discourage speculation about a presidential bid; she said she isn&#8217;t interested in running. Discussing a hypothetical where term limits were changed, she said she would oppose any return to the same leadership, arguing the presidency requires new energy and vision and that eight years is enough.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Michelle Obama says bias, not qualifications, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/turning-point-bets-on-erika-kirk-to-close-gops-gender-gap-ahead-of-2026\/\" title=\"Turning Point bets on Erika Kirk to close GOP\u2019s gender gap ahead of 2026\">holding women back<\/a> from presidency<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2479999\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Former first lady <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michelle-obama\/\">Michelle Obama<\/a> stood by her earlier statement that the country is not ready for a female president because of deep-rooted sexism.<\/p>\n<p>In November, Obama said people should not be asking her to run because the country is &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3888661\/michelle-obama-us-woman-president\/\">not ready<\/a>&rdquo; for a female president. She elaborated on these remarks on the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3178914\/harris-rebuts-attacks-on-family-podcast-interview\/\"><em>Call Her Daddy <\/em>podcast<\/a>, saying qualifications have not been the problem with candidates.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4424416\/william-shatner-backs-stephen-miller-star-trek-criticism-ready-assume-command\/\">William Shatner backs Stephen Miller&#8217;s Star Trek criticism: &#8216;Ready to assume command&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4423932\/miami-beach-mayor-disgusted-nightclub-playing-kanye-west-song\/\">Miami Beach mayor &#8216;disgusted&#8217; by nightclub playing Kanye West song<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4424078\/politicians-swearing-contrived-not-authentic-joe-concha\/\">Uptick in politicians swearing is &#8216;contrived&#8217; instead of &#8216;authentic&#8217;: Joe Concha<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s not be mad that I made the statement, but let&rsquo;s look at the fact that we&rsquo;ve had two really <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-vowed-to-elect-more-women-they-did-just-that\/\" title=\"Republicans Vowed To Elect More ......They Did Just That\">qualified female candidates<\/a>,&rdquo; Obama said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re not perfect, and they don&rsquo;t cross every T and dot every I, but there&rsquo;s a falling shortness that is happening.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Obama said people need to &ldquo;stop pretending&rdquo; and &ldquo;be real&rdquo; about the reasons women have had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/understanding-mike-pences-failed-presidential-campaign\/\" title=\"Mike Pence&#039;s unsuccessful bid for presidency explained.\">unsuccessful presidential bids<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Former Secretary of State <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hillary-clinton\/\">Hillary Clinton<\/a> and former Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\">Kamala Harris<\/a> are the only two women to have won a party&rsquo;s presidential nomination and be at the top of the ticket. In both elections, Clinton and Harris lost to President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2008, Clinton ran against former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\">Barack Obama<\/a> in the Democratic Party primary. The former first lady said people were more &ldquo;comfortable&rdquo; with her husband as a &ldquo;newcomer&rdquo; than with Clinton.<\/p>\n<p>She said change takes time and &ldquo;context matters,&rdquo; highlighting that the Equal Rights Amendment was not that long ago for a country that has been around for &ldquo;hundreds&rdquo; of years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The remnants of what has been there and what we&rsquo;ve been socialized is really deeply embedded in who we are and whether people really feel yet that they can follow a woman as president,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We would just be silly to think that there aren&rsquo;t gut [feelings about female candidates] &hellip; we&rsquo;re not even analyzing what those feelings are about because we are trying to pretend like it&rsquo;s all better,&rdquo; she added.<\/p>\n<p>She questioned whether it would be better if people had been &ldquo;feeding off of this bone&rdquo; of inequality for years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t just go away, it takes time,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;re moving in that direction.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The former first lady elaborated on this point, saying the reality is there are men who have said they would not vote for a woman as president. She said people need to have conversations about this point and find out &ldquo;what that&rsquo;s all about.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Despite women not being able to &ldquo;crack the ceiling&rdquo; of becoming president yet, she highlighted that there are female <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/governor\/\">governors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, 14 states are led by female governors, including four Republicans and 10 Democrats.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She said there is also humor in her November statements about female presidential candidates, which she said she made so people would &ldquo;stop&rdquo; looking at her.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a reminder that I am not a politician, not interested in it,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not who I want to be.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The former first lady&rsquo;s podcast appearance is part of the media tour for her latest book, <em>The Look<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Host <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3251858\/call-her-daddy-host-laughs-harris-campaign-blowing-100k-recreate-studio\/\">Alex Cooper<\/a> also posed a hypothetical scenario, asking if Trump changed the law on term limits, would the former first lady&rsquo;s husband run for a third term? She said she &ldquo;hopes not.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would actively work against that,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I would be at home working against it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>When pressed on her response, she said she believes in the &ldquo;need for new vision.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4427178\/trump-davos-greenland-military-force\/\"><strong>TRUMP TELLS DAVOS HE &lsquo;WON&rsquo;T USE FORCE&rsquo; OVER GREENLAND<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re changing and growing so fast, this is a hard job, and it requires new energy, new vision, all the time, new ways of looking at the world,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I do believe that eight years is enough,&rdquo; she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michelle Obama: Sexism, not merit, blocks women<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3984,"featured_media":2546542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP25317054167474.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[39746,32618,38767],"class_list":["post-2546541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-gender-bias","tag-michelle-obama","tag-women-in-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP25317054167474.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3984"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2546541"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2546545,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546541\/revisions\/2546545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2546542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2546541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2546541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2546541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}