Michelle Obama Could Be the Key to Mobilizing Undecided Voters

Michelle Obama is set to make her first campaign appearance alongside Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday at a rally in Michigan, a move that Democrats are hoping will help boost voter turnout in the final stretch before the election.

The former First Lady has maintained remarkable popularity since leaving the White House. Polls consistently show both Barack and Michelle Obama enjoying high favorability ratings among the American electorate, particularly among Black voters and suburban women—demographics crucial to Harris’s campaign strategy. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from July found that Michelle stood out as the only Democrat able to defeat Donald Trump in a hypothetical matchup, making her a potential asset on the campaign trail as a Harris surrogate.

Many Democrats had been anxiously awaiting the moment when the Obamas would formally lend their support, especially after Michelle gave an impassioned speech at the Democratic National Convention in August. In that address, she urged party members to “do something” in the face of challenges and potential voter apathy, a rallying cry that has resonated deeply with Democratic voters. “Don’t just sit around and complain. Do something,” she said. “If they lie about her—and they will—we’ve got to do something. If we see a bad poll—and we will—we’ve got to put down that phone and do something. If we start feeling tired, if we start feeling that dread creeping back in, we gotta pick ourselves up, throw water on our face, and what?” she asked the DNC crowd, to which they chanted “do something.”

Now, with Election Day in less than two weeks, Democrats are hoping Michelle can reinforce that message and remind voters the importance of each vote.

Andra Gillespie, a political science professor at Emory University and author of Race and the Obama Administration, says the former First Lady’s unique status as a non-politician allows her to engage voters on a personal level, fostering a sense of connection that traditional political rhetoric sometimes lacks. “She’s the type of person who might actually be able to unify the progressive and the establishment wings of the Democratic Party,” Gillespie says of Michelle’s ability to break through to undecided voters, particularly women. “Michelle Obama has a lot of soft power. Not as a politician, but as somebody who's very close to a politician. She can transcend the different ideological camps in the Democratic Party.”

The rally comes on the first day of early voting in Michigan, a swing state that is effectively deadlocked and could be the difference maker in deciding the presidential election. Earlier this year, more than 100,000 voters cast “uncommitted” ballots in the Michigan primary to protest President Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza. 

The former First Lady’s decision to finally step into the spotlight comes after a period of speculation regarding her involvement in the Harris campaign. While she has worked behind the scenes to boost voter turnout through her “When We All Vote” initiative, she’s made few public appearances. NBC reported that she had privately expressed concerns for security following threats against political figures, which may have contributed to her approach.

However, her eventual decision to appear alongside Harris signifies a critical alignment and highlight’s the campaign's focus on uniting prominent figures to energize the base. Grammy-award winning artist Beyoncé is set to appear alongside Harris Friday night in Houston, and rock star Bruce Springsten, former NBA player Magic Johnson and Hollywood actors including Samuel L. Jackson, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Garner have also stumped for Harris in recent weeks. 

The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the specifics of the event's arrangement, such as who initiated the invitation and the discussions leading up to it. Former President Obama made his first campaign appearance with Harris on Thursday night in an Atlanta suburb, where he warned about the dangers of re-electing Trump. At a separate rally in Pittsburgh on Oct. 10, President Obama expressed frustration with some Black men who have been hesitant to support Harris, emphasizing the need for unity. “You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses for not backing her. I’ve got a problem with that,” he said, calling it “not acceptable” to sit out this election.

Democrats are hoping that the Obamas combined star power can help reinforce the stakes of the election, particularly as Harris navigates the complexities of being the first woman of color on a major party’s ticket.

“When you have a Black woman, particularly someone like Michelle Obama, saying ‘OK, here's the assignment: This is a close election and we all have a job to do,’ it holds so much weight,” says Aimee Allison, the founder of She The People, an organization that advocates for women of color in politics. “I hope she reminds voters of the dreams we've held for this country, not just since Trump first was elected, but for hundreds of years. That we have a mission.”