Senator Michelle Obama?

There’s a report now that Michelle Obama is being encouraged by her husband’s most fervent supporters to pursue office when his term in the White House is finished. According to sources close to the couple, Michelle is considering a move to California, where she might take aim at the Senate seat vacated by Dianne Feinstein in 2018.

81-year-old Feinstein isn’t a lock to retire at the end of this term, though she has dropped plenty of hints that this is her last time around. Right now, there are no official reports on where the Obamas will move once they leave Washington, but most people think Los Angeles is a good bet.

As far as a future in politics is concerned, Michelle has not waffled. Asked in June of this year whether she would consider jumping into politics once her husband’s presidency was over, she answered simply: no. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time someone has dismissed the idea of a political career only to reconsider at a later time. And Michelle has shown a willingness to get involved; her campaign for fitness and obesity reduction has been almost as political as anything Barack has done.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see her make a go at political office, though it would be tiresome. We’ve had enough of these political dynasties. Jeb Bush is said to be considering a run at the White House in 2016. Do we really need a third member of the Bush family at the head of the country? Out of 300 million Americans, we have to keep coming back to the same small families? The Clintons, the Bushes, the Kennedys, and now the Obamas? What greater vision of our country is being realized by keeping power concentrated in such a small focus?

No American Royalty, Thank You

We established term limits in this country as a way to avoid monolithic leadership. Granted, these political dynasties are nothing new. Adams, Roosevelt, Rockefeller…these families held office at both the national and local levels well before our current crop of politicians. But just because something has always been a certain way doesn’t mean we have to keep letting it happen, right?

In the Constitution, it says that “no title of nobility shall be granted by the United States.” While no one has ever suggested appointing a king, the ongoing celebration of these family legacies demonstrates a weakness in our democracy. Even if you happen to believe that Bill Clinton was the best president in history, doesn’t it make you a little uneasy to put his wife in the White House?

As far as Michelle Obama is concerned specifically, time will tell if she throws her hat into the political ring. Judging by her time as First Lady, I think she might be more comfortable with a talk show or some other fluffy outlet we can all ignore. Regardless of her intentions, though, we’re not doing our country any favors by dwelling on these same few names. In America, the land of ideas and innovations, surely we can find some other options.