Although it's far from a lead-pipe cinch, a plausible case is to be made that former first lady Michelle Obama may enter the Democratic primary race.  There are three reasons for believing this.

First and most obvious is the current field of contenders for the Democrat nomination.  As has often been said, they resemble occupants in a clown car that tumble out together for their periodic debates.  The emotion that they instill in the general public is one of not enthusiasm, but fear.  The most seemingly stable among the Democrat field is former vice president Joe Biden.  But Slow Joe is terminally plagued with a cloud of corruption hanging over his head.  This cloud can only grow thicker as more information about Biden's corrupt dealings in China, Ukraine, and beyond come out.  Joe also shows early signs of dementia, which doesn't help his case.  Although Biden is said to lead in national polls, his candidacy has the stench of political death about it.

Second, the only Democrat of national stature is former president Barack Obama.  Bill Clinton has been so discredited that he's radioactive to his party.  His wife, Crooked Hillary, is not far behind hubby in that regard.  So Obama's the man.  And what has Obama said about the current field of contenders?  He said he couldn't support Crazy Bernie, openly opined that Biden can't connect with voters, and has shown no enthusiasm for any of the other candidates.  This leaves the Democrats essentially leaderless.

For those reasons, Michael Bloomberg, a onetime Republican, has stepped into the vacuum.  Unfortunately for him, the former New York City mayor has zero charisma and is wrong on issues important to the general voting public.  His entry into the primary race appears to be a vanity-fueled pipe dream more than anything else, and he'll soon learn that his money can't buy him love...or votes.

Third and perhaps most importantly is the support President Trump has among blacks and Hispanics.  The support he has is stronger than that of any other Republican in recent memory.  This has set the Democrats' teeth on edge.  A high-visibility black here and there escaping the Democrat Plantation of Dependency is one thing.  But a mass prison break to freedom is something else entirely.  It would shake the Democratic Party to its core.

Although Democrats are in denial about the erosion of minority support for them, it is nonetheless true.  This really shouldn't be a surprise, given how the strong Trump economy has benefited minorities.  This contrasts sharply with the decades of neglect and empty promises from Democrats.  Plus the Democrats collectively are on the wrong side of minorities when it comes to issues like school choice, the LGBT agenda, jobs, and radical abortion rights.

To have any chance nationally, the Democrats do not just need minority support; their candidate must overwhelmingly capture the black and Hispanic vote.  None of the leading Democrat candidates is up to that task — not the homosexual from South Bend, not the fake Indian from Massachusetts, and not Crazy Bernie.  Biden sort of comes the closest, but he'll flop for the reasons mentioned above.

This is where Michelle Obama comes in.  She addresses each of these three concerns.  She stands out positively compared to the Democrat field, which is admittedly a low hurdle.  Michelle would have Barack's full support.  And finally, party elders would view her as having at least a chance of stemming a widespread defection of blacks to President Trump...although not so much with Latinos.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore.

None of this is to say Michelle Obama will enter the primaries, let alone win the nomination.  If she has half the smarts she thinks she has, she'll stay out, realizing that 2020 is not a Democrat year.  And if Michelle does enter the race, it will soon dawn on her just how pathetically unprepared she is.  But given the hand the Democrats have to play, they just might be tempted to throw a Hail Mary pass with Michelle as their standard-bearer.  After all, one in a thousand Hail Mary passes succeeds.  Just ask Roger Staubach and Doug Flutie.