Everybody has their time and one should always exit with grace-given the opportunity.

Donald Trump resoundingly defeated Kamala Harris to return to the White House. He carried all the swing states, the Senate and the House.

It is a clear signal that the woke/liberal era has been put on hold and a new American brashness will now take centre stage.

DEI is over, at least for now.

Liberals had a good run under both the Obama and Biden administrations but they failed to judge the sensibilities of the country. Donald Trump was able to gauge the mood of Americans and what they wanted. He proved to be a more gifted politician than Kamala Harris despite her having a war chest of US$1 billion.

Tomorrow the 20th of January 2025 will be Inauguration Day and it is customary for former presidents and their spouses to attend. This is a long-standing tradition.

Michelle Obama will not be attending and has not deigned to give an explanation for her absence.

She also did not turn up with her husband for the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.

Some say she is not two-faced and does not like or care for Donald Trump. Washington is the last place she wants to be on Monday. She wants no part in the coronation of the new king.

But wasn’t she the one who said” When they go low we go high.”  Was it just a pithy sound bite? She certainly isn’t living by her own words now. 

She now is coming off sullen and a poor loser. For years Michelle Obama has been the epitome of graciousness and has enjoyed tremendous popularity. Many think she would have made a better candidate than Kamala Harris. 

Americans will now not look at her so favourably. She will be seen to be going against the national will.

Her husband former President Barack Obama attended Jimmy Carter’s funeral and warmly engaged with Donald Trump. He didn’t sit there with a sour face. It said a lot about him.

Michelle Obama is the wife of a former President and with that comes certain expectations. You are expected to be magnanimous, diplomatic, courteous. You are not expected to be “ in your feelings”

It will come as no surprise that Hillary Clinton, Jill Biden and Laura Bush  will attend the ceremony with their husbands smiling benignly despite how they truly feel.

Michelle’s absence just embarrasses her husband and makes him the odd man present.

It has to be said, it’s something a lot of sisters don’t grasp.

It’s all very well when things are going your way. When they don’t ,you have a lower lip like a runway and sulk.

If Kamala Harris had won, she certainly would be there for the inauguration dressed to the nines. She would be beaming with pride exuding a friendly disposition.

Her decision to go missing couldn’t be more ill -timed. Now there’s talk that she and Barack may be splitting and heading for divorce. With him going to the Inauguration ceremony alone, tongues will be wagging. The speculation will grow.

Michelle doesn’t seem to care. She remains unrepentant.

Trump’s people will note the sleight and will mark her card. Four years is a long time and the goodwill she created could count for nothing.

She clearly hasn’t thought this through.

This is the time to show that she is a classy lady and why both her and her husband are so beloved.

Already Melania Trump has said that the Obamas were not particularly warm to them when he first won in 2016 and that they were not given all the information they needed in order to settle into the White House.

This makes Michelle Obama come off as petty and small-minded. Not a good look.

The decision to skip Monday reduces her stature further.

It’s not looking too good for Kamala Harris either. She seems to have fallen out with the Bidens and every time they are out in public together, the atmosphere between the president, the vice-president and their spouses is frosty.

The Democrats will have to wheel and come again. Perhaps they should turn to a younger generation, someone like AOC who can take the party into a different direction, particularly if this Trump administration is one of chaos. 

There will be no place for Kamala Harris as the memories of her campaign and failure willl be uninspiring. The party needs a reboot.

Kamala Harris is also proving to a case of sour grapes and has not extended a welcoming hand to incoming Vice-President JD Vance and his wife. Good manners and courtesy go a long way and tell you a lot about a person. 

Where is the “joy” now? 

Harris and her husband have not welcomed JD Vance and his wife Usha to the vice-president’s official residence, the US Naval Observatory in DC.

This is an unfortunate break with tradition and to be quite frank, bad manners.

Come on Michelle and Kamala, you know better.