First lady Michelle Obama said on Friday that she's set to hit the campaign trail for the president in his quest for reelection in 2012. Speaking in an exclusive interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," she signaled, however, she's not ready to wade into the political waters just yet.
"Whenever it's time to campaign and they tap me on the shoulder, I'll be right there," she explained in the one-on-one conducted at a U.S. Army training post in South Carolina.
The first lady said she'll be focusing on some other "great initiatives" in the meantime. "I focus on what's before me, right on the work that I can do today," she said. "And I'm rolling up my sleeves to get that work done, and we'll cross that other bridge when we get there."
Michelle Obama's presence on the campaign trail could be an asset for the president. She boasts a higher approval rating than her husband, according to a recent AP-GfK poll.
The first lady generated some excitement with her role in the president's 2008 campaign and also jumped into last year's midterm elections. The AP reported at the time:
Recent first ladies all have stepped forward to help in the midterm elections.
In 2002, Laura Bush stumped for congressional candidates in bone-chilling cold and pronounced herself "emotionally vested" in their fates.
In 1994, Hillary Rodham Clinton served up one-two punches with her husband at a string of his-and-hers campaign events for Democratic candidates.
In 1990, Barbara Bush taped TV ads in Florida, debated Iraq policy on the stump in Nebraska and headlined a Hollywood fundraiser for a GOP candidate in California.
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