Completely left out of this article or the names Hillary and Big Mike. Without discussing their pluses and minuses, electorally speaking, this is a very incomplete analysis.
I do not see that as a loss. IMO, neither one of them has a political future. The Clinton faction no longer has much influence and Michelle Obama has been insistent that she does not want anything to do with a job in the White House.
Why should she? She has wealth that she wanted, she does not need to work at anything, and can do whatever she desires out of the binds of public scrutiny. It is rare, but sometimes Democrats tell the truth.
Barrack Obama remains a useful public spokesman, but he does not and never did make any important decisions. Those were always made by his sponsors, and he just read them well from a teleprompter. He is still in the game as an "Elder Statesman" and fundraiser, but major decisions are made by other people.