Obama, the champion of optimism and transformation, endeavors to clinch the agreement for Harris
Another October evening on a Thursday, the 63-year-old former president made his return to the stage, this time in Pennsylvania, a state that could potentially decide the 2024 election. With a large American flag serving as a backdrop, Obama attempted to assist Kamala Harris in achieving what she's yet to accomplish - put the 2024 election to bed.
The white-haired Obama, who had already turned Ohio into a safe Democratic state during his tenure in the White House, was now appealing to Pennsylvania, a state that could play a crucial role in the upcoming election. The fact that the eloquent orator of the Democrats from the 2008 election is still their most influential figure four presidential elections later is a reflection of the party's shortcomings. Yet, the urgency in Obama's Pittsburg speech hinted at a more immediate issue - the possibility of Trump returning to the Oval Office.
“We don’t need another four years of arrogance, ineptitude, and divisiveness. America is ready for a change, for a new story that encourages unity instead of promoting conflict,” Obama declared. “America is ready for a President Kamala Harris, Pennsylvania.”
Occasionally, a former president's words can provide the necessary clarity that a candidate in a heated race might struggle to convey. This was the case in 2012 when Bill Clinton effectively portrayed Obama's reelection pitch to weary voters who had endured economic hardships.
On this particular occasion, Obama offered a vivid portrayal of Trump as a destructive, foolish, and inept adversary while trying to persuade voters who are economically insecure to support Harris, despite her affiliation with the incumbent administration.
“I understand the frustration that people feel, the desire to do better,” Obama said. “What I can’t understand is why anyone would believe that Trump's chaotic actions would benefit you, Pennsylvania. I just can’t fathom that.”
Democrats are becoming increasingly concerned about Harris' prospects
As Obama passionately championed Harris in a decisive state that could determine her presidential ambitions, Democrats are growing uneasy about her prospects. With less than a month remaining before the general election, Harris' initial momentum following her takeover of the campaign from President Joe Biden seems to be waning, leaving the crucial election in doubt.
“He has a clear understanding of how close this race is,” a source who was privy to Obama's remarks told CNN's Kayla Tausche. Obama mercilessly mocked Trump, questioning whether he had ever performed basic tasks like changing a tire or diaper, and criticizing his one-term presidency and harsh immigration policies.
Obama's appearance marked a full-circle moment, as Harris had canvassed for him in bitterly cold Iowa before the 2008 caucuses. On a more personal level, the appearance also held profound significance, as the two presidents have engaged in an adversarial political feud since Trump built his populist movement on unfounded accusations that Obama was not born in the United States. Birtherism marked the genesis of Trump's potent mix of racial slurs and untruths, which has reached new heights in the 2024 campaign.
The animosity between Obama and Trump has largely shaped the political landscape of the United States over the past 15 years.
Obama championed a progressive, multi-racial, youthful, and socially diverse Democratic coalition, while positioning himself as a leader aiming to bridge some of the nation's deepest divides. Trump, on the other hand, harnessed backlash politics in response to Obama's presidency, using racial appeals and a fervent zeal for denigrating opponents to foster a resilient political movement. In essence, the upcoming election represents a re-engagement of these two ideologies, and Obama's legacy, including his signature Affordable Care Act, may hinge on Harris' success.
Obama condemns Trump's false hurricane conspiracy theories
During his speech, Obama accused Trump of violating fundamental American values. “This wasn’t what Republican and Democratic values used to be about,” Obama stated. “We would have disagreements about tax policies and foreign policies, but we didn’t argue about truthfulness or lack thereof. What happened?”
Obama also criticized Trump for defining relief efforts following a hurricane as a political opportunity, a claim that was dismissed by many Republican state and local officials. “When leaders come to aid, you'll have those who will simply lie about it for political gain, and there are consequences,” Obama said. “When did this become acceptable?”
However, the Trump campaign has persisted in promoting the debunked idea that the Biden administration denied hurricane aid to Republicans. “There are many people who could have been helped, and lives that would have been saved, that weren’t, and there are many details to be analyzed," Sen. JD Vance, the GOP vice presidential nominee, said Thursday.
Despite the former president's influence, he's not the one on the ballot. Regardless of his enduring allure for Democrats, he's a relic of the past. His charm hasn't always translated to success for other Democrats. Remember, he worked diligently to get Hillary Clinton elected, but she unfortunately lost in 2016. Now, there's debate over whether Vice President Harris, who's been focusing on generational change and her personal background, can leverage Obama's criticisms of Trump to craft her own potent concluding argument.
Harris has been quite active in recent days, aiming to rally every potential voter. She's been more open to spontaneous situations – from a "60 Minutes" interview, to an appearance on ABC's "The View," a popular platform among women, to a visit to Howard Stern's radio show, which many American men enjoy. On Thursday, she made an effort to counteract some of Trump's success among Hispanic voters, addressing a town hall organized by Univision in Nevada. Afterward, she held a rally in Arizona.
Democrats are attempting to boost their chances in key swing states by reducing Trump's lead in rural areas, where he excels. Their efforts will gain momentum next week, when another former president, Bill Clinton, joins them. Clinton will recreate the intimate, small-scale events that marked his 1992 presidential campaign, allowing him to connect with rural voters using down-to-earth economic arguments.
However, concerns about Harris' campaign are widespread among Democrats. There's no clear frontrunner in recent national polls, and swing state polling indicates a neck-and-neck race. Several surveys this week suggest that the Democratic candidate's vital Blue Wall in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania may be faltering.
During her appearance on "The View," Harris admitted that she couldn't think of any specific actions she would have taken differently from the president over the past four years.
Despite the Democrats' apprehensions – driven by the specter of a second term for Trump, who has promised retribution – the race remains unpredictable as mid-October approaches. The reason for this uncertainty is that a series of major, shocking events, including Biden's resignation and two assassination attempts against Trump, failed to tip the scales in favor of either party in this deeply divided nation. Therefore, it's uncertain if former presidents or the aftermath of hurricanes will have an impact at this late stage.
The shape of the likely electorate remains a mystery. Will Trump manage to mobilize a significant number of voters who usually stay away from the polls? Or will Harris benefit from a massive turnout among enraged women, who are disillusioned with Trump's role in overturning the federal right to an abortion? Or could Harris' unique potential to become the first Black, female president inspire turnout among Black women in swing states such as Georgia?
And will Trump's seemingly careless approach to grassroots campaigning, aimed at boosting voter participation, backfire?
Obama reminded the crowd in Pittsburgh on Thursday that there's only one solution for these intangibles.
"Regardless of how you feel – excited, scared, hopeful, frustrated, or anything else – don't just sit back and hope for the best. Get off the couch and vote. Put down your phone and vote. Encourage your friends and family to vote. Vote for Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States."
In light of the upcoming election, Democrats are grappling with concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris' prospects, as her initial momentum seems to be waning with less than a month remaining. Obama, in an attempt to aid Harris in Pennsylvania, labeled Trump as a destructive, foolish, and inept adversary, urging voters to support Harris despite her affiliation with the incumbent administration.
The politics surrounding the 2024 election are shaping up to be a re-engagement of Obama's progressive ideology against Trump's backlash politics, with the outcome potentially determining Obama's legacy, including his signature Affordable Care Act.
