Former United States President Barack Obama plans to endorse Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign on Tuesday night, delivering a major speech to support his long-time political ally as she embarks on a new and untested bid for the White House.
At 63, Obama is eager to shape his party’s direction from behind the scenes, holding onto a significant legacy and influence, particularly during pivotal moments like the recent deliberations that led President Joe Biden to withdraw from the race and endorse Harris, now 59.
Nearly eight years after leaving office, Obama remains one of the most popular figures among Democrats, surpassing both Harris and the current administration in public opinion polls.
In a prime-time address at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Obama, the first Black president of the U.S., will bring his star power to a campaign that has so far relied more on positive energy and Democratic relief over Biden’s exit than on detailed policy proposals.
On Monday, Biden took the spotlight during the convention’s opening night, receiving a prolonged standing ovation from party loyalists and, with five months left in his term, delivering a farewell speech to the party he has served for 50 years.
Like those who followed him, Obama led a deeply divided nation. Yet, his electoral successes in 2008 and 2012 were remarkable by today’s Democratic standards: he won by comfortable Electoral College margins, capturing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, Iowa, and Ohio, which are now considered out of reach for Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
However, Obama’s presidency also contributed to the emergence of Republican Donald Trump as a dominant right-wing figure, a difficult legacy for liberals that Obama may address in his speech.
During his speech, Obama is expected to outline the strategies he believes will secure Harris’s victory while also cautioning Democrats about the challenging road ahead over the next 11 weeks, according to a source familiar with his planned remarks.
NANCY MBAMALU
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