Obama Forced to Make an Awkward Endorsement

Barack and Michelle Obama have finally endorsed Kamala Harris for President, several days after all top Democrats have backed Harris for the Democrat Nomination.

The Obamas command tremendous influence within the Democrat Party, far more than the Clintons or Bidens. His endorsement will go along way for her, but the story behind such a delayed backing shows some truth behind the curtain. AP News says:

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have endorsed Kamala Harris in her White House bid, giving the vice president the expected but still crucial backing of the nation’s two most popular Democrats.

The endorsement, announced Friday in a video showing Harris accepting a joint phone call from the former first couple, comes as Harris builds momentum as their party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse his second-in-command against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.

By all accounts, Obama does not believe that Harris can win against Trump. He has pushed for other candidates instead behind closed doors, and even wanted a “mini-primary” at the convention. The NY Post says:

Joe Biden, who said he was dropping out “in defense of democracy” during his public address Wednesday, had been told by Obama to allow delegates at next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago to decide a new candidate, a source close to the Biden family claimed.

A well-placed Democratic Party source said they have heard the same, telling The Post that Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and New York Senator Chuck Schumer wanted to hold “a mini primary” which Obama believed Harris would not win.

One can suspect that jealousy might be part of Obama’s reluctance to endorse. Harris is a “more diverse” candidate by all Democrat metrics, and so will be able to claim the moral mantle of the Democrats should she win the election. The Obamas will then be relegated to mere observers.

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