Democrats called on former US President Barack Obama to help the struggling democratic candidates for their campaigns ahead the midterm elections.
Amid the controversies involving Joe Biden, many Democrats are losing their faith in the president and now eyeing Barack Obama to hit the campaign trail in support of candidates in close races.
The Dems then successfully convinced the 44th commander in chief and started his campaign trail in Georgia on Friday, encouraging American voters not to see Republicans as an answer to their economic woes.
During his speech, Obama acknowledged the negative effects of the record-high inflation in the US. He also attempted to defend President Joe Biden’s policies and decisions and tried to explain why Biden and the Democrats should not take all the blame.
“The basic foundation of our democracy is being called into question right now,” he said, acknowledging that “Democrats aren’t perfect.”
“But right now, with a few notable exceptions, most of the GOP and a whole bunch of these candidates are not even pretending that the rules apply to them,” the former president added.
Moreover, Obama also blasted the Republicans and accused them of making it harder for people to vote, alleging that they, including former President Donald Trump, are willing to ignore the results and that they can’t be trusted to care about Americans’ wallets either.
“That basic foundation of our democracy is being called into question right now. Democrats aren’t perfect. I’m the first one to admit it. But right now, with a few notable exceptions, most of the GOP and a whole bunch of these candidates are not even pretending that the rules apply to them.” Obama lamented.
The former president also painted Republican economic policies as unfairly beneficial to the wealthiest Americans.
“They want to give the rich tax cuts. That’s their answer to everything. When inflation is low, let’s cut taxes. When unemployment is high, let’s cut taxes. If there was an asteroid heading toward Earth, they would all get in a room and say, you know what we need? We need tax cuts for the wealthy.” Obama claimed.
As Biden continues to receive a low approval rating, the Democrats are hoping for Obama’s emergence in the closing weeks of the campaign boosts the party’s slate in a tough national environment.
Furthermore, the president has also not been welcomed to serve as a surrogate for many Democratic candidates across the country, including Warnock.
“Obama occupies a rare place in our politics today. He obviously has great appeal to Democrats. But he’s also well-liked by independent voters.” David Axelrod, who helped shape Obama’s campaigns, said.
