After Joe Biden withdrew from the election campaign, the Democrats quickly rallied behind his vice president, Kamala Harris. Now she has also received the blessing from the very top of the party.
It is perhaps the last important piece of the puzzle for Kamala Harris on the way to her nomination as the US Democratic presidential candidate: Former US President Barack Obama has backed the candidacy of the current Vice President. He and his wife Michelle would do everything to ensure that Harris wins, Obama announced on Platform X.
The Democrats skilfully showcased the support of the popular former head of state. In a video released by Obama, a beaming Harris can be seen taking a call from the Obamas – currently on the campaign trail. “Kamala?” Obama can be heard calling into the phone. “Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to support you and do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office.”
“Oh my goodness,” Harris replies. “Michelle, Barack – this means so much to me.” She is looking forward to campaigning with them. “Thank you both. (…) And we’ll have a little fun, too, won’t we?”
Obama’s support is not formally decisive for the further procedure of Harris’ nomination. The decision as to whether Harris will actually be the Democratic candidate for the election on November 5th rests with the party’s delegates from all states. Politically, however, it is a significant support. Obama is one of the most influential voices in the Democratic Party – and a highly effective fundraiser.
Obama initially took his time
The former president took his time for a few days. While after incumbent Joe Biden withdrew from the election campaign, several Democrats immediately rushed forward and announced their support for the 59-year-old vice president, the Obamas initially only made a formal statement of solidarity.
US media reported, citing Obama’s entourage, that the former president did not want to get involved in the internal party debate too early and initially wanted to keep the focus on Biden’s political successes.
This is reminiscent of Obama’s actions before the US election in 2020. At that time, Biden wanted to become the Democratic Party’s candidate. Biden’s campaign team hoped that Obama would publicly support his former vice president early on. But he took his time and said he did not want to be the deciding factor.
Democrats rally around Harris
Biden had come under massive pressure from within his own party because of his age of 81 and doubts about his mental state. In the end, he bowed to calls from various party colleagues for his withdrawal and announced his withdrawal from the presidential race a few days ago.
Biden himself proposed his running mate Harris as a replacement candidate to run against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The party quickly rallied around its new leader. Harris was able to secure the support of all the party’s well-known figures: including the Democratic congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and the former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who herself ran against Trump as a presidential candidate in 2016.
The decision now lies with the delegates
According to estimates by US media, the US Vice President already has enough delegate votes for a nomination. The party wants to clarify the personnel issue virtually before the party convention in mid-August. The responsible committee of the Democratic Party approved the procedure for this. Electronic voting could therefore start on August 1 at the earliest.
The Democrats had actually wanted to officially choose their presidential candidate at a major nominating convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22. However, even before Biden’s withdrawal, the party leadership had already made plans to bring the candidate selection forward. This has to do with the deadlines in the states by which the parties must have confirmed their candidates in order to be on the ballot. It is still unclear who Harris wants to bring in as her running mate.
Obama and Harris have long been connected
In 2008, Obama was elected the first black president of the United States. He served in the White House from January 2009 to January 2017, when he was succeeded by Trump. Harris has long been a confidant of Obama and also spoke at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, where Obama was re-nominated as a presidential candidate.
Harris became the first woman and first black person to assume the office of US Vice President in 2021. If she actually beats Trump after being nominated by the party as candidate, Harris would be the first woman, the first black person and the first person of Asian descent to move into the White House. How realistic her chances are, however, remains to be seen.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
