Former President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden today in an 11-minute video message explaining why he believes his former VP is the best person to lead our nation through the next eight years and throwing some serious shade at Trump along the way.
The video started out addressing the current state we’re all in amid the coronavirus pandemic, taking time to thank those helping protect us on the frontline and offering his condolences for those of us who have lost someone to the virus. Then, Obama gave his endorsement of Biden as the person who can help lead our country to better days.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned as a country from moments of great crisis, it’s that the spirit of looking out for one another can’t be restricted to our homes, or our workplaces, or our neighborhoods, or our houses of worship. It also has to be reflected in our national government,” Obama began, sending a clear message that it is sorely lacking under Trump. “The kind of leadership that’s guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility, empathy and grace — that kind of leadership doesn’t just belong in our state capitols and mayors offices. It belongs in the White House. And that’s why I’m so proud to endorse Joe Biden for President of the United States.”
He continued: “Choosing Joe to be my Vice President was one of the best decisions I ever made. He’s got the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery. And he’ll surround himself with good people – experts, scientists, and military officials who actually know how to run the government, work with our allies, and always put the American people’s interests above their own.”
Wow. Obama basically laid out what the current administration isn’t doing. Well-played.
“Because one thing everybody has learned by now is that the Republicans occupying the White House and running the U.S. Senate are not interested in progress. They’re interested in power. They’re shown themselves willing to kick millions off their health insurance and eliminate preexisting conditions protections for millions more, even in the middle of this public health crisis. Even as they’re willing to spend a trillion dollars on tax cuts for the wealthy,” he says. Obama also accuses the Trump administration of “denying the sciences of pandemics.” Which, fair.
He also acknowledges that the current administration has “a propaganda network with little regard for the truth.” It’s not clear if he’s referring to Fox News, Trump’s rallies and tweets, or both.
Obama has said in the past that he would get behind the eventual Democratic nominee, but the former president’s friendship with Biden made him a clear favorite. The feeling was very much mutual. Biden posted an homage to Obama on “Best Friends Day” in 2019, featuring a friendship bracelet that had the names “Joe” and “Barack,” and there were hundreds of memes of the two while in office sharing laughs.
“Right now, we need Americans of goodwill to unite in a great awakening against a politics that too often has been characterized by corruption, carelessness, self-dealing, disinformation, ignorance, and meanness,” Obama continued. “And to change that, we need Americans of all political stripes to get involved in our politics and public life like never before.”
He also talked about what a good friend, father, and husband Biden was and the sacrifices he made throughout his career to put his family — and the country — first.
“For those of us who believe in building a more just, more generous, more democratic America where everybody has a fair shot at opportunity, who believe in a government that cares about the many, and not just the few, who love this country and are willing to do our part to make sure it lives up to its highest ideals – now’s the time to fight for what we believe in.”
