Obama has stepped back into the political spotlight to fundraise this week on behalf of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
As Biden and Harris see their approval hit record lows, former President Barack Obama has been seen increasing his presence at events on their behalf.
Just in the last week alone, Obama met with Biden at the White House for lunch.
On Biden’s social media, two new videos featured Obama pushing people to donate to the Biden campaign.
There was also a widespread fundraising text sent under Obama’s name urging people to donate to his “friends Joe and Kamala”.
At a fundraiser event last Thursday in New York, Biden namedropped his former boss in a speech.
“By the way, I got to tell you, I had lunch with Barack the other day. And I was kidding him; I said, ‘Every time I hear…’ — he’s helping out a lot — I said, ‘Every time I hear “Hail to the Chief,” I turn around and look for you, wondering where the hell you are,’” Biden said.
Obama has also been hitting the interview circuit to try and connect with voters independent of the Biden campaign.
He spoke with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and comedian Hasan Minhaj, who runs a popular YouTube channel.
Obama Covers for Biden’s Weakness
The interview with Minhaj is part of Obama’s reported strategy to reach young voters who aren’t frequently engaged in national politics, though youth political activism is reaching renewed levels after multiple Supreme Court decisions with relevant impacts.
“We are deliberate in picking our moments. And that is based on a strategy of when we can drive impact,” said Eric Schultz, Obama’s longtime spokesperson.
“If you can connect with young people in a way that feels authentic, that’s going to make a real difference,” Schultz said.
While youth activism is high, fewer are likely to vote as fewer identify with either of the two parties.
