Obama Thanks Biden For Years Of Devoted Public Service

Consistent with the thoughtful commentary we have come to expect from Barack Obama, the historic 45th president and titular head of the Democratic Party, has shared a statement following President Biden’s announcement today that was withdrawing from the race.The former president began his post on the Medium  by saying:

Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts.

Obama has largely refrained from public statements about either the Trump Administration or the position the Biden Administration has been in since the June 27 presidential debate. And according to sources who remain anonymous, Obama has consistently held that the decision to run or not rested solely with the President and Mrs. Biden.

But Obama has conferred regularly with Nancy Pelsoi and other most senior Democrats during this difficult period for the Party, and more, if there is tension now, it likely has had a much longer shelf life than just this current cycle. It has been widely reported that there was significant tension between the two political powerhouses going back to 2016 election cycle when Obama pushed Biden to step back to allow Hillary Clinton to run.

That tension–or even anger–was only heightened after Trump captured the president in the 2016 contest leaving some close to Biden feeling as though history is repeating itself. Nevertheless, Obama not only offered his and Michelle’s love to the Bidens, and acknowledged that Mr. Biden, a man known to fight tirelessly for issues he supported, likely had made the most difficult decision of his career, especially given his accomplishments in office.

In his statement Obama underscored Biden’s accomplishments as president: 

…helped end the pandemic, created millions of jobs, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, passed the first major piece of gun safety legislation in 30 years, made the biggest investment to address climate change in history, and fought to ensure the rights of working people to organize for fair wages and benefits….

“More than that,” Obama stated, “President Biden pointed us away from the four years of chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized Donald Trump’s administration. Through his policies and his example, Joe has reminded us of who we are at our best — a country committed to old-fashioned values like trust and honesty, kindness and hard work; a country that believes in democracy, rule of law, and accountability; a country that insists that everyone, no matter who they are, has a voice and deserves a chance at a better life.”

Next Steps?

The statement was an important one and one that will likely survive the annals of time, but what remains to be seen is how the Party will recover from what has been perceived as its poor treatment of Vice-President Harris, who may very well be their nominee for president.

After Biden’s withdrawal and endorsement of her, Vice-President Harris has announced that she would accept her party’s nomination for presidency, making her the first woman, first Black woman and first woman of color to hold the nation’s highest office.

But there are miles and miles between today and Election Day, so whatever they do, they will have to do with zero margin of error, knowing that what is at stake is the idea of ever realizing a successful American democracy.

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