Former President Barack Obama will join Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail in the final days of the campaign, Breitbart reported. The pair will kick off their collaboration with an event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday.
A senior adviser said Obama would accompany Harris in a "blitz" across several swing states. Harris needs all the help she can get in the last few weeks of the campaign.
The vice president and her GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump, are in a statistical tie in many key states, including Pennsylvania. Republicans have been gaining ground recently with increased mail-in ballots and voter registration compared to the previous presidential election.
"Now that voting has begun, our focus is on persuading and mobilizing voters, especially in states with key races. Many of these races are likely to go down to the wire and nothing should be taken for granted," Eric Schultz, senior adviser to Obama, said in a news release.
Obama has been forthright in supporting Harris, especially during the Democratic National Convention in August. "Kamala Harris is ready for the job," Obama proclaimed.
"This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion. Kamala wasn’t born into privilege," he claimed, toeing the party line about her life.
"She had to work for what she’s got, and she actually cares about what other people are going through," he added. Obama's endorsement comes after several celebrities and politicians have also gotten on board with Harris.
Harris has received the blessing of notable celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Ben Stiller, and Chris Rock. She also was joined on the campaign trail by the likes of former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, whom Republican voters primaried out of office.
"As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this. Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris," Cheney claimed when endorsing Harris, the Associated Press reported.
Hollywood and the Democratic elite are lavishing Harris with praise and attention in the final push of the campaign. However, this was only possible because Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi first cajoled President Joe Biden to step aside.
The Washington Post reported that after a disastrous June debate performance, it was clear Biden would have a tough path to victory against Trump. Obama and others behind the scenes were instrumental in taking Biden out of the running.
Still, Obama was publicly supportive of Biden after the debate. "Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself," Obama said following the debate.
It's clear that the former president is still very influential in his party and likely engaged in a whispering campaign that would lead Biden to withdraw from the running. Now that Harris has taken his place, Obama seems to have new enthusiasm for campaigning.
Biden was a bad candidate, but Harris is terminally unlikeable. Even if Obama can make a difference at all, it seems doubtful it will be enough to drag Harris over the finish line.
