In the wake of pivotal state legislative elections on Tuesday (Nov. 4), Democrats are relying on former President Barack Obama to drill a vital message to Americans: the country is in danger. For many, Obama’s presence and dire messaging are welcome, but some are also wondering why it took him so long.
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This past weekend, he spoke at not one but two campaign rallies in support of Democratic candidates in New Jersey and Virginia. Both gubernatorial candidates — Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey — are favored to win their respective races. This, coupled with New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani dramatically leading the polls, could mean a turning point in the Democratic party.
As a former president, lawyer and Constitutional expert, Obama is one of the most important voices in the Democratic party, despite not having any real political authority. What he can do, however, is speak to folks on the campaign trail to help increase voter turnout.
“The stakes are now clear,” the former president said in Virginia. “We don’t need to speculate about the dangers to our democracy. We don’t need to ask ourselves how much more coarse and mean our culture can become. Elections matter, and they matter to you.”
Ami Copeland, a Democratic strategist who previously served under Obama, said her former boss is more vocal now because of what is at stake for the Constitution and the country as a whole. “The party itself is in the wilderness and I think the last person who can speak with credibility on behalf of Democrats is Obama,” she said, according to NBC News. “People don’t want to hear from Biden about anything right now… And the last person who really led a successful campaign that moves the big-tent party is him.”
Obama has long faced scrutiny about not doing enough to support Democrats in the face of President Donald Trump, as we’ve previously reported. Now, he’s reemerged at a critical time for his party. “Our country and our politics are in a pretty dark place right now,” Obama continued in Virginia. “Everyday, this White House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and recklessness and mean-spiritedness and just plain craziness,” he added.
The former president’s previous silence was only exacerbated as the rattled Democratic party continued to recover from their 2024 loss. “Here’s the thing. It’s not as if we didn’t see some of this coming,” Obama said at the Virginia rally. Still, he admitted that he couldn’t predict the amount of damage to political normalcies and the Constitution within Trump’s first year in office.
“It’s hard to know where to start, because every day this White House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and carelessness and mean-spiritedness. And just plain old craziness,” the former president said. “It’s like everyday is Halloween, except it’s all tricks and not treats.”
Democrats are counting on major wins on Tuesday, and Obama is somewhat of a cheat code. Even N.J. candidate Sherrill pointed to Obama’s impact on Americans. “He’s a pragmatic leader who I think cares deeply about rights and freedoms, but also about driving down costs,” Sherrill recently told reporters.
Despite leaving office eight years ago, Obama clearly still has some political pull across the country. Thousands showed up rallies this past weekend just to see the former president live. “I want to hear Obama,” a New Jersey voter told Fox Digital. “I think a lot of people want to hear Obama. Wouldn’t it be great to have a message of hope at this point in time?”
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