Obama to hold joint fundraiser with Biden next week
A president and vice president with a complex relationship are ready to start juicing the Democratic grassroots
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two months after endorsing Joe Biden in a lengthy video message, Barack Obama is to hold a joint grassroots fundraiser with his former vice president – their first of the 2020 campaign.
While Mr Biden is pulling well ahead of Donald Trump in the opinion polls, he is competing against a formidable fundraising machine, with the Trump campaign and the Republican party raising colossal sums from both large-donors and the grassroots.
Bringing in Mr Obama is the obvious next step, but more than a pure political-fiscal calculation, it also draws on a famously close relationship between the very different men.
The pair’s bond has been documented since the first days of their administration, and while they are of two very different temperaments, they have both many times reiterated the importance of their relationship during their time in the White House.
While Mr Biden ran against Mr Obama in 2007/8, dropping out after he garnered only 1 per cent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses, the two developed a close relationship.
Mr Biden, for one, has said: “I don’t like president Obama – I love him”; for his part, Mr Obama called Mr Biden “the best vice president America’s ever had” at a heartfelt ceremony in January 2017, where he surprised his deputy by awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance,” Mr Obama joked – and Mr Biden was visibly moved to tears.
However, Mr Obama’s enthusiasm for a Biden presidential campaign has never been exuberant.
Mr Obama also declined to get behind his friend in 2015, when the vice president was known to be on the verge of launching a primary challenge to Hillary Clinton. Mr Biden ultimately decided against it.
It has since been reported that the former president tried to convince Mr Biden not to run in this election, according to a New York Times story from April quoting the president telling him “You don’t have to do this, Joe, you really don’t” – even as Mr Biden remained certain he would have had a good chance of defeating Donald Trump had he run in 2016.
But now, on his third run for the presidency, Mr Biden is the nominee, having endured months of speculation that his campaign was failing before he won the South Carolina primary in the spring.
And while Mr Obama endorsed Mr Biden only after the nomination was effectively locked-up, his participation in the fundraising effort – particularly at the grassroots level – will help kick the campaign’s finances up a gear at a critical moment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments