Barack Obama doesn’t like Joe Biden’s chances Barack Obama has publicly shared his alarm over Joe Biden’s re-election bid just shy of a year before the general election. In a candid discussion with Biden’s staff, Obama bluntly remarked, “your campaign is a mess,” reflecting his worries about the current state of Biden’s campaign efforts. In an environment rife with tension and distrust, this fierce and forthright criticism has reportedly caused considerable animosity within Biden’s inner circle.
Just days later in December, Obama surprised Biden with an invitation to lunch. In a rousing moment during their meeting, he laid down the law about the campaign’s org chart. He espoused that splitting leadership between Wilmington and Washington hampers rapid-fire decision-making. This is all very important to have in place for a 21st-century presidential election. Obama floated the idea that Jen O’Malley Dillon — Biden’s campaign manager — temporarily relocate to Wilmington to serve as the new campaign chair. At the same time, Mike Donilon will stay in D.C. as chief strategist.
Overall, notwithstanding these encouraging tidings, Obama has continued to be “mildly incredulous. His concerns about the campaign’s direction have not gone unnoticed, as several aides within Biden’s team reportedly reacted with eye-rolls at Obama’s comments regarding leadership challenges.
Since the primary election wrapped, Obama has been quietly and aggressively working behind the scenes to bolster Biden’s candidacy. He’s shot videos to help increase 2023’s online fundraising. He met personally with Biden’s inner circle of senior staff, many of whom worked for him on his own presidential campaigns years ago. Over the course of these town halls, Obama pressed Democrats not to squander his past electoral victories. He was quoted saying, “I’ve got a leadership crisis on the campaign,” emphasizing the leadership void that now plagues Biden’s re-election operation.
Obama attempted to walk back the incendiary remarks, claiming that he was making a joke about Biden’s tendency toward micromanagement. His remarks did raise alarm bells even among the president’s inner circle. 81st birthday today @JoeBiden happy for ya! … the Old Bull, the former president on November 20, 2023 He then went and invited him to the White House for lunch that same day.
As the campaign takes its next steps outward, the relationship between Obama and Biden underscores the intricacies of today’s political relationships and coalition building. How the two leaders develop their relationship will be key, as both of them face across-the-aisle challenges in this uniquely toxic election arena.