Former US President Barack Obama will campaign for Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden in Pennsylvania next week, Biden’s campaign has said.
Biden, 77, was vice president during Obama’s two terms.
While Obama has endorsed Biden and his running mate and Indian-origin senator Kamala Harris by campaigning for them online, this would be the first time the 59-year-old former president would campaign in person.
Four years after he left the presidency, Obama, due to his speaking skills, remains the main crowd driver for the opposition Democratic Party.
“On Wednesday, October 21, (former) President Obama will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to campaign on behalf of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Biden’s campaign said in a statement Friday afternoon.
No other details were immediately available.
Biden, according to the latest opinion polls, leads against Republican President Donald Trump by more than nine points on average.
However, there are signs that polls are tightening, especially after Trump resumed his rallies after recovering from Covid-19. He has drawn thousands of supporters to his election rallies in the battle states.
Obama is the only Democratic leader who can draw a large crowd at his election rallies. His jump into the campaign, with just over a fortnight to the presidential election, is likely to motivate and encourage African Americans and fencing-goers to come out and vote, Biden’s strategists believe.
A day earlier, the Democratic National Committee released a new announcement with Obama, “The 2020 elections are here.” It highlights what is at stake in this election, the importance of Americans voting now so their voices are heard, and how they can find all the information they need to plan to vote.
“Millions of Americans are already voting, be sure to stand up and join them,” Obama said in the announcement.
“There will always be reasons to think that your vote does not matter, that is not new. What is new is a growing movement for justice, equality and progress on so many issues. This is truly a turning point, and that momentum only continues if we win these elections. But it will be close. It could come down to a handful of voters like you. So I ask you to bring this home. Leave no doubt. Vote early, ”he said.
The announcement is running in all states of the battlefield through digital platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, and YouTube.
During the Democratic National Convention this summer, Obama launched a searing attack on Trump. “Donald Trump hasn’t turned into work because he can’t,” he said in August.
“And the consequences of that failure are serious. 170,000 Americans killed. Millions of jobs disappeared, while those at the top get more than ever. Our worst impulses were unleashed, our proud reputation around the world was seriously diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before, ”Obama said.
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