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PHILADELPHIA: Former President Barack Obama returned to the election campaign on Wednesday (October 21), launching a searing attack on Donald Trump less than two weeks into the Republican President’s Election Day showdown with Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Speaking at a rally in Philadelphia on behalf of Biden, his former vice president and Democratic running mate Kamala Harris, Obama offered his fiercest criticism of his successor. He took aim at Trump’s divisive rhetoric, his record in the Oval Office, and his habit of retweeting conspiracy theories.
“With Joe and Kamala at the helm, you won’t have to think about the crazy things they said every day,” Obama said. “And that’s worth a lot. You won’t have to argue about them every day. It just won’t be that exhausting.”
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Obama, who ruled for two terms and remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, criticized Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the president himself had been a victim of the virus.
“Donald Trump is not going to suddenly protect us all,” he said. “You can’t even take the basic steps to protect yourself.
“This is not a reality show. This is reality,” Obama said in a nod to Trump’s past as a reality TV host. “And the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him showing that he is incapable of taking work seriously.”
Former US President Barack Obama speaks while campaigning on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on October 21, 2020. REUTERS / Kevin Lamarque
Obama’s appearance filled a void left by Biden, who has been staying home in Delaware since Monday for meetings and preparations ahead of his Thursday debate with Trump in Nashville, Tennessee.
The drive-in was held in the parking lot of Citizens Bank Park, the ballpark in Philadelphia, the city skyline visible in the distance. With nearly 280 vehicles scattered throughout the lot, it was the largest event of its kind that the Biden campaign has organized during the pandemic.
EDGE
With a Reuters / Ipsos poll showing Biden just 4 percentage points ahead in Pennsylvania, Obama warned Democrats against complacency.
“We have to go out like never before,” he said. “We cannot leave any doubt in this election.”
Americans are voting early at a record pace this year, with more than 42 million ballots cast by mail and in person before Election Day Nov. 3 on coronavirus concerns and to make sure their votes are counted. .
Early voting so far represents about 30 percent of the total votes cast in 2016, according to the University of Florida Elections Project in the United States.
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Four years ago, Obama participated in a rally in Philadelphia with then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the day before the election, only to see Trump narrowly take over the state. Biden’s campaign sees winning there as a top priority.
Speaking at an evening rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, Trump briefly mentioned Obama and noted that he had supported Clinton in her failed effort. “Nobody campaigned harder for Crooked Hillary than Obama, right?”
US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, the United States, on October 21, 2020. REUTERS / Tom Brenner
North Carolina is another battleground state where opinion polls show a close race. Harris was also in the state Wednesday to mobilize voters in Asheville and Charlotte.
Obama won North Carolina in 2008, but lost it in his 2012 campaign. Trump won it in 2016.
Trump argued that coronavirus-related restrictions were hurting the state’s economy and complained that Democrats and the media were too concerned about the pandemic.
“All you hear is COVID, COVID,” said the president. “That’s all they wear because they want to scare everyone.”
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BEST ALLY
Although Wednesday marked the Obama campaign debut in 2020, his support has been essential for Biden. He has appeared at joint fundraising events with Biden and Harris, and his network of well-connected former aides has been instrumental in helping the campaign surpass Trump in obtaining donations.
Biden’s team said Obama would campaign in Miami on Saturday for the Democratic ticket.
Former President Barack Obama speaks with volunteers outside a Democratic Voter Activation Center while campaigning for former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, on October 21, 2020, in Philadelphia. (Photo: AP / Matt Slocum)
The final days of the campaign take place during a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in battlefield states, including North Carolina and Pennsylvania, but also Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan.
Pennsylvania has averaged 1,500 new cases a day over the past week, a level it hasn’t seen since April, according to a Reuters analysis. North Carolina has averaged 2,000 new cases per day for the past week, its highest level yet. The virus has killed more than 221,000 people in the United States.
Polls show that most voters are disappointed in the way Trump has handled the pandemic, which he has repeatedly said would go away on its own.
Biden and Trump are scheduled to meet for their second and final debate Thursday night, giving the Republican a chance to change the trajectory of a career that Biden is leading in national opinion polls.
