The NPR Politics Podcast - Obama Endorses Biden For President—So What?

Episode Date: April 14, 2020

Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden in a twelve-minute video shared online Tuesday morning. So what does the former president's endorsement mean in an election cycle where Democrats have moved to his left and traditional campaigning has become impossible? This episode: campaign correspondent Asma Khalid, demographics and culture reporter Juana Summers, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Email the show at [e-mail] Join the Facebook group at n.pr/politicsgroup Subscribe to our newsletter at npr.org/politicsnewsletter Find and support your local public radio station at donate.npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hey there, it's Tamara Keith. Before we start the show, I need to ask a favor. It is a tough time for a lot of people right now, and NPR will still be free and here every day with the news whenever you're ready to hear it. In fact, some stations have even canceled their fundraising drives to make sure you can get the latest news you need to keep safe. But those fundraising drives are the main source of money for many stations. And I was hoping that our NPR Politics podcast listeners might be able to help fill the gap. So just if you're able, please head to donate.npr.org slash politics and pitch in anything you can. Thank you. And now here's the show. was recorded at 2.08 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14th. Keep in mind that by the time you listen,

things may have already changed. And just to quote Gandalf one more time, only a small part is played in great deeds by any hero. So although we don't have to destroy the ring in Mount Doom, we all have to continue to work together to ensure our safety during this difficult time. Well, enjoy the show. So for all you Tolkien fans out there, this pod is for you. I am especially excited about this one because I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan, so this is like right in my wheelhouse. Well, hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast. I'm Asma Khalid. I cover the presidential campaign.

I'm Juana Summers. I also cover the campaign. And I'm Mara Liason, national political correspondent. Hi, everybody. Let me start by saying the obvious. These aren't normal times. This morning, Joe Biden's presidential campaign released an endorsement video from a man we don't hear from very often anymore. But if there's one thing we've learned as a country from moments of great crisis, it's that the spirit of looking out for one another can't be restricted to our homes, or our workplaces, or our neighborhoods, or our houses of worship. It also has to be reflected in our national government. The kind of leadership that's guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility,

empathy and grace. That kind of leadership doesn't just belong in our state capitals and mayor's offices. It belongs in the White House. And that's why I'm so proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States. That, of course, is former President Barack Obama. And it is no big shocker that the former president is endorsing his former vice president. We all knew he was going to endorse the eventual Democratic nominee. But still, what he had to say was noteworthy. And frankly, just the length of this. This video was about 12 minutes long. and it's Obama sitting in a jacket and a collared shirt, no tie in front of some bookshelves, talking movingly, not just about his former running mate, Joe Biden, but about the moment that we're in politically. It's both the way that I heard it. It's both somber and hopeful. At the same time, you really heard him also not just talking about this endorsement, but I think acknowledging the reality that we're in kind of uncharted territory that a lot of people are hurting right now.

A lot of people are scared and that they're looking for leadership. And of course, the point that he's making there is that Joe Biden is the person who can provide that leadership. Hey, guys, I've been hearing a dog. Whose is that? that. Yeah, I know. I got that. I've been frantically waving my arms for the last minute getting the dog master to get the dogs to shut up. Okay, the dog has been muzzled. He wanted to make a podcast appearance. He really did. Maybe he can do the timestamp next time. So to me, what stood out was President Obama's emphasis on the moment that we're in right now and really the need for Democrats to have someone who is competent to pull the country out of the

coronavirus crisis. He highlighted the fact that Biden was there with him when they rebuilt the country during the Great Recession and had this huge auto industry bailout. And, you know, I've done some reporting in recent weeks specifically around Biden's role in the implementation of the Recovery Act. That was the big stimulus package that was, which I guess to us at the time seemed very large, though now we're talking about much more money in this particular crisis. But at that point in time, Joe Biden's job was to essentially oversee and supervise how that money was doled out. And, you know, by sort of most accounts of people that I talk to, they feel like he did a good job. He sort of managed this pretty effectively. And I guess the question that I have is, you know, moving ahead right now, I think everybody is focused

on Donald Trump and how Donald Trump is handling a particular crisis. But the Biden campaign has this other counter example to hold up and say, look, you know, actually, our candidate has also handled a financial crisis. And here's how he handled things. And even bigger than that, Obama had cast this whole election as a contest of competency. This crisis has reminded us that government matters. It's reminded us that good government matters, that facts and science matter, that the rule of law matters, that having leaders who are informed and honest and seek to bring people together rather than drive them apart, those kind of leaders matter. He's giving Joe Biden a real roadmap on how to use the pandemic to frame this election

in his favor. Of course, right now, it's just an up or down referendum on Donald Trump's leadership, but eventually it will become a binary choice again. And he, what really struck me was how he offered Biden a way out of a hole that Biden's put himself in. In other words, Biden has become the candidate of restoration, going back to the good old days before Donald Trump. That's looking backwards. Elections are never about looking backwards.

They're always about the future, as Obama said today. And he said that this pandemic proves that Democrats have to be really bold. He said, if I were running today, I wouldn't run the same campaign that I ran before. The world has changed. Democrats have to be bold. We can't, he said, just tape around the edges. We have to move forward. There are too many, you know, unfinished projects like universal health care. Everyone needs a public option. We need to expand Medicare, et cetera, et cetera. So he really gave Biden a path and what he has done for the party and was effusive in his praise of the Vermont senator. Bernie's an American original, a man who has devoted his life to giving voice to working people's hopes, dreams, and frustrations. He and I haven't always agreed on everything, but we've always shared a conviction that we have to make America a fairer, more just, more equitable society. We both know that nothing is more powerful than millions of voices calling for change.

And the ideas he's championed, the energy and enthusiasm he inspired, especially in young people, will be critical in moving America in a direction of progress and hope. So one of the things I think that's interesting is if you look at the data across the country, something we know to be true is that Biden still has room to grow with young people and particularly progressives, the types of people that Bernie Sanders' campaign energized. And especially if you're thinking about young people, these are the folks that Barack Obama energize. So I think that he's really making clear here that there's a place for those folks within the Biden campaign. And this is one of like another series of olive branches that Biden and now his endorser, Barack Obama are making to those constituencies. But the other thing that I didn't want to get

lost here is I think it's also really important what Barack Obama is saying about today's Republican Party. These are some of the most political statements he's made since leaving office. And he makes the point really clearly that he believes that Republicans today from the White House on down are prioritizing preserving their own power and devaluing science. He says explicitly that Republicans in the White House and the Senate, they're not interested in progress. They're only interested in power. He believes that they're kicking people off their health insurance. They're not prioritizing climate. And I think those are just incredibly stark statements coming from the most immediate past Democratic president.

All right, well, let's take a quick break. And when we get back, we'll talk about the campaign going forward. COVID-19 has upended our lives, shaken us from all sense of security. When it comes to pandemics, we just are in this cycle of panic and complacency. We'll see if this one puts an end to that. I'm Manoush Zomorodi. How can we protect ourselves against future global outbreaks? That's on the TED Radio Hour from NPR. Subscribe or listen now. And we're back. So my main question is, all right, Obama's endorsed Biden. So what? I mean, what does it mean for Democrats now that Obama has reentered the campaign space? And I guess

part of why I'm wondering this is, I recall so many moments during the 2016 campaign when both Barack and Michelle were out stumping for Hillary Clinton, and it did not mean that Clinton was actually successful. I mean, she lost that election. So what does his role mean, do you think, this year? Just because in 2016, Barack Obama's campaigning for Hillary Clinton couldn't get her to the White House doesn't mean that he's still not the most beloved Democrat on the planet and the number one surrogate that any Democratic candidate would want out for them on the campaign trail, other than Michelle. You know, the people that Biden needs, the Bernie people, young people, progressives, Latinos, can Barack Obama help him get those people?

Yeah, I think that's a really great question. And it's something we've been reporting on. I know months ago, I did a story that looked at the role of Barack Obama in today's Democratic Party. And I think there's a question and that he in part answered in his comments in his endorsement speech that yes, the party has moved to the left significantly since when Barack Obama was first elected in 2008, certainly. So there is a question as to whether or not he will resonate with those people and move them along to support Biden. I've been talking to people today about this, and they suggest that the most important thing that Barack Obama and if she does indeed endorse Michelle Obama can do is not necessarily to get more people to back

Joe Biden. They've suggested that the Obama's power is in getting people to turn out in high numbers, as they did for Barack Obama again and again. And if they can do that, then that would be one of the big successes of this endorsement. When I know something else you've talked to me about before, is just the cash disadvantage that the Democrats are in. Republicans, Trump himself, have raised far larger sums than where Biden is at this point. And there was an assumption that once Obama came out and endorsed Joe Biden, he would be able to help him fundraise. Yeah, that's absolutely right. He has been one of the party's most prolific fundraisers. And I could have envisioned in a pre-coronavirus pandemic era, Barack Obama hitting the fundraising circuit

on behalf of his former running mate and helping to potentially chip away at that cash advantage. Now, of course, we know that that's not likely to happen in person, at least anytime soon. But I do wonder if we will see him join any of the virtual fundraisers that the Biden campaign has been holding. We've seen already in the last little bit of time here, since we started talking, Barack Obama actually sent an email out to Joe Biden's list talking about his support for the former vice president. If Barack Obama was one of the most prolific fundraisers Democrats have ever had, it's also true that Joe Biden is one of the worst fundraisers the Democrats have ever had. He's never been able to raise much money, and he certainly didn't this time until he had pretty much wrapped up the

nomination, and then the money started flowing in. But that's one of the benefits of getting the Democratic Party unified earlier than it did in 2008 or 2016. Biden might be sidelined by the pandemic. Trump sucks up all the oxygen in the room. Most Democrats want to hear from Andrew Cuomo. But Biden can use this time to raise money and to unify the party, which he's been doing, to do his VP search. And because right now the race is frozen. It's just a referendum on Donald Trump's handling of the crisis. Later, it'll become a binary choice

between the two men. All right. Well, we are going to leave it there for now. We'll be back tomorrow. I'm Asma Khalid. I'm covering the presidential campaign. I'm Juana Summers. I also cover the campaign.

And I'm Mara Liason, national political correspondent. And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics Podcast.