As President Joe Biden finds himself struggling with approval ratings that remain stubbornly resistant even to good economic news, Washington’s chattering classes have begun to resurrect a question that was prominent in 2020: Could former President Barack Obama be the magical healer Democrats need to reinvigorate disenchanted Democrats?
Or, as a recent Politico headline put it, “Is Barack Obama Ready to Reassert Himself?”
Last week, Obama filmed a 68-second campaign fundraising video alongside Biden in which the two former running mates laid out “five reasons to donate $5″ to Biden’s current presidential campaign. The contrast in age and vitality between the men was noticeable, but so was their bonhomie. (“Hey Barack.” “Hey Joe.” “Good to see you, man.”) Biden did most of the pitching for ordinary folks’ dollars. Obama laid out the administration’s accomplishments and looked seriously confined by the format, the task and the situation.
