▲ Former U.S. President Barack Obama attends a campaign rally in Morrow, Georgia, to support Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms ahead of the Georgia primary election.
The U.S. opposition Democratic Party is actively deploying former President Barack Obama to battleground regions in a push to defeat the ruling Republican Party and take control of Congress in the midterm elections scheduled for November 3.
As various opinion polls within the U.S. project an advantage for the Democrats, the strategy aims to secure a Democratic victory by putting forward former President Obama, the political arch-rival of President Donald Trump.
The British daily The Guardian reported on November 1 (local time) that while some evaluations suggest former President Obama might be seen as a figure of a bygone era and that his administration did not drive change as much as expected, he still plays a major role in rallying the progressive camp and capturing last-minute votes.
Obama recently drew an enthusiastic response from supporters during a campaign rally in Detroit, where he humorously mentioned Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic state senate candidate in the battleground state of Michigan.
Admitting that "Abdul didn't agree with some of the things our administration was doing when I was president," he sparked uproarious laughter from the crowd by asking, "Do you know who doesn't agree with everything I do? Michelle Obama (the former president's wife)."
This kind of engaging speech, characteristic of former President Obama, is evaluated as serving as a bridge between past and present Democratic sentiments.
Obama, the first Black president of the United States, is also appealing for support by strongly criticizing Trump's authoritarian posturing and diplomatic failures in the Middle East.
At a rally in the battleground state of Georgia, he argued, "This midterm election is the last and best chance to curb the foolishness of President Trump and this administration," adding, "We have to flip it."
While President Trump has been touring battleground states over the past few weeks to make up for lagging support, former President Obama has pursued a strategy of selectively participating in support rallies before stepping up his focused campaigning as the election approaches to unleash his "star power."
David Litt, who served as a White House speechwriter during the Obama administration, said, "Rather than getting involved from the beginning, former President Obama is appearing after allowing a new generation of Democratic candidates to secure their own identities."
Analyzing that Obama has the ability and credibility to drive voter turnout, Litt noted, "Especially in tight races, it will benefit younger demographics and Black voters."
He also mentioned that Obama complicates Trump's mindset and disrupts his campaign strategy.
Pointing out that "former President Obama is living rent-free inside President Trump's head," Litt remarked, "Trump should be talking about his own achievements during his campaign, but because of the former president's remarks, he is bringing up the banquet hall remodeling issue again."
During a campaign rally for Democrats in Ohio on October 24, Obama mocked Trump for focusing on remodeling the White House rather than reducing the financial burden of inflation on citizens, teasing, "He made the White House look like Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory. It's all gold."
When Obama mocked the White House remodeling by comparing it to the popular American casual dining chain The Cheesecake Factory, the pro-Trump camp counterattacked, claiming this attitude disregarded ordinary people.
President Trump retaliated by calling former President Obama a snob, snapping back, "Every lettuce leaf he eats has to be perfect, but I'm not that picky."
Obama is also evaluated as playing a role in attracting key demographic groups, such as African American voters, and protecting candidates from minority backgrounds against xenophobic attacks.
Nina Turner, a prominent progressive figure and former Ohio state senator, diagnosed, "Even within the progressive camp, there is disappointment and evaluation that while Obama put forward hope and change, he failed to achieve major changes, but Obama remains a powerful and influential presence, and his appearance is overall a good thing for Democratic party members of all generations."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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