Former president Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have risen to prominence in a concerted effort to shore up democratic unity and support the presidency of Joe Biden. In their increasingly bold initiatives, the pair are deploying star power and political clout to fold Democrats in a battleground and swing states back into the nation’s most prominent political coalition. Obama and Clinton’s moves are driven by fears within the party of a base split that could further weaken what many now regard as a house of cards. The democratic divide parallels the one in the Republicans, where growing hostility between conservatives and moderates is inevitable.
The party’s elder statesmen – the former president and presidential candidate, Obama and Hillary Clinton, both pillars of the Democratic Party – have gone on a roadshow of public appearances and speeches with the same message: “Don’t let us down. Let’s stick together to defend and advance Democratic policies.”
If we allow ourselves to be sliced and diced by their shenanigans, then at best, we separate, and at worst, we end up acting the opposite of democratic ourselves.
Standing at a rally in Philadelphia before a crowd of thousands gleaming with support last month, Barack Obama reminded citizens of the stark stakes of the ”political moment.” ”We cannot afford not to be together,” he said. ”The future of our democracy depends on our ability to come together to fight for progress.”
Clinton repeated Obama’s calls, stressing the importance of preserving and growing the Biden administration’s influence. ”We have to stay together,” Clinton proclaimed. ”If we allow ourselves to be sliced and diced by their shenanigans, then at best, we separate, and at worst, we end up acting the opposite of democratic ourselves.”
Their collaborative backing is an attempt by Obama and Clinton to perform a kind of party magic as the Democratic Party is buffeted by internal divisions over core issues from healthcare and economic policy to social justice and climate change. Upcoming midterm elections motivate current Democratic leaders to heal divisions and marshal voters to prevent potential losses.
Political analysts have pointed out that the intervention of the two biggest heavyweights of the Democratic Party – both, not coincidentally, relatively non-polarising national figures, widely admired by Democrats across the country – give a rallying cry for party unity and its credibility. Obama and Clinton hoped their voices could bring back grassroots activists and fire up the party’s base, better counteracting the effects of factionalism.
If their recent appearance is any indication, Obama and Clinton have avoided previous sniping and past presidential primaries to boost Biden and the larger democratic agenda – all in the name of rising to the moment to meet growing challenges.
Whether Obama and Clinton’s outreach efforts effectively translate into votes for Democrats during this year’s midterm elections remains to be seen. But, for now, their bipartisan rallying of Democrats is a powerful reminder of the continued influence of two of the party’s biggest stars over the direction of US politics.
Source: www.usatoday.com March 29, 2024
