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Emerging reports on Wednesday hinted at a possible political outmaneuvering by former President Barack Obama against his former vice president, now incumbent President, Joe Biden.
It has been rumored that Obama has been organizing confidential consultations in the country’s capital to garner the critical Democratic support required to consider a possible successor for Biden in the 2024 ballot, despite his outward support for Biden’s reelection attempts.
Jonathan Martin from Politico has stated that Obama had set up several extensive, yet casual agenda meetings with the younger Democrats in the House over some light refreshments in his D.C. office. There is uncertainty surrounding the topics of discussion during these meetings, but their low-key nature has sparked a curiosity about the reason behind such an eminent political figure as Obama embarking on this path.
As reported by RadarOnline.com, these meetings primarily involved younger leaders from the Democrat House and former staff from Obama’s administration congregating at his D.C. base. An insider from the Beltway quoted, ‘Obama is acutely aware of the critical situation stemming from Joe’s lagging popularity ratings.’
‘He (Obama) had been hoping that the President would have shown some rallying momentum by now, but that just hasn’t been the case yet.’
The insider went on to mention, ‘As 2024 rapidly approaches, he (Obama) felt compelled to intervene as he is seemingly worried about Biden’s potential frailty and advancing age threatening his chances of victory.’
RadarOnline.com further reported: In official terms, these secret meetings were orchestrated with an objective to provide counsel and familiarize Obama with the younger Democrats, and also to get them acquainted with their constituents’ ground realities, as per a source that disclosed this to GLOBE, which initially reported about the meeting.
Sources have claimed that these kinds of meetings were a novelty for Obama, considering he has generally maintained a low-key presence post his White House term. ‘Obama has always been a trustworthy pillar of support for the Democrats, albeit he’s been cautious about not overstepping with Joe due to their past discord,’ said the Beltway insider.
‘However, the fact that these gatherings were held indicates a definitive shift in his (Obama’s) approach,’ the insider continued.
Notably, Obama had allegedly forsaken Biden once earlier when he showed support for his former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 elections against Biden, who had expressed interest in pursuing the race.
The rapport between the two has been reported to have steadily declined over time. According to different sources, Obama has unconsciously relegated Biden into the shadows during their joint public moments, fueling the strain between them.
Interestingly, Biden declined the invitation to Obama’s grand 60th birthday bash at Martha’s Vineyard, attributing his absence to the concerns about the pandemic’s surge.
An opinion article published on Monday by the New York Post reminded readers about an instance when Obama, in conversation with a fellow Democrat about Biden being the Democratic nominee for 2020, wryly commented, ‘Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f–k things up.’
Regarding the meetings hosted by Obama, Politico’s Martin wrote, ‘The invitations for these meetings came directly from Obama, it seems, and were intended as a platform for the former 61-year-old president to connect with the emerging talents within his party, now well over half a decade since his departure from office.
‘ The nature and purpose of these sit-downs are intriguing for more than one reason, he added.
Martin further stated that Obama made it a point not to criticize Biden to the lawmakers present but rather urged Democrats to actively promote their achievements. He advised them to carve their individual political identities, while also acknowledging that their fortunes in 2024 would be largely influenced by Biden’s success.
Multiple attendees of these discussions have shared their view that Obama’s exact motivation behind these assemblies was never explicitly mentioned. The general perception about the meetings was that they were a blend of introductions, lengthy advice, discussions on best practices, and curiosity about the reactions of the lawmakers’ constituents.
