Obama joins Biden to beat Trump

Obama was the big attraction at the virtual fundraiser which raised over $7.6 million.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Former President Barack Obama was slow to jump on the Biden for President bandwagon but that has been changing, The Washington Post reports on Wednesday. Obama and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden held their first joint appearance in years on Tuesday.

Obama was the big attraction at a virtual fundraiser which raised over $7.6 million, Biden’s campaign says.

Biden, who has touted his friendship with Obama from the start of his campaign, is seen as needing the former president to energize young black and liberal voters, who distrust Biden as too moderate and were drawn to former Democratic presidential candidates like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Obama came out swinging against President Donald Trump at the virtual fundraiser, accusing him of disrespecting the rule of law.

“My predecessor, who I disagreed with on a whole host of issues, still had a basic regard for the rule of law and the importance of our institutions and democracy,” Obama said.

“What we have seen over the last couple of years is a White House enabled by Republicans in Congress and a media structure that supports them . . . that suggests facts don’t matter, science doesn’t matter,” Obama said.

“That suggests that a deadly disease is fake news. That sees the Justice Department as simply an extension and an arm of the personal concerns of the president. That actively promotes division. And considers some people in this country more real as Americans than others,” he said.

Obama attempted to make a plus out of Biden’s age. Biden is seen as vulnerable due to his advanced years. Mistakes he has made on the campaign trail have contributed to the perception that he may be too old for the job, something the Trump campaign is trying to capitalize on.

“I’ll be honest, and hope Joe doesn’t take offense,” Obama said. “Joe’s been around a while. Sometimes what happens is we take that for granted.”

“There’s a tendency to always look for the new and shiny object. But for my money, one of the things that counts the most is to have somebody, whatever mistakes they’ve made or hardships they’ve gone through, have they shown the kind of character that stands up,” he said.

“And my experience with Joe Biden is that’s who he is.”

The Trump campaign appears pleased to have Obama step into the limelight. “Trump can use opposition to Obama to mobilize his supporters — on Tuesday, his campaign sent out a fundraising email with sirens and the subject line “BARACK OBAMA,” The Washington Post reports.

Trump has accused Obama of being behind an effort to spy on his 2016 campaign. “Look, when I came out a long time ago, I said they’ve been spying on our campaign. . . . It turns out I was right. Let’s see what happens to them now,” Trump said to CBN news.

He accused Obama of “treason.”