Barack Obama answers Joe Biden's SOS call, launches video campaign asking supporters to vote for former VP
Former President Barack Obama has come up with a video campaign to encourage Democratic Party supporters to go out and vote for Joe Biden, his former No 2 and the blue party's nominee for this year's presidential election. The popular figure, who endorsed Biden for president only in April after waiting on the sidelines for a long time, launched the campaign on Tuesday, October 13.
Obama has been found urging voters in key states to get their acts together ahead of the election which has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Mail-in ballot is being promoted for this year's election because of the pandemic that has claimed more than 200,000 lives but President Donald Trump and his allies have alleged that it would see a rigged election.
Biden also reciprocated Obama's favor on Tuesday, October 13, while heading to Florida. He said the former president would also be campaigning soon. "He's doing enough for our campaign. He'll be out on the trail," the 77-year-old told reporters.
'So much at stake in this election'
The 59-year-old Obama said in the videos: "So much is at stake in this election." He added, "History shows that the easiest way to make sure that you and your friends vote is to make a plan. And when it comes to voting this year, having a plan has never been more important." As many as 24 states are separately being targeted in the videos, including battleground ones like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio — all of which were won by Trump in 2016.
The Democratic Party is apprehensive that despite Biden gaining a crucial lead over Trump in many battleground states, a low turnout like in 2016 could pose a threat to the former VP's winning chances. Obama's high-powered messenger shows the party is battling that potential challenge. Even Michelle Obama has been found urging voters to go out and back Biden to see the end of the Trump era in the White House.
Wearing a necklace with the word "vote", she also backed Biden's bid at the Democratic party convention in August when the former vice president was officially endorsed.
Meanwhile, the speculation over Barack Obama joining the campaign trail was gaining more momentum. One of his aides told ABC News that the former president has planned to hit the trail along with taking part in other activities he has undertaken throughout the year to help Biden get elected. The aide also recalled Obama's words that "we all have to do everything we can to win on November 3".
The former president has also taken part in a number of fundraisers on behalf of the former VP's campaign and gave a primetime speech at the Democratic Convention where he flayed Trump over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has also been heavily critical of Obama in the run-up to this year's election alleging that the latter spied on his 2016 campaign. Trump put pressure on his own administration to take strict measures against Obama, Biden and Hillary Clinton.