‘Greater Reckoning’: Obama’s Democratic Party Influence Fades Following Harris Defeat
By Jake Beardslee ·
December 27, 2024
Former President Barack Obama's influence over the Democratic Party appears to be waning following Vice President Kamala Harris's defeat in the 2024 presidential election. Democratic strategists and media outlets are pointing to this loss as a potential end to the "Obama era" in Democratic politics. Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The election cycle saw unprecedented shifts, with President Biden stepping down and Harris taking the nomination with Obama's backing. Trump secured a decisive victory with 312 electoral votes to Harris's 226, prompting serious reflection within Democratic circles. Megan Smith / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“I think there are going to be big demands for a greater reckoning. The Democratic politburo – Obama, Pelosi, Schumer, Jeffries and others – all participated in the obvious lie that Biden was capable of a second term, in the anti-Democratic move to install a wholly untested Vice President Harris,” Democratic strategist Julian Epstein told Fox News Digital, addressing Obama’s legacy in the wake of the election. “And in lacking the courage for the past four years to stand up a progressive left whose policies are far out of touch with most voters.” Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Obama's recent speech at the 2024 Obama Democracy Forum drew criticism from traditional allies, with MSNBC publishing a piece titled "Obama still doesn't get why Trump won. That's the problem." The article argued that Obama fails to understand how his eight-year presidency contributed to Trump's rise. Obama Foundation
The article details how Obama's inner circle, including David Axelrod and George Clooney, played crucial roles in Biden's exit from the race. Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
A former Biden staffer told Politico: "There is no singular reason why we lost, but a big reason is because the Obama advisers publicly encouraged Democratic infighting to push Joe Biden out, didn't even want Kamala Harris as the nominee, and then signed up as the saviors of the campaign, only to run outdated Obama-era playbooks for a candidate that wasn't Obama." The White House / Wikimedia
