Former President Barack Obama is stepping back into the spotlight after President-elect Donald Trump ’s decisive 312 to 226 Electoral College victory last month, raising questions about his role in the Democratic Party moving forward.
Obama is speaking with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel about her new book at the Anthem in Washington, D.C. on Monday. Merkel’s new biography has a long number of grievances about Trump, as well as a negative portrayal of her working relationship with him.
The former president also plans to headline the 2024 Obama Democracy Forum in Chicago later this week with actor Ryan Reynolds and country singer Reyna Roberts to discuss “pluralism,” in which diverse communities find ways to work together.
Obama’s public appearances come less than a month after the presidential election left Democrats attempting to understand why the party appears to be disconnected from working-class voters. The election results have also raised questions about whether Obama’s influence is still significant.
Long-time Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf feels Obama is an important figure in the Democratic Party.
“His influence is not waning — you can’t get rid of heroes if you can’t replace them,” he told reporters. “The Democrats have a generational issue and a fundamental identity issue.”
“The party has to reorganise. The question is whether Barack Obama and prior heroes can assist them in accomplishing this, or if an entire new generation is required. Sheinkopf spoke.
Topics that will be addressed at the Obama Foundation Forum on Thursday will be “Why Pluralism Matters,” “How to Make Progress in Polarized Times,” and “The Power of Culture and Connection.” Attendees will participate in workshops where they will “learn new tools to foster productive dialogue essential to inclusive and resilient communities,” according to the Obama Foundation.
Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, believes Obama feels more comfortable appearing in public in an effort to speak out about Trump’s plans.
“He is stepping back in the spotlight — you’ll see him talk about national security issues because I think he’s concerned about the direction that the president-elect will take in dismantling NATO and withdrawing support for Ukrainians,” Bannon said.
“I think he’s very concerned about the direction that Trump will take in foreign policy and believes that Trump will undermine our national and international posture — so I think that’s what this conversation with Merkel is about, but he wants to stay above the partisan fray,” the strategist said.
Obama was active on the campaign trail, crisscrossing the country for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential quest and, at one point, chastising black men who were making “excuses” for not supporting the first black female president. Obama slammed Trump throughout the final months of the campaign, painting him as unfit for office.
“We do not need to see what an older, loonier Donald Trump looks like with no guardrails,” he remarked at a rally in Arizona last October.
Bannon expects that Obama would try to be less prominent in internal Democratic Party politics and wield his power behind the scenes.
“I believe he avoids partisan politics on purpose. I believe he has stepped up for Harris in the last month, but I do not expect him to do much Democratic Party politics,” he explained. “He prefers to be in the background and exert his influence covertly.
“It would be a surprise to me if he didn’t weigh in behind the scenes on the new choice of a Democratic National Party chair — and I think a lot of Democrats respect his advice and counsel, but he’s going to do that indirectly.”