“Join me on Team ’18,” Barack Obama wrote in a recent fundraising email from his ancient political group, Organizing for Action. “Every election, every legislative initiative, every conversation between now and November…everything matters.”
It wasn’t a huge deal, but the email was one of Obama’s few public, political, overtly partisan appeals as the Democratic Party heads into midterm elections that could derail President Trump’s agenda and boost Democrats’ prospects in 2020. Having the former president, who remains widely popular within his party, sit on the sidelines may not be what Democrats were hoping for.
There are reports that Obama plans to campaign for some Democrats starting in September. But beyond just striking a blow before the midterms, Obama could be, if not a full-fledged leader of the Resistance, then at least a sustained and public critic of the direction taken by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans.
Instead, Obama is not often seen. In delayed July, he and former Vice President Joe Biden caused a stir when they stopped by a Washington bakery for sandwiches. The visit had a purpose — the shop, Dog Tag Bakery, helps disabled veterans and their families — but beyond shaking hands and posing for selfies, Obama did nothing that could be considered political.
Obama had a political message earlier in July, but chose to deliver it in South Africa, thousands of miles away from the U.S. election campaign. Speaking at an event in Johannesburg honoring Nelson Mandela, Obama never mentioned Donald Trump by name, but his message was clearly aimed at his successor in the White House.
“Look around you,” Obama said. “Strong man politics suddenly gains importance, so that elections and some semblance of democracy are maintained — a form of democracy — but those in power are trying to undermine every institution or norm that gives democracy meaning.
“We see a complete loss of shame among political leaders,” Obama continued, “when they get caught in a lie, they just double down and lie some more.”
Obama’s speech drew some buzz and some nostalgic commentary from Democrats. But at the same time, President Trump has been ramping up his political travel, headlining rallies over the past week in key swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio — a combination of 2018 Republican politicking and 2020 self-politicking.
A quick visit to the bakery is not the same.
There is no leader of the Democratic Party. The president is the leader of the party in the White House, and the opposition party doesn’t really have a leader. Who would that be for today’s Democrats? Charles Schumer? Nancy Pelosi? One of the party’s 2020 candidates? There simply isn’t one.
For Democrats, Obama, who is not running for anything, may be as close to a leader as the out-of-power party can get until another Democratic presidential candidate emerges. But he simply won’t take the job.
In June, New York magazine published an article with the almost plaintive title, “Where Is Barack Obama?” Writer Gabriel Debenedetti profiled a former president who, for some reason, chose not to keep up with current politics, focusing instead on the up-to-date Obama Foundation and his memoirs.
“In private conversations, Obama rarely mentions Trump,” Debenedetti reported. “Those who have visited the office he rented from the World Wildlife Fund in Washington’s West End say he enjoys talking for hours about the world’s ills. When he learns of the president’s latest tweets aimed at him, he chuckles and changes the subject.”
Debenedetti spoke to Obama friends who admired the former president’s “Zen-like” placid in the face of the Trump turmoil, a term that, of course, is often used to describe Obama in the White House, too.
Maybe that works for him. But to his admirers — and many Democratic voters — Obama’s absence borders on the mysterious.
“How did the most ubiquitous man in America disappear for eight years?” Debenedetti asked. “What accounts for his almost total absence from the political stage, where he could publicly argue against reversing his political achievements, and from the broader context of American life?”
What could Obama do for Democrats in November? There are certainly states and districts where candidates would love to appear. But perhaps more importantly, he could travel the country raising millions of dollars for Democratic candidates. The only thing better than a former president for that job is a sitting president, and Democrats don’t have one right now.
In fact, one Obama is doing some work in the midterms. News broke this week that former first lady Michelle Obama will be traveling the country in a week-long voter registration effort in delayed September.
That will certainly be welcomed in many Democratic circles. But at the same time, no one should be surprised if party activists ask Mrs. Obama, “Where is your husband?”
