Obama turns back clock for Kamala Harris: Yes, she can!

It was a reminder of the campaign slogan in 2008 that propelled the first Black man to be the president of the United States. The rallying cry, this time, was for Kamala Harris, who, if elected, will be the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first person of Indian descent, to become America’s president.

But Obama’s electrifying address to the Democratic National Convention — a special site for him, for it was the 2004 convention that catapulted him to national prominence — went beyond the past. He mocked Donald Trump and portrayed him as a man solely interested in power for his own sake. He offered a ringing endorsement of Harris, tracing her life and career, and portrayed her as committed to the American people at large. He spoke about the deeper social divisions aided by algorithms that had polarised the country, and insisted that America remain a “force for good” in the world. And he cautioned the currently euphoric Democrats that this election was close and they needed to put in all the work in the next 77 days to ensure a Harris win.

Returning to his home town of Chicago, Obama — whose speech came right after his wife, Michelle, had energised delegates with a blistering attack on Trump — began by first lauding Joe Biden’s contribution to the party. Reports have suggested that Biden is upset with what he has perceived to be Obama’s role in forcing him to exit the race, but Obama lauded Biden’s record in office, called him “my president” and “my friend”, and hailed him for “putting his own ambition aside” for the sake of the country.

Read more: ‘Ugly, racist, misogynist’: Michelle Obama tears into Trump, floors Democrats

But Obama then quickly pivoted to the present. “The torch has been passed,” he declared, acknowledging the leadership transition to a new generation. He then offered a warning. “Make no mistake, it will be a fight. For all the incredible energy we’ve been able to generate over the last few weeks, for all the rallies and the memes, this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country.”

The former president then went after his successor and the current Republican nominee, Trump. “Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually been getting worse now that he is afraid of losing to Kamala. There’s the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes,” Obama said, making a gesture with his hand to depict the shrinking crowd sizes that drew applause and laughter from the floor.

Accusing Trump of being interested in power only for himself and his rich friends, Obama attacked him for his proposals of tax cuts for the rich, killing a bipartisan immigration deal because it would hurt him politically, not caring about reproductive freedom since it won’t affect him. “We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.” The crowd was delighted at the takedown, and on its feet, holding on to each word.

Obama then shifted to offering a positive endorsement of Harris, with whom he shares an old friendship. Harris was among the first elected officials to endorse him in 2007 when the rest of the party establishment was with Hillary Clinton; she knocked doors for him in the Iowa primary; and Obama backed her during the California attorney general race.

Read more: Obama calls out Trump at DNC, mocks his ‘weird obsession with crowd sizes’: ‘We do not need four more years of…’

“America’s ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris. And Kamala Harris is ready for the job. This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion,” he said.

Pointing out she wasn’t born in privilege, Obama traced her career as a public prosecutor standing up for children who had been abused, as the attorney general of America’s most populous state taking on big banks, as Vice President pushing for lower drug prices and supporting families and children. “Kamala Harris won’t be focused on her problems, she’ll be focused on yours. As President, she won’t just cater to her own supporters and punish those who refuse to kiss the ring or bend the knee. She’ll work on behalf of every American. That’s who Kamala is,” Obama said, in yet another attempt to draw contrast with Trump.

The former president also hailed Harris’s running mate Tim Walz,as the kind of person who should be in politics. “I love this guy. Tim is the kind of person who should be in politics — born in a small town, served his country, taught kids, coached football, took care of his neighbors. He knows who he is, and he knows what’s important.”

Obama then offered some advice to the campaign, warning Democrats that Republicans will play on fear, a much easier path, and the challenge for them was to offer a path forward to address today’s challenges. Obama said that Harris was already doing so, with an economic blueprint that spoke about affordable housing, limiting out of pocket health costs to build on the Affordable Care Act (Obama’s signature health legislation), making college affordable but also making sure that those who didn’t go to college had opportunities, fighting for better wages and working conditions.

“And Kamala will be that President. Yes, she can,” Obama said, as delegates responded with the same slogan.

HT was on the floor as delegates said that the campaign was reminding them of the 2008 election. Obama also focused on the theme of freedom, a theme the Harris campaign is built around as an idea that may be more relatable than the somewhat more abstract notion of democracy.

But Obama, in a bid to expand the tent to appeal to independents and others who may not share the party’s world view, underscored the need for “mutual respect”, the need to stop scolding and shaming the other side, and the need to listen and learn from the other side. “If a parent or grandparent occasionally says something that makes us cringe, we don’t automatically assume they’re bad people. We recognise that the world is moving fast, that they need time and maybe a little encouragement to catch up. Our fellow citizens deserve the same grace we hope they’ll extend to us. That’s how we can build a true Democratic majority,” he said.

While Harris has succeeded in bringing the base back to the party, how she wins over the swing vote will determine this election.

At a time when the role of America in world affairs is a subject of political debate, with Trump pushing a more isolationist mode, Obama said that America shouldn’t be the world’s policeman. “But America can be and must be a force for good: discouraging conflict, fighting disease, promoting human rights, protecting the planet from climate change, defending freedom, brokering peace. That’s what Kamala Harris believes and so do most Americans.”

Moving beyond the immediate, Obama said that America was attempting what no other society had ever done before. “No nation, no society has ever tried to build a democracy as big and as diverse as ours before. One that includes people that, over decades, have come from every corner of the globe. One where our allegiances and our community are defined not by race or blood but by a common creed.”

It was to defend this idea and build this democracy that Obama returned to the delegates at the end of the speech and implored them to get to work for the next 77 days to elect Kamala Harris.