After Harris announced that she wants to run for president, support has poured in from Biden, the Clintons and the former president of the United States Nancy Pelosi – but not Obama.
And Andreas Utterström, US connoisseur, thinks he knows why.
– He is waiting for it to be a little more elegant to give her his support. The body has barely cooled down.
After Kamala Harris announced that she wants to run for president, both Biden and Bill and Hillary Clinton have come out as supporting her. Most recently, former US Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the ranks of supporters. In a post on X she writes:
“With tremendous pride and boundless optimism for our country’s future, I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States. I have every confidence that she will lead us to victory in November.”
But Barack Obama’s support is conspicuous by its absence. In an open letter he writes:
“I have tremendous confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process where you produce an outstanding candidate.”
But he never mentions Kamala Harris. There is a reason for this, says Andreas Utterström, an expert on American politics.
– It’s because it looked bad. He did not give Biden his support when it wavered and then it is clear that he himself or his associates leaked to the media that Obama wanted Biden to step aside. He has stabbed his old pair horse in the back so that’s enough.
“Obama cares for his brand”
And it’s not just for Biden’s sake that Obama is waiting to support Harris.
– If there is something that Obama is busy with now, it is nurturing his brand so that he can do things for Netflix, says Andreas Utterström.
Despite the fact that Obama is not so involved in politics today, he still has a great importance.
– Obama is still the most popular politician in the Democratic Party despite the fact that he pushed himself out and now only makes guest appearances and otherwise devotes himself to cashing in and having dinner with George Clooney.
The donors are most important
But maybe it’s not Obama that Kamala Harris should be worried about now. According to Andreas Utterström, there is something much more important: the money.
– What is more important than Obama’s blessing is what the biggest donors think. There were people there who warned Biden that now I’m turning off the faucet. This no longer works. That they continue to enthusiastically give money and woo their rich friends into giving money is more important than what Barack Obama thinks.
He continues:
– The billionaire class, if you lose them, you are in dire straits.