Obama tells men to drop ‘excuses’ and support Kamala Harris over Trump
Ex-president campaigns in Pennsylvania, says fellow Democrat ‘really cares about making your life better’
Cecilia Nowell
Friday 11 Oct 2024 02:52 BST
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Barack Obama made his first campaign appearance for Kamala Harris on Thursday, speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania and at an event for black voters, where he urged men in particular to support the vice president.
In remarks specifically aimed at black men in the swing state at an event at one of Harris’ campaign offices, Obama questioned their reluctance to vote for her – an NAACP poll in September found that more than a quarter of black men under 50 say they will vote for Donald Trump.
“We haven’t seen the same kind of energy and turnout in all parts of our neighborhoods and communities that we did when I was running for office. And now I want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers,” Obama said.
“You come up with all sorts of reasons and excuses. I have a hard time with that.
“Part of it makes me think that you’re just not excited about having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and reasons for it.”
He added: “When we run into problems and the system isn’t working for us, they’re the ones who are going to be in the streets and protesting.”
Later in the evening, at Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh,
With 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is essential for either candidate to win the election. Recent Quinnipac University polls showed Harris leading in Pennsylvania, but polls between the vice president and Donald Trump were close.
The state could also determine control of the Senate: Casey, for example, is up for reelection and faces a well-funded Republican challenger.
Obama and Harris have long supported each other’s campaigns, and at the Democratic National Convention in August, the former president and his wife tried to cast Harris as the heir to their movement. Harris was an early supporter of Obama’s hopeless bid against Hillary Clinton, beginning in 2007 when she knocked on doors for him ahead of the Iowa caucuses. In 2010, when Harris ran for California attorney general, Obama supported her campaign — calling her “a dear, dear friend of mine.”
Obama on Thursday in Pittsburgh acknowledged American voters’ frustrations over inflation, the post-Covid recovery and other issues, while condemning Trump and praising Harris’ platform.
“This is going to be an exciting election because there are still a lot of Americans who are struggling,” Obama said. “I understand why people want to shake things up. I mean, I’m the hope, change guy. So I understand why people get frustrated. We can do better. What I don’t understand is why anyone would think that Donald Trump is shaking things up in a way that’s good for you.
“The good news is, Kamala Harris — she doesn’t have concepts for a plan. She has a real plan to make your life better.”
Returning to the message he shared with black voters earlier in the day, Obama later added: “I’m sorry, gentlemen, I’ve noticed this, particularly with some men who seem to think that Trump’s behavior of bullying and putting people down is a sign of strength. And I’m here to tell you: That’s not what real strength is. It never was.
“Real strength is about helping those who need it and standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves, and that’s what we should want for our daughters and for our sons, and that’s what I want to see as president of the United States of America.”
Before the former president took the stage, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was among the nominees to be Harris’ running mate, praised the state’s Democratic Party’s work to expand free breakfast for all and gun violence prevention efforts, while criticizing Republican leadership nationally. He specifically encouraged attendees to vote to re-elect Casey.
Casey himself spoke, laying out the stakes for the upcoming election and criticizing his rival, David McCormick. McCormick, a businessman, ran the world’s largest hedge fund while managing and advising funds holding hundreds of millions of dollars in Russian debt, according to documents obtained by the Guardian.
“These out-of-state billionaires [are] spending over $100 million to beat me in this race. Well, I’ve got news for those billionaires. I’m going to beat David McCormick, and I’m going to beat those billionaires,” Casey said.
Obama’s appearance comes as Democratic surrogates campaign for Harris in swing states across the country. This week, Harris’ campaign confirmed that vice presidential candidate Tim Walz will campaign in Wisconsin, former President Bill Clinton will tour the southern states of Georgia and North Carolina, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will hold events in Michigan. Meanwhile, former first lady Michelle Obama has revived Party at the Polls, a program of her nonpartisan voting initiative When We All Vote.
At the same time, Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance held a town hall in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday night, shortly after Trump spoke in Detroit.