Obama central figure in presidential election

Washington, May 14

Nearly eight years after he was last on the ballot, Barack Obama is emerging as a central figure in the 2020 presidential election.

Democrats are eagerly embracing Obama as a political wingman for Joe Biden, who spent two terms by his side as Vice-President. Obama remains the party's most popular figure, particularly with black voters and younger Democrats, and Biden's presidential campaign is planning for him to have a highly visible role in the months to come. For President Donald Trump, that means an opportunity to focus the spotlight on one of his favorite political foils.

In recent days, Trump and his allies have aggressively pushed conspiracy theories about Obama designed to fire up the President's conservative base, taint Biden by association and distract from the glut of grim health and economic news from the coronavirus. “Partisans on both sides want to make this about Obama,” said Ned Price, who served as spokesperson for Obama's White House National Security Council. The renewed political focus on Obama sets the stage for an election about the nation's future that will also be about its past. —AP