Obama’s Manufactured Election

Within a few short hours of President Biden’s announcement that he would not seek a second term, his campaign transformed into Kamala Harris’s campaign. Plaques were changed, logos swapped, and domains forwarded. Biden's team remained in charge for only a moment.

Barack Obama’s veterans, who had managed his and Hillary Clinton's campaigns, swooped in and swept out the Biden team. Obama’s "All Stars" — like Stephanie Cutter, Mitch Stewart, and David Plouffe — took the reins.

Before Obama and his team could wrest control of the 2024 election, he had to push Biden out. For almost a year, foreign policy differences strained the Biden-Obama relationship. And Biden’s flailing polls deepened the rift.

Obama regularly lunched with Biden to discuss campaign strategy. He also routinely phoned White House chief of staff, Jeffrey D. Zients, and top Biden aides to remain entrenched in the inner circle. When Obama decided Biden had to go, he was well positioned to orchestrate the departure.

Biden’s presidential debate failure opened a line of attack. Immediately after, Obama’s former aides were among the loudest in calling for Biden to step down. The press followed their lead, but Biden wouldn’t budge despite the media whirlwind.

Obama upped the ante. He partnered with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), quietly calling on Democrats in Washington to push for Biden's resignation. He also likely collaborated with George Clooney to publish an op-ed expressing that Hollywood — a key power structure in Democratic politics — was unwilling to rally behind Democrats unless Joe Biden was replaced.

In the months leading up to the coup, Obama cultivated active relationships with Biden’s donors, keeping them informed and providing strategic advice. When the media and Hollywood turned against Biden, pressure on donors to cut funding increased.

Obama didn’t need to push hard; they were already caving. He simply stopped cheerleading. Donors backed out and, without guaranteed funding, Biden’s campaign was doomed. The former president pulled off a historic and unprecedented feat, and Biden’s team knew it. But it wasn't over.

When it came time for Kamala’s campaign to choose a running mate, two leaders had emerged —Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. The more moderate candidate, Shapiro, holds views on Israel that conflict with Obama's. The progressive option, Walz, aligns more closely with the former president. Obama personally advised Kamala and prevailed; Walz was chosen.

Obama stealthily crafted a picture-perfect Democrat campaign with handpicked candidates. To those not attuned to inside baseball, his influence was invisible.

Throughout Biden’s term, Obama’s influence was evident in foreign policy and domestic issues. Obama holdovers in the Biden administration pushed for continuation of the Iran deal and Iran-friendly diplomacy. Biden’s national security and Middle East teams were stacked to the brim with Obama veterans.

This policy shift, particularly the reduction of sanctions on Iran, led to the Oct. 7 attacks and the current crisis in the Levant. When Biden’s administration mildly supported Israel’s counter-terrorism measures against Hamas, Obama’s team led the push for a more Hamas-friendly, Israel-harsh policy in line with his preferences.

A powerful pressure campaign quickly changed the administration’s foreign policy posture. Nearly 300 ex-Obama/Biden staffers called on the administration to suspend military aid to Israel. Prominent Obama officials like Rumana Ahmed criticized Biden for not pressuring Israel enough. Obama himself emerged from a period of quiet to publicly and loudly push for a ceasefire.

When pro-Palestine, pro-Hamas protests emerged in major cities across the country, non-governmental agencies with close ties to Obama helped enflame and fund them. The Tides Foundation — a major backer of the anti-Israel protests and radical pro-Palestine organizations — is tightly packed with Obama associates in its various boards.

In the 2016 presidential campaign, it was Obama who pushed Vice President Biden aside, favoring Hillary Clinton. Obama’s team plagued Trump’s first administration with the Russia collusion hoax and investigations. In 2020, Obama pushed Biden’s rivals out of the presidential primaries, isolated Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and brought Biden the nomination.

Obama took control of his party two terms after leaving office, but his influence over the Democrat Party had never truly waned. His presence in Washington has remained constant since 2008 and is likely to continue. He’s the first president to make the capital his permanent residence after leaving office.