Obama is participating in a conversation with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel about her new book at the Anthem in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Merkel’s book offers an extensive list of complaints about Trump in her new memoir, describing her experience working with him in an unflattering light.
The former president also plans to headline the 2024 Obama Democracy Forum in Chicago later this week with actor Ryan Reynolds and country singer Reyna Roberts to discuss “pluralism,” in which diverse communities find ways to work together.
Obama’s public appearances come less than a month after the presidential election left Democrats attempting to understand why the party appears to be disconnected from working-class voters. The results of the election also have led some to question whether Obama’s influence remains relevant.
Longtime Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf believes Obama is a critical figure within the Democratic Party.
“His influence is not waning — you can’t get rid of heroes if you can’t replace them,” he said. “The Democrats have a generational issue and a fundamental identity issue.”
“The party has to regroup. The question is — can Barack Obama and the heroes of the past help them do that, or do they need an entire new generation to get to work?” Sheinkopf said.
Topics that will be addressed at the Obama Foundation Forum on Thursday will be “Why Pluralism Matters,” “How to Make Progress in Polarized Times,” and “The Power of Culture and Connection.” Attendees will participate in workshops where they will “learn new tools to foster productive dialogue essential to inclusive and resilient communities,” according to the Obama Foundation.
Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, believes Obama feels more comfortable appearing in public in an effort to speak out about Trump’s plans.
“He is stepping back in the spotlight — you’ll see him talk about national security issues because I think he’s concerned about the direction that the president-elect will take in dismantling NATO and withdrawing support for Ukrainians,” Bannon said.
“I think he’s very concerned about the direction that Trump will take in foreign policy and believes that Trump will undermine our national and international posture — so I think that’s what this conversation with Merkel is about, but he wants to stay above the partisan fray,” the strategist said.
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Obama was active on the campaign trail, crisscrossing the country for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential bid and, at one point, scolded black men who were finding “excuses” for not wanting to support the first black female president. Obama unleashed scathing criticism of Trump in the final months of the campaign, portraying him as unfit for office.
“We do not need to see what an older, loonier Donald Trump looks like with no guardrails,” he said at an Arizona rally in October.
Bannon predicts Obama will try to be less visible in internal Democratic Party politics and wield his influence beyond the scenes.
“I think he purposely doesn’t enjoy partisan politics very much. I think he stepped up in the last month for Harris, but I don’t think you’ll see him doing a lot of Democratic Party politics,” he explained. “He prefers to be in the background and make his influence felt indirectly.
“It would be a surprise to me if he didn’t weigh in behind the scenes on the new choice of a Democratic National Party chair — and I think a lot of Democrats respect his advice and counsel, but he’s going to do that indirectly.”
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
