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Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden arrive for a press conference at the White House in Washington, the United States, July 1, 2015. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Barack Obama's endorsement gives Joe Biden a boost for the upcoming matchup with sitting President Donald Trump. "Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now," Obama said.
WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that he's endorsing Joe Biden, his former deputy, for the White House, giving the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a boost for an upcoming matchup with sitting President Donald Trump.
In a 12-minute video posted on Twitter, Obama stressed Biden's leadership and capability, as the United States is combating a coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 590,000 people and killed over 25,000 in the nation.
"If there's one thing we've learned as a country from moments of great crisis, it's that the spirit of looking out for one another can't be restricted to our homes or our work places or our neighborhoods or houses of worship, it also has to be reflected in our national government," Obama said.
"The kind of leadership that's guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility, empathy and grace. That kind of leadership doesn't just belong in our state capitols and legislatures, it belongs in the White House," he said. "That's why I'm so proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States."
Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden takes selfie with supporters during a rally in Philadelphia May 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
Biden became the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee last week after his only rival, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, suspended his own bid. Sanders, who had campaigned on progressive policies, endorsed Biden, a moderate political veteran, on Monday.
Obama served as U.S. president from 2009 until 2017, with Biden as his deputy. The two have maintained a close friendship that has gone beyond their time in the White House, and the endorsement was not a surprise to many, though Obama stayed on the sidelines during the primary, which at one point featured over 20 Democratic hopefuls.
"Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made, and he became a close friend," Obama added. "And I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now."
Biden, retweeting the video, said that Obama's endorsement "means the world" to him.
"We're going to build on the progress we made together, and there's no one I'd rather have standing by my side," said the former U.S. vice president.
In Tuesday's video, Obama did not mention Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, by name but took a shot at the administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Pandemics have a way of cutting through a lot of noise and spin to remind us what is real and what matters," he said. "It's reminded us that good government matters, that facts and science matter, that the rule of law matters, that having leaders that are informed and honest, and seek to bring people together, rather than drive them apart, those kinds of leaders matter."
Brad Parscale, manager of Trump's re-election campaign, fired back with a statement, saying that "Biden is the only candidate left in the Democrat field, Obama has no other choice but to support him."
"Barack Obama spent much of the last five years urging Joe Biden not to run for president out of fear that he would embarrass himself," Parscale said. "Even Bernie Sanders beat him to it. Obama was right in the first place: Biden is a bad candidate who will embarrass himself and his party. President Trump will destroy him."
In this year's primary, Sanders finished strong in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, once elevating him as the field's prohibitive front-runner.
But the momentum stalled in South Carolina, where Biden revived his campaign with a resounding victory that kicked off his consecutive Super Tuesday wins, amassing an almost-insurmountable lead.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Obama spoke highly of Sanders and his campaign in attempt to appeal to the Democratic Party's progressive wing for a greater unity.
"Bernie is an American original, a man who has devoted his life to giving voice to people's hopes, dreams and frustration," Obama said. "He and I haven't always agreed on everything, but we've always shared the conviction that we have to make America a fairer, more just and equitable society."
"The energy and enthusiasm he's inspired, especially in young people, will be critical in moving America in a direction of progress and hope, because for the second time in 12 years, we'll have the incredible task of rebuilding our economy, and to meet the moment the Democratic Party will have to be bold," he added.
Primaries of the 2020 U.S. presidential race have not finished, as many states have delayed their voting due to the coronavirus pandemic, despite a Biden-Trump matchup is poised to take place.
The Democratic National Committee has postponed the party's presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Aug. 17, the week before the Republican Party's convention, scheduled for Aug. 24 to 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 2020 U.S. presidential election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3. ■
