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Obama to Join Hillary Clinton on Stump, Starting in North Carolina Obama Joins Hillary Clinton on Stump, Saying She ‘Has Been Tested’
(about 2 hours later)
Hillary Clinton will hold her first joint rally with President Obama on Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C., an event signaling the start of a flurry of political activity by Mr. Obama to help elect his former rival and vanquish Donald J. Trump. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President Obama on Tuesday delivered a full-throated stemwinder on behalf of Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, making his debut on the campaign trail this year just hours after federal officials criticized Mrs. Clinton’s “careless” handling of emails but said no charges should be filed.
The rally comes just hours after the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said that the bureau would not recommend criminal charges in Mrs. Clinton’s handling of classified information, while rebuking her as being “extremely careless” in using a personal email address and server for sensitive information. The president and his first-term secretary of state sidestepped the email issue during their first joint campaign appearance at a convention center here. Sleeves rolled up, Mr. Obama whipped up the friendly crowd by heaping praise on Mrs. Clinton and taking some swipes at Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
For Mrs. Clinton, appearing with the man who defeated her eight years ago and under whom she served as secretary of state reflects the evolution of one of the most delicate relationships in Democratic politics. “I can tell you this, Hillary Clinton has been tested,” Mr. Obama said, interrupted repeatedly by the cheering crowd. “There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office,” the president boomed.
From its inception, her campaign has been walking on eggshells in dealing with the White House, trying not to overly irritate Mr. Obama in the fog of the hard-fought Democratic primary contest in which she was frequently pulled to the left of administration policies. His endorsement of Mrs. Clinton and eagerness to campaign for her signal that Mr. Obama will throw his full weight — and popularity — behind her. Mr. Obama said voters face a choice between “some imaginary past, or whether we are going to reach for the future.” And he said that Mrs. Clinton was a candidate who did not fear what the future has to offer.
On Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton will join Mr. Obama for the ride from Washington to Charlotte on Air Force One, a potent symbol of the president’s support for the woman he hopes will succeed him. “She believes that it is ours to shape,” he said. “Hillary understands that we make our own destiny, as long as we’re together.”
Protecting her relationship with the White House has been imperative for Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Obama remains wildly popular among Democrats and, in particular, the black voters who helped Mrs. Clinton defeat Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Mrs. Clinton won more than 77 percent of the vote among blacks through the May 10 contests, according to exit polls. Speaking before the president, Mrs. Clinton told the crowd of several thousand people that, with Mr. Obama’s help, she intended to defeat Mr. Trump. She described Mr. Obama as a “statesman” with “depth, heart and humility” and said that he had prevailed despite an array of obstructions in Washington.
And, she added, “He knows a thing or two about winning elections.”
Mrs. Clinton lauded Mr. Obama’s presidency and drew a sharp contrast with Mr. Trump, eliciting loud boos when she asked: “Can you imagine him, sitting in the Oval Office, the next time the world faces a crisis? Donald Trump is simply unqualified and temperamentally unfit.”
Mr. Obama remains wildly popular among Democrats and, in particular, the black voters who helped Mrs. Clinton defeat Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Mrs. Clinton won more than 77 percent of the vote among blacks through the May 10 contests, according to exit polls.
In a general election, Mr. Obama can assist Mrs. Clinton in states that have historically leaned Republican, like North Carolina, where an increasingly diverse population helped Mr. Obama capture the state’s 15 electoral votes in 2008. He lost the state to Mitt Romney in 2012.In a general election, Mr. Obama can assist Mrs. Clinton in states that have historically leaned Republican, like North Carolina, where an increasingly diverse population helped Mr. Obama capture the state’s 15 electoral votes in 2008. He lost the state to Mitt Romney in 2012.
In a sign of the coming fight there, Mr. Trump has plans for his own rally on Tuesday in Raleigh to criticize Mr. Obama’s tenure and portray a Clinton presidency as four more years of the status quo. In a sign of the coming fight there, Mr. Trump has plans for his own rally later Tuesday in Raleigh to criticize Mr. Obama’s tenure and portray a Clinton presidency as four more years of the status quo.
While every election is said to be about the future, even some Republicans see risks in Mr. Trump’s strategy. Senior Clinton campaign aides — including John D. Podesta, Jennifer Palmieri and Kristina Schake, all of whom worked in the Obama administration — have kept the White House abreast of Mrs. Clinton’s positioning and moves, especially when they might cause discomfort between the two Democrats.
“President Obama’s approval rating is 52 percent,” said Christine Matthews, a Republican strategist. “What Donald Trump doesn’t understand,” she added, “is in a general election, not everyone wants to blow things up.”
To that end, on issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and the Keystone XL pipeline, Mrs. Clinton has walked a careful line of disagreeing with the president, or tilting further to the left, without denouncing his policies outright.
Senior campaign aides — including John D. Podesta, Jennifer Palmieri and Kristina Schake, all of whom worked in the Obama administration — have kept the White House abreast of Mrs. Clinton’s positioning and moves, especially when they might cause discomfort between the two Democrats.
As she emerged as her party’s presumptive nominee, Mrs. Clinton has received additional help from a far-flung network of aides who helped Mr. Obama defeat her eight years ago and who are determined to help the president in his mission to beat Mr. Trump.As she emerged as her party’s presumptive nominee, Mrs. Clinton has received additional help from a far-flung network of aides who helped Mr. Obama defeat her eight years ago and who are determined to help the president in his mission to beat Mr. Trump.
Mr. Obama’s campaign appearances on behalf of Mrs. Clinton are the most visible efforts to lend her the power of incumbency. Aides say the president will hit the trail repeatedly, especially in October.Mr. Obama’s campaign appearances on behalf of Mrs. Clinton are the most visible efforts to lend her the power of incumbency. Aides say the president will hit the trail repeatedly, especially in October.
The president is eager to campaign, in part for personal reasons: Mr. Trump’s embrace of the “birther” movement’s conspiracy theories about the president’s heritage was a stinging affront, and Mr. Obama has expressed deep distaste for his views.The president is eager to campaign, in part for personal reasons: Mr. Trump’s embrace of the “birther” movement’s conspiracy theories about the president’s heritage was a stinging affront, and Mr. Obama has expressed deep distaste for his views.
But Mr. Obama is also eager to ensure a Democrat succeeds him as a means of safeguarding his policies on immigration, gay rights, civil justice reform, education, health care and the environment.But Mr. Obama is also eager to ensure a Democrat succeeds him as a means of safeguarding his policies on immigration, gay rights, civil justice reform, education, health care and the environment.
The desire to see Mrs. Clinton succeed Mr. Obama goes beyond the president’s own activity. It runs deep in the Obama firmament, especially among many former aides to the president who fought bitterly to defeat her in 2008 and are now working on her behalf.The desire to see Mrs. Clinton succeed Mr. Obama goes beyond the president’s own activity. It runs deep in the Obama firmament, especially among many former aides to the president who fought bitterly to defeat her in 2008 and are now working on her behalf.
David Plouffe, the architect of Mr. Obama’s victory over Mrs. Clinton that year, has offered quiet advice to her behind the scenes even as he devotes his time to his current job as a strategic adviser at Uber, the ride-sharing company based in San Francisco.David Plouffe, the architect of Mr. Obama’s victory over Mrs. Clinton that year, has offered quiet advice to her behind the scenes even as he devotes his time to his current job as a strategic adviser at Uber, the ride-sharing company based in San Francisco.
Mr. Plouffe, who is revered among the president’s former campaign workers, has also used his popular Twitter feed to denounce Mr. Trump and to rally Mr. Obama’s troops to Mrs. Clinton’s side.Mr. Plouffe, who is revered among the president’s former campaign workers, has also used his popular Twitter feed to denounce Mr. Trump and to rally Mr. Obama’s troops to Mrs. Clinton’s side.
“When he says something like ‘Pennsylvania will never vote for Trump,’ a lot of people take comfort in that,” said Mitch Stewart, who worked with Mr. Plouffe on the 2008 campaign and directed the president’s battleground efforts in 2012. “His impact on the larger Obama world is soothing.”“When he says something like ‘Pennsylvania will never vote for Trump,’ a lot of people take comfort in that,” said Mitch Stewart, who worked with Mr. Plouffe on the 2008 campaign and directed the president’s battleground efforts in 2012. “His impact on the larger Obama world is soothing.”
Many members of Mr. Obama’s political world have gone to work for Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. Joel Benenson, the president’s pollster, is now the pollster and chief strategist for the Clinton campaign. Marlon Marshall, who worked at the White House Office of Public Engagement, is doing a similar job for Mrs. Clinton. Teddy Goff, who ran Mr. Obama’s digital campaign operations in 2012, is Mrs. Clinton’s digital strategist.
And across the country, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign has recruited lesser-known Obama alumni in battleground states to help repeat the successful voter turnout effort that helped Mr. Obama win election twice. Those veterans of past campaigns will be using their knowledge — and the vast voter database that Mr. Obama built — to help Mrs. Clinton.
“There are just a ton of Obama alumni in the states,” Mr. Stewart said. “There’s a lot of muscle memory as to what worked and what didn’t work. Having that type of experience already is going to be really important.”