WASHINGTON – Former U.S. President Barack Obama endorsed his former second in command, Joe Biden, for president Tuesday, calling Biden a clear choice to replace President Donald Trump in November’s national election.
“Our country’s future hangs on this election,” Obama said.
He added that it would not be easy to defeat Trump, who won an upset victory in 2016 over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Obama urged Americans to “keep believing in the possibilities of a better world” by supporting Biden’s campaign.
Obama praised the courage and skills of health care workers treating coronavirus victims. But he said national leadership in fighting the ravages of the disease was missing in Trump’s White House.
“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 workplaces, or our neighborhoods, or our houses of worship. It also has to be reflected in our national government,” Obama said in a nearly 12-minute video.
“The kind of leadership that’s guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility, empathy and grace,” he continued. “That kind of leadership doesn’t just belong in our state capitols and mayors’ offices. It belongs in the White House. And that’s why I’m so proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States.”
Obama said, “Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made. And he became a close friend. I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now.
“Joe was there when we rebuilt from the Great Recession (in 2008 and 2009) and rescued the American auto industry,” Obama recalled. “He was the one asking what every policy would do for the middle class.
“Joe gets stuff done,” Obama said, pointing to Biden’s help combating the H1N1 virus and preventing the Ebola epidemic from becoming a pandemic.
