Former President Barack Obama was in Arizona on Friday to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.
President Obama recalled his 2008 presidential campaign with the late Sen. John McCain and called for a return to civility.
The Deseret News covers the presidential campaigns of both Harris and former President Donald Trump in battleground states like Arizona.
TUCSON, Ariz. — President Barack Obama continues to campaign for the Harris Waltz ticket. On Friday, he visited the University of Arizona and spoke at a rally that drew more than 5,000 attendees. He attacked former President Donald Trump’s character and said Vice President Kamala Harris would unite the country.
“Donald Trump is a 78-year-old billionaire who has been complaining about his problems ever since he rode that golden escalator nine years ago,” Obama said. “He’s not complaining, but he’s trying to sell you stuff.” Obama called Trump a “tough guy on China,” adding “to make a quick buck.” ” derided the country’s dependence on foreign enemies.
President Obama’s voice was hoarse and he acknowledged that his campaign was “a little out of practice,” but those in attendance didn’t seem to mind. President Obama said American leaders must govern political divisions and insisted Harris could do that.
“Donald Trump has convinced us that this country is hopelessly divided between us and them, between ‘real Americans,’ whom he means his supporters, and ‘outsiders.’ “Because people are divided, angry, bitter, and resentful,” Obama said.
He said Trump’s long stump speech sounded like “word salad” and that the two men did not respond to questions at City Hall, which was in a state of emergency, and instead played music and wandered into the “YMCA.” He mocked President Trump.
Mr. Obama took credit for handing the economic boom to Mr. Trump after “spending eight years cleaning up the mess the Republicans left me.”
President Obama’s pitch? Kamala Harris would be less divisive, he claims.
President Obama spoke about his relationship with the late Arizona senator John McCain, who ran against him in the 2008 presidential election. President Obama said he did not want to “over-romanticize” his relationship with McCain, but praised him for being honest and open. Opinions of others. “He didn’t demonize his political opponents,” Obama said, referring to McCain’s endorsement of Obama after a woman at one of his rallies called him an “Arab.” reminded the audience.
“He knew that our democracy would not work if we had a habit of bending the truth to suit political expediency and party orthodoxy,” Obama said.
While not everyone agrees that Americans are less divided under the Biden-Harris administration, polls and surveys show that Americans want to be less divided, and that is why Obama It was also the theme of the president’s remarks.
“It’s hard to have political conversations right now. It can sometimes tear families apart. Things have gotten very intense, and they shouldn’t be that way,” Obama said. But Harris and Gov. Tim Walz said they have a “new vision of progress for Arizonans and all Americans.”
He brought up Harris’ economic policies, including a $6,000 child tax credit and $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time homeowners.
“If your business is starting to shut down, Kamala Harris will give you a $50,000 tax credit to get your business back on track,” Obama said. “That’s Kamala. That’s what she represents. Not the idea of a plan, but an actual plan.”
A crowd cheers as former President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris on the University of Arizona campus on Friday, October 18, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. mamta popat
What did voters say about President Obama’s message?
Voters at the rally interviewed by the Deseret News all indicated that they see political divisions seeping into daily life in Arizona.
Dave Mueller, 61, who works for an insurance company, said it’s impossible to bring up politics among friends without risking losing them. “That’s why no one talks about it and we just ignore it,” he said. “That never happened before.”
Linda Price Barry, 63, and David Barry, 67, from Phoenix, about two hours away, praised President Obama for raising issues that affect many voters.
“They feel like they can’t express any point of view and that other people will pick on them for that,” David says. “We see it online, on TV, and even within our own families. Most of the time, we don’t even post it on Facebook.”
His wife added that she grew up in Los Angeles, California, where people of different political affiliations “sat at the same table and discussed politics together.”
“It wasn’t a lie. There were opinions and there was resistance to new ideas, but it wasn’t necessarily that deep of a division,” she said. But in modern times, we have seen friendships being determined based on who the person voted for.
“I feel like we live in a world right now where I don’t agree with you. I don’t have a say or my opinion doesn’t matter,” she added. Together, the couple has attended recent rallies for Ms. Harris, Mr. Walz, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and Dr. Jill Biden.
President Obama last visited Tucson about 13 years ago, following the 2011 assassination attempt on U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who suffered a severe brain injury. Six people died that night. Holding on to Sen. Mark Kelly, Giffords, who is now a gun reform activist, took to the stage, exchanged brief remarks, and thanked the “decent guy from Delaware” who keeps checking in on her. He thanked Mr. Harris and expressed his equal confidence in Mr. Harris.
During former President Obama’s speech, Congressman Ruben Gallego, who served as the opening act, was on stage. Gallego is running against Republican candidate Kari Lake for Arizona’s open Senate seat.
