Former President Barack Obama called former Vice President Joe Biden to congratulate him on his win in the South Carolina primaries, but has not yet endorsed a candidate.
A source told CNN that the former president’s view has not changed. He has no plans to offer an endorsement to any candidate as the campaigns head into Super Tuesday. “We are skeptical that an endorsement coming from us could truly change the political winds right now,” the person close to Obama said. They said there was “a very real chance” an endorsement would backfire.
However, Obama still believes his role is to unify the party. “He feels that he’s singularly positioned to help unify the party at the end of this,” the confidant said. “And if he were try to put his thumb on the scale now, it would take away his ability to do so when it’s most needed; the general election.”
CHECK CURRENT DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY DELEGATE TOTALS HERE!
They added, “He’s prepared to play a vigorous role in coalescing the party around the nominee and working to defeat Trump, but weighing in now likely only divides things worse and weakens his standing for when the Party will need it most.”
Despite refusing to get involved, Obama has been a key figure in this election. BIden frequently mentions Obama on the campaign trail and what was accomplished under his administration, such as the Affordable Healthcare Act. Even other candidates, such as former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have bragged about their partnerships with Obama. Despite this, Obama’s aides say he intends to keep out of the race as long as he can.
