Obama's record: Allies exasperated by the trials of Democrats

It turns out that the reverse of the strategy tarnishes the record that Biden hopes to achieve in the White House.

Liberal candidates advocating for a government-run health system have found Obama's signature law, the Affordable Care Act, to be inadequate. Some of Biden's Democratic rivals have tried to hold him accountable or the high number of deportations under Obama. Even the mbadive trade pact that his administration negotiated with the Pacific Basin countries has been criticized for its lack of protection of the environment and workers – by Biden himself.
Trump, who followed the debates and closely follows the Democratic primaries, happily took note.

On Thursday, an Obama spokesman declined to comment on the attacks, according to the former president's practice of not directly weighing in the 2020 campaign and political talks.

But harsh criticisms point to a radical change underway within the Democratic Party, which is no longer the party of Obama, while he has been away for less than three years.

"It's three years later," Biden said. "The world has changed."

Obama's relatives, who have discussed with him the party's changing dynamics, claim that he is not at all bothered by the gradual change in Democrats. He adopts new ideas and approaches, as he had advocated 12 years ago during his first campaign against Sen. Hillary Clinton when he was seen as a fresh and more liberal voice.

In his first conversations with many Democratic candidates – including Biden – Obama did not offer specific advice or instructions on how to handle the inevitable attacks on his own legacy, according to a familiar person conversations. And he was not surprised that some aspects of his mandate are now being criticized.

Nevertheless, he also privately expressed his exasperation with certain political proposals and promises that he believes are unrealistic. And he and his entourage doubt that it is wise to badume the record of a former popular president rather than that of an unpopular by comparison.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was the first White House leader for Obama, said the Democratic presidential candidates had an extremely imprecise view and were bent on badailing the record of the Obama administration, rather than trying to consolidate it.

"We've already seen this movie, the Democrats have to wake up," Emanuel told CNN. "I would not treat the Obama years as a story to tell, all of these things must be developed."

In an interview Thursday morning, less than 12 hours after the end of the debate, discontent was clear in Emanuel's voice. Several of the party's presidential candidates misinterpreted the electorate, he said, and should inspire a successful mid-term election last year, when Democrats reminded voters that Trump and the Republicans were trying to eliminate the Affordable Care Act.

"Everyone has to make fun of me here," said Emanuel. "Your organization is perfect, President Trump has brought an action for injustice, we have won elections, I do not understand."

Obama's immigration record

Even though the Democratic Party has moved significantly to the left, a critical discussion of Obama 's record has been largely overshadowed by the chaotic first term of the Trump administration. But Biden's candidacy sparked intense debate over what many liberals regard as Obama's failures in power.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the immigration debate, a question that galvanized the country while Trump took an uncompromising approach, including raids on undocumented immigrants and controversial policies that led the children to be separated from their parents.

The attention given to the issue has led to a scrutiny of Obama's own record, which earned him the nickname of "spoiler-in-chief" of some immigration activists and who has regularly incited to protest against his events while he was in office.

"You were vice-president of the United States, I did not hear that you were trying to prevent them from using your power, your influence in the White House," said the mayor of the city. New York, Bill de Blasio, during Wednesday's debate.

Biden, who defended the record of the former president and declined to reveal the advice he had given him, was indignant.

"To compare it to Donald Trump, I think, is absolutely bizarre," said Biden.

The replica was not enough to satisfy the other suitors. Julián Castro, who served as the government's secretary for housing and urban development in Obama, blamed Biden for failing to acknowledge the mistakes of the administration in which they had both served.

"It looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and the other no," he said.

Senator Cory Booker has described Biden as unwilling to confront the controversies of the Obama era.

"You can not have both You call on President Obama more than anyone in this campaign, you can not do it when it's convenient for you and then avoid it when it's not the case", did he declare.

Even Trump, looking from the White House, saw an opportunity in the Democrats' criticism of the Obama immigration case.

"The children's cages were built by the Obama administration in 2014," he wrote, referring to the facilities used to house undocumented migrant children. "He had the policy of separating children and I ended it when I realized that more families would come to the border later!"

Appearing later on CNN, Booker said Obama – even admired – should be a fair game for Democrats.

"Look, it's our statesman, and whoever was part of an executive – me too, I was a ruler, two warrants of the city – it's not perfect," said Booker, senator and former mayor of Newark. , New Jersey, said Thursday at CNN's "New Day." "And I'm sure (if) Barack Obama was sitting here … he'll tell you:" I made mistakes. "

"Not a wise way"

Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., A friend and supporter of Biden, was sitting inside the historic Fox Theater in Detroit and said he was amazed at what was happening. he saw himself unfolding on the scene as a Democratic candidate after another attacker broke the Obama record.

"I was really surprised by the number of criticisms directed at the most popular and recent US President's two terms," ​​Coons told CNN. "As a party, we should be more forward-looking than in the future As we are going to look at President Obama's record, I think we should highlight some of his points rather than reconsider some of his questions. " . "

Jennifer Palmieri, an Obama adviser who worked closely with him in the West Wing, said the critics would not undermine the legacy of the former president, but N & # 39; They were not constructive in the party's quest to choose the most powerful candidate to defeat Trump.

"This is not a wise way," Palmieri said. "This is one of the most popular personalities in the world, which will give the impression that these Democratic candidates are no longer in contact with a large part of the Democratic primary electorate next round of debates."

Ben LaBolt, an Obama veteran at the White House and his reelection campaign, have taken up the criticism that "attacking Obama rather than Trump is not a smart path to victory for the primary or the general ".

"The most likely solution for the Democratic candidate," said LaBolt, "is to rebuild an expanded version of the Obama coalition by reaching out to traditional voting voters and inspiring young voters and those who normally do not vote to run for office. the polls. "

And anyone who will graduate from primary school, faced with the challenge of defeating a sitting president, will surely turn to Obama for help in reclaiming the White House, a feat he has accomplished twice. .