Obama proclaims Gillum and Nelson, warning voters that "the character of the country" is at stake

He never mentioned his name, but former President Barack Obama said Friday at a rally in Miami's Overtown that by electing Andrew Gillum, Florida's governor, the state could blow a blow to the president Donald Trump.

A few days before an election that could complicate the chances of his successor to represent or facilitate his task for a second term, Obama insisted that nothing less than American democracy – and the eroding shores of Florida – are at stake in Tuesday's elections.

"I hope we will eliminate the lies, block the noise and remind ourselves of who we are called to be," said Obama at a tumultuous rally at the Ice Palace, where he was repeatedly interrupted by Some protestors. One point: "Why are the people who won the last election so crazy all the time?"

Obama decried Trump's immigration and health policies and warned against "a division-based policy," saying Tuesday's election gave voters an opportunity to "get away with it." adopt a "policy based on feeling that we are all in the same boat".

"An election will not eliminate racism, sexism or homophobia … but it will be a start," Obama said. "And when you start down this path, the momentum begins to grow."

He called Tuesday's election "the most important election of our life" and insisted that it was not a political hyperbole.

"The consequences of staying at home are really more dangerous," he said. "Perhaps more than all the character of our country is on the ballot."

The country's first African-American president strongly supported Gillum, who could be the first African-American governor of the state. And he called Gillum, which drew a reputed national audience, "one of the most inspiring and talented candidates who come this year," and urged the crowd to "make history." a reality".

But much of his remarks served to defend his own terms and to repudiate Trump and the Republicans of Congress: he accused the GOP of spending eight years trying to dismantle its health care law and to pretending to be "Mother Teresa" by promising to cover pre-existing medical conditions.

Obama said that Gillum's opponent, former representative Ron DeSantis, had "voted in favor of sabotage or repealing protections on every occasion".

And Obama tore up Trump 's administration, noting that he had come to Washington promising to "drain the swamp" but that his allies had accumulated enough "indictments" for him. to constitute a football team ".

He also denounced Trump's final argument that the Democrats are weak in immigration and that a caravan of Central American refugees poses a threat to the country, saying that it was designed to make us angry and make us fearful. It is designed to exploit our history of racial, ethnic and religious division. This opposes us to each other. "

The appearance in Miami of the first African-American President of the country comes as the race has been engaged in racial politics. Gillum and his surrogates accused DeSantis and Trump of using the breed to undermine his candidacy.

"We have the opportunity to send Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump a message on November 6," Gillum said. "We have a chance to send them an unequivocal message that their brand of policy is no longer acceptable in the state of Florida."

Gillum invoked Obama to assert that Florida had already answered the question of whether it was ready to elect a black governor: Florida voters have twice delivered the state to Obama.

Still, mercurial voters in Florida ceded the state to Trump in 2016, despite Obama's urging Florida voters to support Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in his November 2016 speech in Miami. Do not win this election. "

On Friday, the faithful found themselves trapped in a cavernous and stuffy room at the Ice Palace studios in Miami, with several participants wearing Obama T-shirts dating back to his first presidential race in 2008. The Gillum campaign drew more of 4,000 people.

Hearing members said they were eager to send a message to Trump: "It's time for change. The political world has become very ugly, "said Diamond Williams, 36, an academic advisor at Broward College. "I'm tired of the current situation."

Shavon Etan, 39, of Fort Lauderdale, arrived Friday morning to secure a place at the rally and said she was ready to "change things". She stated that it would be "historic for Gillum to win" and she continues to focus on access to health care.

Before arriving at the top of the ticket, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Mary Barzee Flores and Donna Shalala, all seeking to overthrow three Congressional seats held by the Republican Party of Miami region, took turns to demolish Trump.

"Is Donald Trump an American? Someone should check his birth certificate, "said Shalala, pointing out that Trump's anti-immigration stance represented everything that America did not have. Barzee Flores was applauded when she found that Obama had appointed him federal judge – and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio had blocked it.

"The former president believes that the policy must relate to honesty and integrity," said Senator Bill Nelson, the Democrat who is battling a re-election battle with the Florida governor , Rick Scott. "I believe the public service is a public trust."

Obama urged voters to send Nelson back to power, warning that the Senate had only one vote to make before repealing the Affordable Health Care Act in 2017 and that "my friend" Nelson would be essential to block them.

Unlike some of his predecessors who largely failed to campaign against their successors, Obama made it clear that he believed he needed to express himself.

Obama told the crowd during his first appearance at the Chicago campaign in September that he was "determined to follow a wise American tradition of ex-presidents gracefully stepping out of the political arena and leaving room for new voices and new ideas ".

But, he added, "this is one of those crucial moments when all of us, citizens of the United States, must determine who we are and what we stand for."

The former president's visit took place just two days after Trump's campaign for DeSantis and Scott on the west coast of Florida – and one day before he returned to the state to campaign for "Rick and Ron "- under the pseudonym of two Republicans.

The dual presidential visits underscored the national implications of the state election: Trump's re-election campaign in 2020 would be greatly facilitated by a Republican governor in Tallahassee. And the Democrats' efforts to oust Trump in 2020 would be facilitated by the installation of a Democrat in the governor's residence located in the country's largest swing state.

Millions of Floridians have already voted, but each of the presidential visits is aimed at strengthening the party base: Trump campaigned Wednesday in southwest Florida and will hold a rally Saturday in the Panhandle, two surely red areas. Obama has appeared in Miami, the state's largest media market, and in a highly Democratic region, but largely composed of Hispanic voters, who are traditionally fewer in the mid-term elections.

After his visit to Miami, Obama was due to attend a rally in Atlanta of Georgia's Democratic Democrat Governor, Stacey Abrams, who, like Gillum, is looking for the story: if she wins, she will be the first black woman to be elected governor of the country.

Trump will campaign Sunday in Macon for his rival, the Republican candidate for governorship, Brian Kemp. He is already trying lines of attack, telling reporters at the White House, without providing any proof, that the Yale Law School graduate and former minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives is "unqualified" To be governor.

Lesley Clark: 202-383-6054, @lesleyclark