Obama brings his star power to DNC as Harris campaign builds roster of celebrity allies

Former U.S. president Barack Obama talks with Vice-President Kamala Harris in the White House in April 2022. (Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press - image credit)
Former U.S. president Barack Obama talks with Vice-President Kamala Harris in the White House in April 2022. (Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press - image credit)

Former U.S. president Barack Obama will address the crowd at the Democratic National Convention tonight, weeks after he allegedly played a pivotal role in President Joe Biden's exit from the race and endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

He'll make his case for Harris. But the former president's speech might also indicate how he views his current position as an elder statesman of the Democratic Party.

Aides say Obama still wields enormous influence over party politics while maintaining popularity and cultural cachet with voters.

But his record was frequently cited as a mark on Biden during the 2020 presidential election, with candidates criticizing the Obama-Biden administration's record on trade, immigration and health care during a blistering primary debate.

As Obama takes the stage Tuesday night in Chicago, Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are scheduled to hold a rally in Milwaukee, on the same stage where Republican rival Donald Trump accepted his party's presidential nomination last month.

'The living legacy of our party'

The Harris campaign has in some ways sought to model itself after Obama's formula. U.S. media has compared the fervour and excitement around Harris to the frenzy that propelled Obama to the presidency in 2008 and then to re-election in 2012.

Kenny Nguyen, a 29-year-old delegate attending the DNC, voted for Obama that year, the first time he'd voted in a presidential election.

Today, he's a city councillor in Broomfield, Colo.

"I think Barack Obama is the living legacy of our party," he told CBC News. "He was the first African-American president. He's everything that our party and country should strive to be."

Kenny Nguyen, 29,
Kenny Nguyen, 29,

Kenny Nguyen, 29, a delegate and city councillor from Broomfield, Colo., is one of the many young people who were inspired to enter politics by Obama. (Jenna Benchetrit/CBC)

Nguyen likened the energy around Harris's campaign to that of Obama's when he first ran in 2008.

"He was the man who inspired me to run for office. Because of him, I started my career in politics," he said.

Harris campaign taps Obama staffers

Harris is looking to tap into some of that energizing power of the Obama legacy. She has recently rounded out her campaign team with several high-profile senior strategists from the Obama era, including his former campaign manager and senior aide David Plouffe, who joined the Harris campaign as a senior adviser on strategy.

She's also leaned into pop cultural and internet references to reach younger voters. Shepard Fairey, the artist who designed the iconic "Hope" poster art that became a symbol of Obama's campaign in 2008, has created a similar one of Harris, with the word "Forward."

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 19: An attendee holds a poster depicting Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.  Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

An attendee of the 2024 Democratic National Convention holds a poster depicting Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, by artist Shepard Fairey, who also created the 'Hope' portrait of Barack Obama that became a symbol of the former U.S. president's 2008 election campaign. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Obama will be in his political hometown of Chicago to deliver the address. Though they didn't immediately endorse her, the former president and former first lady Michelle Obama gave Harris their blessing a few days after she announced her run.

"We look forward to watching her unite our party and our country around a vision for a brighter, fairer, more prosperous future," the statement said, noting that the Obamas have known Harris for over 20 years.

"She was an early supporter of his and he was an early admirer of hers, without question," David Axelrod, a longtime Obama adviser, told Reuters. "He will not be talking about someone he doesn't know."