Breelyn Webb

Former President Barack Obama hit the in-person campaign trail on behalf of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, starting in Philadelphia with a drive-in style rally. The rally was not open to the public because of COVID-19 concerns, however; it was live-streamed.

Horns honked and people cheered as he crossed the stage wearing a mask that said VOTE.

“Our proud reputation around the world is in tatters,” he said, describing the current state of America. He spoke about his hope that President Trump would “show some interest in taking the job seriously.”  He stated, “this is not a reality show, this is reality. And the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously.”

He touched on the news that President Trump has a secret Chinese bank account, asking “how is that possible?” his voice cracking in disbelief. “Can you imagine if I had a secret Chinese bank account when I was running for re-election?” he asked. “They would’ve called me Beijing Barry” he cracked a joke that had laughter ringing throughout the Sports Complex so loud it picked up on his microphone.

Obama spoke to Pennsylvanians urging voters to “choose change,” and vote for his “friend Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris as the next president and vice president.”

He spoke about Biden being a “native son, from Scranton, someone we know.” About their relationship, he recounted, “we weren’t super close,” later saying “but I came to admire Joe as a man who has learned early on to treat everybody he meets with dignity and respect.”

About the pandemic, he explained, “I get that this president wants full credit for the economy he inherited and zero blame for the pandemic he ignored. But you know what? The job doesn’t work that way.” He stated, “Joe Biden has concrete plans and policies that will turn our vision of a better, fairer, stronger country into a reality.”

He continued, “Eight months into this pandemic, cases are rising again across this country. Donald Trump isn’t suddenly going to protect all of us. He can’t even take the basic steps to protect himself.”

Obama then acknowledged the gravity of the pandemic, “this pandemic would have been challenging for any president,” but said the idea that the White House “has done anything but completely screw this [the pandemic] up,” is “just not true.”

He compared the United States’ per capita death toll to Korea to prove his point. Korea discovered the first case of COVID-19 at the same time the United States did, he stated. However, “their per capita death toll is just 1.3% of what ours is,” he exclaimed, “because they’ve got a government that’s actually been paying attention.”

Discussing Biden’s plan for the pandemic, Obama said, “His plan will guarantee paid sick leave for workers and parents affected by the pandemic and make sure that the small businesses that hold our communities together and employ millions of Americans can reopen safely.”

“Joe sees this moment not just as a chance to get back to where we were but to finally make long-overdue changes so that our economy actually makes life a little easier for everybody, the waitress trying to raise her kid on her own, the student trying to figure out how to pay for next semester’s classes, the shift worker who’s always on the edge of getting laid off, the cancer survivor who’s worried about her preexisting conditions, protections being taken away,” he boomed into the microphone as attendees honked and shouted.

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has been a topic of debate for both parties. “Republicans tried to repeal or undermine it more than 60 times” Obama stated in his speech. Circling back to the pandemic, he stated there is a lack of logic in trying to “take healthcare away from people at the very moment where people need it the most.”

“Joe knows that the first job of a president is to keep us safe from all threats, foreign, domestic, or microscopic,” the former President echoed.

He listed occasions where President Trump has fallen short of his duties as a President including ignoring intelligence briefings regarding COVID-19, calling men and women serving in the military suckers and losers and lack of concern for Russian bounties put on the heads of US soldiers in Afghanistan.

He assured those listening that Joe Biden is not that kind of leader, declaring, “he’s going to restore our standing in the world because he knows that American’s true strength comes from setting an example that the world wants to follow.”

Former President Obama also emphasized that with the Biden Harris administration, things wouldn’t be so exhausting. “You’ll be able to go about your lives knowing that the president is not going to retweet conspiracy theories about secret cabals running the world or that navy seals didn’t actually kill bin Laden. Think about that. The president of the United States retweeted that,” he continued.

Describing his behavior as “not normal president behavior” and a distraction from “destructive actions that his appointees are doing all across the government.”

But, “change doesn’t happen overnight,” he sighed. He gazed at those listening and spoke about the importance of voting, “we’ve got to vote and then get some change and then vote some more and then get some more change, and then keep on voting until we get it right.”

Wrapping up the rally Obama asked voters to “pour all our efforts into these 13 days, if we vote up and down the ticket, like never before, then we will not only elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we will also leave no doubt about what this country that we love stands for.”

As he walked away from the podium, the sound of cars honking and cheers took over. He turned and gazed at the crowd and said, “Let’s go make it happen.”

Obama has been an asset to the Biden campaign this election season and continues to advocate for change and hope.