After Joe Biden came out victorious in South Carolina, former President Barack Obama called his former Vice President to offer his congratulations. But Obama remained true to his word of staying on the sidelines as he still did not endorse anyone.
A source close to Barack Obama revealed that the former president has not changed his view, according to CNN. He still did not endorse Biden even after winning the South Carolina race because he fears that it could backfire.
“We are skeptical that an endorsement coming from us could truly change the political winds right now,” the source told CNN. “If Obama were to endorse Biden, the person said, there is "a very real chance it backfires.”
According to the source, Obama believes that the most important role he could play is not to endorse just one camp but try to unify the party once more after the dust settles. “He feels that he's singularly positioned to help unify the party at the end of this,” the source explained. “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.”
Obama has a far more important role to play in the near future as well. And that is to do everything he can to defeat Donald Trump.
“So 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,” the source added.
But despite not officially endorsing anyone, candidates have been trying to associate themselves with Barack Obama in their ads. For instance, an ad from Bloomberg campaign inserted footage of Obama praising the former New York mayor. “He's been a leader throughout the country for the past 12 years, Mr. Michael Bloomberg is here,” Obama said in the footage, which was taken from an event in New York City early college high school back in 2013.
Biden also has an ad showing footage of Barack Obama giving him praises. However, the clip was actually taken from Obama’s speech in 2017 with Biden was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.