Bittersweet edge in Wisconsin as Barack Obama shows old magic in bid to strengthen Blue Wall – The Irish Times

There’s a moment at Barack Obama’s campaign rally on what feels like the first real day of October in Wisconsin—spitting rain, geese in the sky—when his expression turns contemplative and he reveals himself as just another American, among millions, bewildered. by the turn that the national political discourse has taken.

“I don’t watch cable news,” he tells them.

“No way. But there are times when I don’t understand how it became so toxic.”

In the big soulless arena – a concrete bowl of a place on the edge of Madison – you now hear nothing but the sound of a crowd in perfect silence. Whether the Democratic Party wins or loses this election, this fall collection of Obama’s speeches will be studied by future generations of historians because it feels like the former president is participating in two parallel debates. The first concerns the most obvious and urgent task: helping Kamala Harris win the presidential election. But beyond that, there is a theme that hints at Obama’s deep frustration with what he sees as Donald Trump’s hijacking of the achievements he left behind after two terms in office.

“I talk to some people and they’ll say, I remember the economy was pretty good when Trump first came into office,” he says at one point.

“And I say: yes, because it was my economy! I spent eight years cleaning up the mess Republicans left behind. I spent eight years getting the auto industry back on track. So when I handed 75 months of direct job growth to Donald Trump, all he did was give a tax cut to people who didn’t need it. Have no nostalgia for what his economy was. Because that was mine! And now he wants to do it again.”

It’s a revealing sentiment because it captures the feeling of the white-knuckle ride America has embarked on over the past eight years. Obama has been a passenger, just like everyone else. For much of the past year, he has been an indirect force in American political life, talked about rather than seen. But now, in the final stages, it is as if he never left. If there is nostalgia in the arena here, it is for the speaker before them. This week, Obama will tour the crucial core states together with vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.

‘I love that man. I love that guy,” Obama told the crowd in Madison. And you can tell he means it. After all, they are both influenced by the Midwest, even if Obama is a unique example of this kind: a young community organizer in Chicago trying to find his place in the complex scheme of the American story, but suddenly understands that it was this: to become the 44th president at a shockingly young age, the best orator in living memory – and now a former world leader who can influence but prevent nothing. Walz, meanwhile, is as pure and recognisably Midwestern as a character from Sherwood Anderson: Nebraska old stock and handy with a wrench, a gun, a beer. What he shares with Obama, besides a passion for sports and politics, is a belief in common decency – it was the one quality that emerged in his debate with JD Vance.

“The kind of person who should be in politics,” Obama says.

“He’s a veteran, he’s a teacher, he’s a coach. A hunter. I’ve been a great governor. You can see the flannel shirts he has have some wear and tear.”

Walz didn’t wear a washcloth, but he spoke well here too, passionately warning against the idea of ​​Trump seeking a second term.

“This Donald Trump is much more dangerous. He is not the Donald Trump of 2016. As Kamala says, he is a very non-serious person, but the consequences of sending him back to office are very serious. He’s talking about sending the army against people who don’t support him. I realize I’m at the top of the list. Do you think he’ll stop with me? He’s talking about you!”

Walz’s elevation to vice presidential pick makes perfect sense when placed in this environment: the vast fields and skies and unassuming friendliness of the Midwest. But he’s smart enough to know that the parking lot was full as of 11 a.m. because the crowd wanted to see Obama for themselves, either as a thrilling connection to the unique optimism of his 2008 campaign or to celebrate the first time the current personality. : a middle-aged statesman who tries to use his extraordinary appeal to shift the balance of power to his party. This is a dangerously close election race for the Democrats, so for everyone who showed up, there’s a bittersweet edge to watching Obama unleash all the usual charisma and mesmerizing stage presence.

“He was our first president growing up.” explains Eliza Bankier of Chicago, who attended the meeting with three friends, all in their final years at the University of Wisconsin. They were each five years old when Obama was elected and remember in unison what that was like.

“I remember exactly where I was.”

“I was watching television with my mother.”

Although they voted in elections for the Governor’s Court and the Wisconsin Supreme Court, this will be the first presidential election in which the four friends can vote. During the meeting, they were engaged by each of the speakers, from Congressman Mark Pocan to Senator Tammy Baldwin to Walz. But when Obama was introduced, they hugged and raised their hands. And so did thousands of others. For many — nay, all — Democrats in the arena, seeing Obama with their own eyes seemed like something close to a spiritual experience.

“I think the way he speaks gets people moving a little bit and I love that about him,” said Lia Kerrigan of Baltimore.

“We can surround ourselves with people who say, ‘I don’t care about politics,’ or they have a different opinion or they’re going to vote for Trump, and people don’t stand back and say nothing. But – we were just talking about this – we have to tell our friends: go vote. We need to stand up for our thoughts and even our rights. People who vote for Trump… it’s not really Democratic versus Republican anymore. It’s about morality. It’s about our safety. It’s about the safety of our parents and friends. And this speech really got me going,” she laughs.

“I have a mission now.”

We chat for a few minutes in the hall as the crowd heads to the parking lot – the exit from the city will be excruciatingly slow.

“Yes, I would agree with that, especially being young women now, at a time when our reproductive rights are being challenged across the country,” says Zola Osman.

“And being in a state like Wisconsin, we come from different states, but we vote here and we want more voice and it feels more important than ever for us to vote now.”

The past 24 hours have been nerve-wracking for Democrats, with new reports claiming insiders fear the entire Blue Wall of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania may not hold in November, leaving Harris’ path to the White House vague. Obama struck a balance with a speech that moved from scathing criticism of Trump to an affirmation of the collective power of American decency. It was that message that resonated with Bankier.

“I think something that was really great about Obama and his administration and the energy of that time was that there was just a lot more respect. And much more seriousness in the political game between Democrats and Republicans. Of course I stand by my democratic values. And I also think that as a starting point, it’s so important that Donald Trump – he wouldn’t be considered a good person on any day, let alone have the capabilities to govern the United States. And it is important – as Obama reiterates so well – to ensure that we have someone at the helm who is a capable and thoughtful leader. I think he reminds citizens about politics and general respect.”

He’s definitely a throwback. Obama and Walz were scheduled to head to Detroit Tuesday evening for what would be a prime time meeting. But there was something poignant about watching this quiet return to Madison on a mundane lunchtime Tuesday as he made an argument he hoped would reach the next generation.

“I think his presence in Wisconsin is a big thing. Because it’s such an important swing state,” says Grace Gilman of New York.

“And what Obama does specifically is he speaks for so many people, not just the left-wing Democrats – he speaks for independents, for Republicans who don’t support Trump’s values. Which I think is especially important here. And he really hit the nail on the head because he was here. Because he speaks for so many people.”

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