Here Is the True Reason Behind the Recently Speculated Obama-Biden Camp Divide Among the Democrats

As the specter of a 2024 rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden looms, echoes of Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign resonate within Democratic circles, sparking internal debates on the optimal strategy for the upcoming election. Critics, including a former battleground state director for Obama, argue that Biden lacked a robust organization during the 2020 pandemic campaign, mainly run from his Delaware home, reported Politico. Analyzing Obama's campaign depicts it as a standout example of political organization.

However, a divide within Democratic circles is emerging and has led them to take a cue from the campaigning method of Obama in 2011 which had the White House advisers working on the ground for campaigning. David Axelrod, Obama's former chief strategist, underscores the wealth of experience residing in the White House. He said, “There is a treasure trove of experience in that White House. I mean, one of the issues is it’s all in the White House. Probably some of it should be sitting over at the campaign.” Responding to these apprehensions, the Biden team has proactively undertaken measures to rectify perceived shortcomings in the campaign infrastructure.

Staffing up in battleground states, leadership appointments in Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and North Carolina have been announced. Biden's spokesperson, Kevin Munoz, invites all concerned about the threat posed by Trump and MAGA Republicans to channel their energy toward organizing, donating, and mobilizing public awareness about the stakes of the election. Biden's allies push back against the critique, contending that concerns are overstated and the media coverage is outdated. ​

Jim Messina, Obama's reelection campaign manager, aligns with Biden's team, asserting that the focus should now shift to clearly articulating the stakes and activating the Democratic base. Messina highlights Biden's recent speeches addressing the anniversary of Jan. 6 and condemning white supremacy as examples of effective base mobilization in the current political climate. Meanwhile, Bruce Heyman, a Biden bundler who served as an ambassador to Canada under Obama, said, “Knocking on doors today for an election in November doesn’t make sense.”

“Apprehensive isn’t the right word, but I was curious as to what the heck was going on and where we were. We left that meeting, you know, feeling we were in good hands, and they covered the full spectrum... The anxiety moment is the realization that the campaign while everybody talks about 7 million votes and everything else at the Electoral College level, the number that the campaign uses is that the president won by 45,000 votes in three states? Not very much,” he added.

Axelrod conveyed a somber outlook on the potential for Biden's re-election campaign, characterizing the situation as "very, very dark." These remarks unfolded in a discussion on the Hacks on Tap podcast, featuring Axelrod alongside political consultant Mike Murphy and former Obama White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. According to The Messenger, a Wall Street Journal poll disclosed that Biden's job approval rating stands at a mere 37%.