Barack Obama Is Reminding Democrats What They're Missing

Although his agenda is hanging in the balance, particularly if Republicans retake control of Congress in the November midterms, President Joe Biden has maintained a low profile on the campaign trail.

Plagued by low approval numbers, Biden has not been seen widely stumping for Democratic candidates at political rallies in some of the country's most competitive battlegrounds, although his appearances are scheduled to ramp up in the week before Election Day.

This past Friday and Saturday, it was former President Barack Obama who traveled across the country to rally voters in Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris, made a rare joint appearance at a fundraiser in Pennsylvania on Friday.

And while Biden's gaffes have continued to make headlines, Obama—long lauded for his oratory skills—went viral for the right reasons. In Milwaukee, he passionately defended Social Security as he blasted Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson. In Detroit, he shut down a heckler and humorously ripped into conspiracy theories promoted by Republican Tudor Dixon, who is running against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. There, he also reacted with humor after a woman yelled out that he was "fine."

With Obama's charisma on full display, some took to Twitter to suggest he be allowed to run for president a third time. The 22nd Amendment says no person can be elected president "more than twice."

Biden's approval rating—currently 42.4 percent, according to political analysis site FiveThirtyEight—is not significantly worse than his predecessors' numbers at the same stage in their presidencies. Obama's approval was at 45 percent going into the 2010 midterms, while Donald Trump was at 42 percent heading into the 2018 midterms.

Still, it appears Obama's appearances at rallies may be reminding Democrats what they are missing with a gaffe-prone and unpopular president, with some of the party's candidates reportedly seeking to distance themselves from him.

"The comparisons to Joe Biden are inevitable," David Dulio, a professor of political science and director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Michigan's Oakland University, told Newsweek.

"Not only does Biden suffer in comparison to Obama on the stump—to be fair, everyone suffers in comparison—but [his appearances] got plenty of coverage across the nation. It might serve as a reminder to other voters of their reservations about Biden or even reinforce their dissatisfaction with his job performance. That's not what Democrats need in other races around the country."

Democratic strategist Christy Setzer told Newsweek that Obama "is a singular talent who also commands a bully pulpit like no one outside the actual president."

Obama "alone has the ability to give apathetic voters, via a single speech, a reason to come to the polls," she said. "But it's less his message, which isn't so different from that of most Democrats, and more his delivery that sets him apart. He actually looks like he's having fun out there. He diffuses the crazy of the right with humor and in a way that shows them as small."

That is "what we should be replicating," Setzer said.

Dulio added that Democrats clearly see Obama "as a valuable tool to energize part of their base that may not be as keen to turn out this year as in past years."

It's "pretty clear he was appearing in Detroit to energize African American voters," he said.

"It's interesting to me, however, because the biggest star in the Democratic galaxy was sent to Michigan to campaign for Gretchen Whitmer—who is ahead in the polls—and no other Democrats, like [congressional candidates] Elissa Slotkin, Dan Kildee or Hillary Scholten," Dulio said.

"I imagine Democrats are concerned about enthusiasm in Detroit, and Obama's appearance is designed to counter that. No one can energize African Americans like Obama," he said.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.