The key facts

  • Obama held three rallies this week in support of Democratic candidates ahead of the November 4 elections
  • A Democratic victory could limit Trump's legislative options in the last two years of his term
  • Experts call Obama the main Democratic voice in these elections, but voters doubt the effect of his speeches in swing districts

Obama back on the campaign trail

Days before the US midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power in Congress, Democrats are counting on former President Barack Obama to mobilize voters. This week he spoke at three rallies in support of his party's candidates: in Atlanta he backed Senator Jon Ossoff, who is running for re-election in Georgia and is seen as a possible contender for the 2028 presidential race; earlier in the week he appeared in Ohio, where this time there are closely contested races for governor and a Senate seat, and then in Michigan alongside Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate whom Democrats hope to send to the Senate. This is reported by AFP.

What is at stake

Voters are choosing legislators who will serve until the end of President Donald Trump's term. Democratic control of Congress, according to AFP, would put the Republican leader in a 'legislative corset' for the last two years of his presidency. Trump, for his part, is holding a series of rallies across the country, including traditionally Republican states where his party faces a competitive fight. Republicans fear a Democratic 'blue wave' amid voter discontent over inflation, fueled by rising oil prices after Trump launched military action against Iran in February.

The Obama effect: hopes and doubts

In Atlanta the crowd chanted 'Yes we can' — the slogan of Obama's 2008 campaign. The former president himself said that 'these are serious times' and criticized politicians who 'enjoy insults and division instead of uniting people to solve problems.' Experts rate his role highly: Barbara Perry of the University of Virginia called Obama 'the real voice of the Democrats in the midterms,' noting his ability to energize a crowd and his humor directed against Trump. Julian Zelizer of Princeton University added that Obama is a 'young, energetic former president' whom not only Democrats like and trust, and that as the party searches for a leader for 2028 he could become a 'stopgap standard-bearer.' However, not everyone believes in the magic of his speeches: 32-year-old teacher Luke Brierley at the Atlanta rally noted that Obama could boost turnout in places like Atlanta or Philadelphia, but 'one speech doesn't change anyone's mind' in swing districts — 'people vote based on prices and their own lives.'

A change of approach

Obama's activity marks a departure from his restraint during the first year of Trump's second term. As Barbara Perry noted, 'that is changing — Trump has completely changed our civic and campaign culture.' In 2024, Obama backed Kamala Harris in the final stage of the presidential race, which Trump ultimately won. Notably, at the opening of his presidential center in Chicago in June, all living former US presidents were present — with the exception of Trump.