The forthcoming book "Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House" unveils former Vice President Kamala Harris's tense moments with former President Barack Obama during the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination race.
As Joe Biden declined to run for re-election, Kamala Harris's quest for Obama's endorsement became a major point of contention, especially as Obama hesitated, fueling a complex and staged endorsement process, Fox News reported.
The tension began soon after Biden announced he would not seek re-election. Harris, eyeing the nomination, was perplexed by Obama’s initial reluctance. This was despite their shared political allies and donors, making Obama’s hesitation all the more baffling.
Authors Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes depict the unfolding drama, noting that Harris felt "very annoyed" with Obama's stance. According to one of Harris's confidants, her frustration grew as the Democratic Party seemed to rally behind her, yet Obama remained distant.
This opposition became even more puzzling to Harris as she gained momentum within the party. The authors emphasize the complexity of the endorsement scenario, highlighting Obama's fear that Harris might not be able to defeat Trump in the upcoming election.
Following intense discussions, which spanned over several days, Obama began to reconsider his position, motivated partly by concerns over his reputation among Democratic elites.
Amid internal party dynamics, Obama waited five days after Biden’s announcement before he publicly endorsed Harris. Party strategists spent that time negotiating behind the scenes to manage optics as carefully as they weighed political allegiance.
When Obama finally delivered the endorsement, strategists orchestrated it as a public spectacle. They featured Barack and Michelle Obama in a video calling Harris to announce their support, and they instructed Harris to feign surprise and enthusiasm during the staged call.
The authors critique the authenticity of this endorsement, suggesting that the need to display unity took precedence over the genuineness of the support from the Obamas.
The authors declared, "This was typical bulls---," and described how strategists maneuvered around the endorsement script to elevate the stature of the Obamas and portray Harris as seeking their approval.
Harris's acceptance of the endorsement, despite its staged nature, underscores the political importance of projected unity over the perceived sincerity of support within party ranks, according to Allen and Parnes.
As the dynamics continued to evolve, the authors argue that Obama's resistance to Harris as Biden's successor was part of a broader strategy to keep his options open for the party's future, even considering an open convention or a mini-primary.
As detailed in the book, Obama's complex relationship with his own party's emerging leadership narratives reveals much about the intricacies of political endorsements and the powerful interplay between personal ambitions and party unity.
Allen and Parnes offer a glimpse into the often opaque mechanisms of political support and resistance, which, while rooted in strategic calculations, also reflect deeper concerns about electoral viability and leadership abilities.
The unfolding of these events, as captured in "Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House," provides a fascinating look at the stakes involved in political endorsements and the lengths to which political figures will go to secure or withhold them.
