Kamala Harris | “Dear, dear friend of mine”: the special relationship between Obama and Harris (and how they have helped boost their political careers)

“Dear, dear friend of mine,” is one of the phrases with which Obama has publicly referred to her, making it clear that their relationship goes even beyond the political arena.

Recently, in his speech at the Democratic Convention in August, the former president said that Harris “was not born with privileges,” establishing a link between his own life and that of the candidate.

And in the final stretch of the current campaign, Obama has pledged to do “everything possible” to help her become president.including strategic advice, fundraising and efforts to get people to the polls on November 5.

We present six key moments in Harris and Obama’s political relationship.

Harris, then the district attorney of San Francisco, was among the crowd of more than 15,000 when the then-senator announced his surprise run for the White House on the steps of the old State Capitol in Illinois’ capital city of Springfield in February. of 2007.

She would then go on to knock on doors and raise money for Obama ahead of the 2008 Iowa primary, and later serve as co-chair of his California campaign.

Obama shared some of his national stardom with her two years later, when Harris ran for California attorney general against Republican Steve Cooley, a popular Los Angeles district attorney.

At the time, PBS news anchor Gwen Ifill had affectionately referred to her as “the female Barack Obama,” but Harris remained locked in a tight race.

To give his campaign another boost, Obama, who would suffer widespread defeats in Congress that election year, made time to appear at a rally in Los Angeles in October 2010, where he referred to Harris as “dear, dear friend.” mine”.

“I want everyone to do right by her,” he told the crowd. Harris eked out a victory by less than a percentage point, putting herself on the path to higher office.

Obama gave Harris a coveted speaking role at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, when the president was seeking re-election.

She had already made a name for herself in California as the first person of color or woman to serve as district attorney of San Francisco. She was also the first Black and South Asian woman elected as the state’s top attorney.

As attorney general, he made headlines for standing firm in negotiations to reach a financial settlement between state attorneys general and the banks responsible for the country’s mortgage crisis, securing more than $25 billion on behalf of homeowners. .

At the convention, Harris addressed her achievement, weaving in her personal story, praising Obama for standing up for Americans during the housing crisis and attacking her Republican rival, Mitt Romney, as an ally of Wall Street.

“We need to move forward,” he said in his speech, a phrase he has repeated in his 2024 campaign.

“President Obama will fight for working families. He will fight to level the economic playing field and give every American the same opportunities my family had.”

His speech came just before former President Bill Clinton’s remarks and earned a spot that was sure to draw the attention of national Democrats, power brokers and key donors.

Although Obama quietly supported Harris as she rose through California politics, in 2013 he surprised everyone when he referred to her as “the most beautiful attorney general in the country.”

“You have to be careful, first of all, to say that she is brilliant, dedicated and tough, and that is exactly what you expect from someone who administers the law and makes sure that everyone is treated fairly,” said the then-president at a fundraiser in San Francisco.

“It turns out she’s also, by far, the most beautiful attorney general in the country.”

Hours later he phoned Harris to apologize for the comment.

“They are old friends and good friends and he did not want in any way to downplay” his accomplishments, then-White House spokesman Jay Carney later told reporters.

In 2016, at his peak as a Democrat and coming to the end of his second term as president, Obama intervened in the tight California Senate race to support Harris, who launched a bid to replace outgoing Sen. Barbara Boxer.

In July of that year, he and his vice president, Joe Biden, formally announced their support for Harris, who was running against fellow Democrat and U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.

In California’s primary system, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of which party they represent.

“Kamala is a lifelong prosecutor with one client: the people of the state of California. That is the approach he will take in the United States Senate,” Obama said in a statement released by Harris’ campaign.

Biden said he knew her through his son Beau Biden, who, when he served as Delaware attorney general, forged a friendship with her.

Harris handily won the election and became the second Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Harris’ 2020 presidential primary campaign began with an event in her hometown of Oakland, California, before a crowd of 20,000 in 2019.

Like other competitors for the Democratic nomination, he met with Obama to make his case for his candidacy.

But Obama, whose own vice president was preparing an election bid, wanted to stay out of the political fray and wait until the party selected its candidate before offering his coveted endorsement.

Harris’ campaign collapsed in less than a year, and Joe Biden would offer her something of a political reward as his running mate.

Obama supported Biden’s selection of Harris.

“Choosing a vice president is the first major decision a president makes. “When you’re in the Oval Office, weighing the most difficult issues and knowing that the decision you make will affect the lives and livelihoods of the entire country, you need someone with you who has the judgment and character to make the right decision,” Obama said in a statement.

Since 2020, Obama has been in regular contact with Harris, providing advice and acting as a sounding board whenever she requests it.

Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, waited several days to endorse Harris after Joe Biden’s resignation as a candidate for re-election, until it became clear that there were no rivals and that she was the party’s choice.

The couple posted a video calling her to formally announce their support for her campaign.

“We have known each other for 20 years. I have seen how you have excelled in every position you have held,” Obama told him in a phone call.

“Just seeing all that hard work recognized is something that makes us really excited. So the main thing we wanted to do was let you and Doug know [Emhoff]our future first gentleman, that we are going to do everything possible to help her become president.

In recent months, the two have been in close contact. Obama has supported his campaign, including political or strategic advice, fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Harris has also enlisted the help of many of Obama’s veteran allies to run her campaign.

Eric Holder, who was U.S. attorney general under Obama, led efforts to vet Harris’s list of vice presidential candidates, while David Plouffe, Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, is now one of her most important advisors.

Harris’ campaign has also recruited other Obama allies, including Jennifer O’Malley Dillion, her campaign manager, and senior adviser Stephanie Cutter. Obama’s former communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, is also helping Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff.

(*This note is adapted from an article by Courtney Subramanian, BBC News journalist).

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