Barack Obama endorses former VP Joe Biden for president [Video]

• Former US President Barack Obama has officially declared his long-awaited endorsement of his former VP’s presidential campaign.
• Obama hailed Joe Biden’s actions during his administration and called for Biden’s campaign to go further to the left on important issues such as healthcare and climate change.
• The former president urged Democrats to unite behind Biden in order to bring about change and defeat the Republican party.

Former US President Barack Obama has officially announced his endorsement of his former vice president’s presidential campaign.

His announcement came just a day after the endorsement of Joe Biden’s former rival, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

The former president recorded a 12-minute video to detail his long-awaited endorsement.

Obama declared, “I’m so proud to endorse Joe Biden to be president of the United States. Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made, and he became a good friend. And I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now.”

Obama applauded Biden’s actions during his administration, such as spearheading the response to the H1N1 pandemic and assisting in the financial recovery after the Great Recession.

The former president also commended the former presidential candidates, especially Sanders. He added that Sanders’ vision “will be critical in moving America in a direction of progress and hope.”

Obama urged Sanders’ fervent supporters to unite and support Biden, saying, “We both know that nothing is more powerful than millions of voices calling for change.”

He also called for Biden’s campaign to go further to the left on important issues such as healthcare and climate change.

The former president acknowledged that “Democrats may not always agree” on how to bring about these changes. “But we do agree that they’re needed. And that only happens if we win this election,” he pointed out.

“Because one thing everybody has learned by now is that the Republicans occupying the White House and running the U.S. Senate are not interested in progress. They’re interested in power,” he added.

Obama highlighted how the current crisis has “reminded us that good government matters. … That having leaders who are informed, and honest, and seek to bring people together rather than drive them apart – those kind of leaders matter.”

Obama’s endorsement of his former VP has been long-awaited and considered inevitable. But he explained that he had to avoid engaging in the presidential race to allow the candidates to make their case.

When Biden launched his presidential campaign last April, he also stated that he wanted to “earn this on my own,” without Obama’s endorsement.

Throughout his campaign, Biden had proudly defended the Obama administration against criticism from his former rivals.

Source: CBS News