The election is 25 days away and there seems to be growing panic among Democrats about the chances of the Harris-Walz campaign. With Kamala Harris’ media blitz appearing to have done more harm than good, Dems are bringing in the big guns. Up first: Barack Obama.
The former president was deployed to start shoring up support among black men, who are a traditionally rock solid part of the Democrat base but have been breaking for Donald Trump at a historic rate. The only problem? His message didn’t quite land.
On Friday’s show, Megyn was joined by Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, and Dan Turrentine, hosts of The Morning Meeting on 2Way, to discuss Obama’s campaign stop in Pennsylvania and why he quickly drew criticism.
Obama’s Scolding
Obama was in Pittsburgh, PA, on Thursday for the start of a swing-state tour in support of the Democratic ticket. He made an unscheduled stop at a campaign field office in the Steel City to thank volunteers and “speak some truths” in the wake of hearing reports there is an enthusiasm gap for Harris that “seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.”
“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses, I’ve got a problem with that,” Obama said. “Because part of it makes me think – and I’m speaking to men directly – part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”
He then turned his attention to Trump supporters. “You’re thinking about sitting out or supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you because you think that’s a sign of strength, because that’s what being a man is? Putting women down,” Obama asked. “That’s not acceptable.”
Following the scolding, Obama spoke at a rally at the University of Pittsburgh where he kept his focus on his predecessor, whom he called a “bumbling” billionaire.
Barack Backfires?
Megyn said there is no mistaking the message, but she wondered if the message was a mistake. “Barack Obama doesn’t do anything unintentionally, so clearly he wanted this to get out there,” she noted. “But it’s really bold and, honestly, pretty offensive stuff.”
Turrentine, who is a Democratic political strategist, agreed. “This is a problem – campaigning Barack Obama, good; Professor Barack Obama, not good,” he said. “When he was in the arena later in the day, shirt sleeves rolled up, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, there are few people in the Democratic Party that are better, but… no one likes to be talked to that way.”
As Spicer explained, there is no group of young men – “whether it’s black men, white men, Asian men, Hispanic men” – that “want to be lectured by the old guy” and told “you’re stupid,” “you’re dumb.”
Much like Harris’ troubled media tour, Spicer said Obama’s words are having unintended consequences. “These videos are now popping up all over social media saying, ‘I don’t need to be lectured,'” he said. “They’re having a boomerang effect with all of their strategies, and this could be a big problem as we head into Election Day.”
Ultimately, Halperin said the waning support among black male voters is not just a Harris problem. “This is a sustained problem – it was a problem for Joe Biden getting the support of young black men and young Hispanic men,” he noted. “It is getting out that they have a problem, and I think unless somebody can offer up a better solution than this hectoring lecturing, Obama might be the best they have.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Halperin, Spicer, and Turrentine by tuning in to episode 914 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.