Barack Obama to hit campaign trail for Harris this evening; Michelle Obama relaunches voter turnout drive
As former president Barack Obama is hitting the campaign trail for Harris this evening, former first lady, Michelle Obama, through her national, non-partisan voting initiative When We All Vote has relaunched Party at the Polls, the organization’s program to increase voter turnout.
In a news release announcing the relaunch, When We All Vote said that during the month of October and into November, the organization’s partners and volunteers will host nonpartisan celebrations near early voting locations across the country in order to “increase voter turnout and bring their communities together to cast their ballots”.
The parties are free to attend and open to everyone in the community, it added.
Key events
Now Donald Trump “may be confused” about the issue of abortion, Obama says. “But let’s not be confused.”
Kamala Harris will sign a bill protecting abortion access into law, says Obama.
“Freedom is about being able to make the right choice for ourselves and our families.”
To us, Obama says, freedom means freedom to marry whoever you want, for example.
He turns to abortion. He respects people whose faith says abortion shouldn’t be allowed.
“But if we believe in freedom,” he says, we must believe that it is a deeply personal decision that must be made by the person whose body is involved. Loud cheers from the crowd.
“For Trump, freedom is getting away with stuff,” says Obama.
Trump failed to take responsibility during the pandemic, says Obama.
He cites Trump’s infamous words: ““I don’t take any responsibility at all”.
To help Harris achieve her policies, she will need a senate “full of serious public servants,” he says. Republicans are widely viewed as being more likely to win the Senate this year, which will make it difficult for Harris, if she wins, to get legislation through.
Trump “thinks fear mongering is how he’s gonna win this election,” Obama says.
Someone in the crowd shouts, “vote”.
Obama turns to immigration, saying if Trump had all the answers – he mentions walls, and separations and deportations – why didn’t he solve the crisis when he was in office?
“He had concepts of a plan. And the plan was ugly,” says Obama.
“I don’t have to tell a lot of you, raising kids is hard,” Obama says. Harris wants to make it easier to afford things like a crib, or car seat, or diapers.
He remembers the sticker shock at the cost of diapers.
“I also remembered changing diapers,” he says. “Do you think Donald Trump ever changed a diaper?”.
Someone in the crowd yells something, and Obama says, chuckling, “I thought of saying that, but I didn’t.”
Obama talks about Harris’s policies on the economy, first time homebuyers, tax cuts for middle class and working people, and healthcare costs.
Obama is doing a bit about Trump saying he has a “concept of a plan” for healthcare.
Imagine saying that to your wife when she asks you to do the dishes, Obama says.
“If it wouldn’t work for you, why in the heck should it work for the president of the United States?” Obama says.
“The good news is Kamala Harris has an actual plan.”
Donald Trump’s message when it comes to increasing costs is, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
When it comes to healthcare, Trump has one answer: ending the affordable healthcare act that 44 million people rely on.
The act is known colloquially as Obamacare.
“The question is who’s really gonna do something about it,” he says, of the economy.
Donald Trump will give tax cuts to billionaires, Obama says. Someone boos. “Don’t boo. I’m gonna break you of this habit,” Obama says.
And when Trump boasts of his economy – “That’s because it was my economy,” Obama says, to huge cheers.
“I spent eight years cleaning up the mess the Republicans made the last time,” Obama says.
“Just in case anyone has a hazy memory: he didn’t do nothing. Except those big tax cuts.”