“It’s not as if we didn’t see some of this coming,” said Barack Obama, a note of bleak humour in his voice. “I will admit it’s worse than even I expected, but I did warn y’all!”

The crowd at a sports arena in Norfolk, Virginia, half-laughed and half-groaned. “I did,” Obama added. “You can run the tape.”

Now Obama is back on the campaign trail, for Democrats running for governor in New Jersey and Virginia. It gives him a platform to deliver an alternative State of the Union address. And the gloves are off.

To hear the expectant buzz of the 7,000-plus crowd in Norfolk as candidate Abigail Spanberger promised that Obama’s entrance was just moments away was to be reminded that Democrats did once have a president who could match Trump’s superstar charisma.

    • krashmo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      He’s persuasive to idiots. That’s not the same thing as charismatic

    • fox2263@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      5 months ago

      He is charismatic. He does grab people. Hitler was also charismatic, undeniably so, a great orator. Trump is incoherently charismatic in comparison 😆