Obama’s Endorsement Doesn’t Mean Much [OPINION]

Had Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden on the day his former veep entered the race for the Democrat presidential nomination, it might have meant something. Today, Obama's nod of approval means little if anything.

It is abundantly clear that Barack Obama has endorsed Joe Biden more out of a sense of obligation than anything else. Obama was never really much of a fan of Biden running for president and made that clear several times by trying to convince Biden that he really didn't have to do it. Obama's reluctance to give a full-throated shoutout to Biden's candidacy speaks volumes.

I don't know a lot of Democrats who are overly excited about Biden being their presumptive nominee. Biden is considered a safe candidate in that he is not Liz Warren, or worse, Bernie Sanders. He can stumble and bumble his way through the campaign and as long as he doesn't get caught sniffing any more kids, the media can prop him up and cover for him.

Obama was elected twice and was a very popular president among Democrats. He is still well-liked. But many of Obama's policies were not well-liked even by Democrats. So when Obama endorses Biden and calls for the return of a big centralized government, many voters cringe. Despite what the media tells you, Donald Trump is popular because he reversed a lot of Obama's legacy.

Obama will be able to deliver a sizable number of black voters for Biden but they were going that way anyway. Just how many blacks have jumped off the Democrat wagon and hopped on the Trump train will be interesting to see in November and could have a huge impact on the outcome.

Obama is still popular with many voters but we'll have to see just how influential his endorsement will be in the end.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.