Three men who were central in guiding the presidency of Barack Obama, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor – famously known as the ‘Obama Bros,’ have recently unbosomed their critiques of current President Joe Biden. In their well-known ‘Pod Save America’ podcast, the trio used the platform to openly question President Biden’s recent public appearances, against the backdrop of whispers of unease among their political circles.
Their lambasting revolved around Biden’s lacklusterness in the first debate and his subsequent interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. Vietor, expressing his sincere shock, admitted, ‘I found it quite appalling and at times overly difficult to endure.’ This observation was anchored to Biden’s unsettling interview in the preceding week.
‘Although it would be unjust to expect Biden to fix the debate’s political fallout during the interview, his performance left many of us even more concerned,’ Vietor elucidated. ‘Biden struggled to convey his thoughts in a clear, articulate manner’ – a key concern raised by the ‘Obama bros.’
Vietor threw light on the concern over Biden’s apparent inability to put forth a captivating agenda for his second term. According to him, such a compelling plan is a linchpin for drawing swing voters away from the allure of former President Trump’s leadership. Vietor also indicated that Biden’s justifications for his substandard performance in the debate were far from satisfactory.
Lovett concurred with Vietor, stating that the environment of the interview presented a significant challenge for Biden. Pointing out the glaring reality, he declared, ‘The debate was not his best night, it was evident to all.’ Lovett lamented the ambiguity of the explanations provided as it did little to alleviate the concerns aroused by Biden’s performance.
Favreau, on the same note, agreed that while Biden’s interview may have been ‘more together’ than the debate, it still left a lot to be desired. He drew attention to Biden’s seemingly relaxed approach and lack of precise messaging. Favreau then made reference to the recent polls showing Biden trailing Trump across all significant battleground states.
Becoming more candid, Vietor finally noted that ‘It looks fairly self-evident, we would have had a better shot with another contender.’ Echoing this sentiment, Lovett insisted that Biden was missing the mark when it came to effectively delivering the necessary message.
Lovett’s grim assessment continued as he branded Stephanopoulos’ interview as a disappointment. ‘It was a dreadful watch,’ he confessed. ‘The interview was truly terrible. He simply didn’t explain convincingly why he’s running, what transpired during the debate, or why he’s the best option to vanquish Trump. He’s frankly not doing a good enough job.’
All these revelations come on the heels of damning criticism from former Obama adviser David Axelrod. During a CNN appearance, Axelrod took a pessimistic stance on Biden’s odds against Trump. Biden is ‘surely poised for loss,’ he warned.
‘Certain realities of life cannot be changed,’ Axelrod poignantly argued while discussing Biden’s age and leadership competency. ‘These aspects were strikingly evident on the debate stage. It’s clear the president has yet to accept these realities. As of now, victory is an uphill battle for him.’
Supposed friction has materialized between advisers from the Obama and Biden camps due to the intense scrutiny facing President Biden. An underlying reason for this is the contentious decision to favor Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, much to the chagrin of the Biden faction, further fueling this tension.
Top Obama Advisers Criticize Biden’s Public Performance appeared first on Real News Now.
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