In Virginia, Barack Obama accuses Republicans of threatening democracy

Former US President Barack Obama on Saturday, October 23, accused Republicans of threatening democracy ahead of particularly close local elections, which are seen as a national test of Joe Biden’s popularity as the White House tenant bitterly negotiates a massive investment plan with Congress.

Mr Obama had traveled to Richmond, in the conservative south of the state, to support Democrat Terry McAuliffe, 64, the Virginia gubernatorial candidate who is dealing with Republican Trump candidate Glenn Yongkin, 54, prior to November 2. vote.

In front of a few hundred enthusiastic young activists, gathered at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Mr. Obama asserted that Mr. Yogkin would cut off teaching positions, reduce access to abortion and lend his support to the allegations of former President Donald Trump, who claims the presidential election was stolen from him.

“As far as I know, the main message from Terry’s opponent is that he is a man like everyone else because he wears fleece. He accuses schools of brainwashing our children.Mr. Obama said. He also said he wanted to check the voting machines used in the last ballot. (…) Are we supposed to believe that he will defend our democracy? “

Biden won Virginia by 10 points in 2020, and Republicans haven’t won an election in that state since 2009, but McAuliffe’s lead in the polls has thawed over the weeks, and is now on the margins of error. Mr. Obama, who remains the most popular Democrat in the United States five years after leaving the White House, wanted to rally African-American voters, a key electorate in this southern state, especially in the Richmond area where it is one of the most important symbols of his past. Slavery in the country, a statue of Confederate General Robert Lee, was removed only last month.

Biden is expected to arrive in Virginia next week

Grateful to understand why we can be ” tiring “ In politics, he argued « Si John Lewis [figure de la lutte pour les droits civiques mort en 2020] We don’t get tired, we don’t have the right to get tired”.

Before Mr. Obama, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and one of the rising stars of the Democratic Party, Stacey Abrams, traveled to Virginia to campaign for Mr. McAuliffe. The US president himself is expected to be there next week.

A McAuliffe victory would give impetus to the massive investment program that the left wing of the Democratic Party is seeking to push through Congress. The failure could lead to more caution on the moderate wing of the party, which is still reluctant to agree to spending about $3 trillion.

Yongkin focused on schools, campaigning against the mandatory mask that Donald Trump voters hate. So far, he has carefully avoided supporting the former president’s claims that the elections were stolen from him. Mr. Trump has not visited Virginia. He actually joined on October 13 a pro-Yongkin campaign rally attended by his former advisor Steve Bannon.