Obama may steal the show from Biden at DNC in Chicago

Former President Barack Obama will serve as an Illinois delegate at the Democratic National Convention this summer, possibly upstaging his former running mate, President Joe Biden.

Illinois Democrats announced their full list of delegates Monday evening. Obama marks just one of 51 party leaders and elected officials serving as either automatic or at-large delegates, on top of the 96 district delegates. The Illinois delegation totals 147.

Obama has weighed in on some political issues since leaving office in 2017, but like most former presidents, he largely has avoided attempting to steer the party toward any successors.

He notably did not endorse Biden during the 2020 Democratic primary until it was clear his former vice president would be the nominee in that election. Meanwhile, popular former first lady Michelle Obama has long been rumored in GOP circles as replacing Biden as the 2024 nominee, which Democratic strategists dismiss as a “ginned-up” conspiracy.

Still, Democratic insiders have indicated to the Washington Examiner that they expect Obama to hit the 2024 campaign trail hard for Biden starting this summer, and the campaign is welcoming his efforts to boost Biden’s reelection push. Campaign officials added that Obama has indicated a willingness to do “whatever the campaign asks” once he ramps up his on-the-ground appearances.

A recent report from the New York Times indicated that Obama himself is independently advising Biden campaign officials on how to avert a Biden loss, which comedian Colin Jost mocked during his introduction at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

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“I am honored to be here hosting what is, according to swing-state polls, the final White House Correspondents’ Dinner. I hope that tonight will be a night to remember,” the “Weekend Update” host joked before motioning toward Biden and referencing the report. “For most of us. I was excited to be up here onstage with President Biden tonight, mostly to see if I could figure out where Obama was pulling the strings from. I have to admit: It’s not easy following President Biden. I mean it’s not always easy following what he’s saying.”

Biden and Obama joined former President Bill Clinton onstage at a political fundraiser in New York City in March. Moderated by Stephen Colbert, the event saw both Obama and Clinton make the case for Biden to Democratic donors ahead of the president’s November rematch with former President Donald Trump. Obama also joined Biden and Clinton for an interview with the three Democratic presidents on the Smartless podcast.