The British newspaper The Guardian published a report prepared by its Washington bureau chief, David Smith, under the title "Obama's shadow ... what influence the former president had on Biden?", In which it was mentioned that President-elect Joe Biden is considering appointing officials under former President Barack Obama to hold office. Major in his reign.

Among those officials are former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, and former Under Secretary of Defense, Michael Flournoy.

Smith mentioned in his report that Obama, who has gone into hiding for four years since Donald Trump took office, is now suddenly returning to appear everywhere, on television, radio, the Internet and in libraries.

He pointed out that Obama, 59, who is still in the prime of his political career, said in his memoirs that after leaving the presidency, he and his wife Michelle Obama planned to take a second role, less crowded, but they hoped he would not be less satisfying.

This includes completing the second part of his memoirs and creating a $ 500 million Presidential Center that simulates the Oval Office in Jackson Park, Chicago.

However, Obama's recent series of interviews, some of which diagnosed the threat that division and misinformation pose to democracy, reminded his supporters of his rare political talents and raised the possibility of his return to the political arena, according to the report.

President-elect Joe Biden (right) with former President Barack Obama in Michigan during the (French) presidential election campaign

Compulsions of reality

In an interview on his memoir "A Promised Land" released this week, Obama was asked how much influence he and his allies might exert when his former vice president, Joe Biden, takes office in January.

Smith commented that Biden would always be able to contact his former boss for advice. In his response to a question in a television interview with the American CBS channel, Obama said that Biden "does not need my advice and I will help him in every possible way, but I do not." I'm planning to suddenly work on the White House staff or something. "

Political analyst David Jarrow, who wrote a book on the rise of Barack Obama, believes that the former president will be happy to answer any question or request by Biden, but he wonders whether Biden - who spent 8 years in the office of Vice President - will hesitate to rely on Obama In any significant matter, "because it would be like relying on your older brother," as he put it.

However, Smith believes that Biden, in dealing with files such as the Corona pandemic, economic recession and racial unrest, may find in Obama an invaluable source of advice.

Precious shield

The report cited the opinion of David Litt, who worked for the White House and wrote speeches for Barack Obama during his presidency, and who stated that Obama and Biden have a very strong working relationship and a lot of respect and mutual trust.

He said he had no doubt Obama's willingness to support any Democratic president elected, "but we will see more continuity of the staff than would happen in another case, because many of the people who worked in the Obama administration subsequently worked in the Biden campaign, and they should join his administration."

But Lid believes that it is wrong to consider Biden's presidency as a third term for Barack Obama, and he says, "If we look at the speeches of Biden and his campaign and his team, we see that it was very clear that Joe Biden's role as Vice President Obama was an important part of his CV, but Biden ran his own campaign and it will be This is Joe Biden's presidency. "

The newspaper’s report indicated that some political analysts believe that Obama may represent a valuable shield for Biden when he faces left-wing pressure on issues such as police reform and the climate crisis.